Ibiza 2025 Review. The Year Of Assimilation.
Well, well, what a season 2025 turned out to be. One for the books, as intrigue, drama, shocks, piracy, and seismic change rocked the little island with a loud voice. Ibiza 2025 had it all. In the space of a decade, the island has transformed from a laid-back boho-hippy hangout into a chic digital influencer hub. Once the home for free-loving, anti-establishment black sheep of society, Ibiza is now a Matrix for those living in a simulated reality, slaves to their phones. In my twenty-five years of reporting on and observing Ibiza culture, 2025 has been the most transformative year.
The year started on a sad note with the death of DJ Alfredo, an icon of the old Ibiza, the man who influenced a generation with his music and helped establish the island as the mecca for clubbing tourism. His death signalled the end of that era. “I blurred the division between black and white music, and I blurred the division between concert music and Disco music; I put it all together’. The freedom & social connection on the dancefloor that Alfredo preached from his altar at Amnesia has now been sold into the corporate collective as Ibiza 2025 became the year of digital assimilation.
Alfredo’s temple at Amnesia came under siege, much like the Moores’ last stand in Dalt Vila back in 1235, when the army of Aragon conquered the island for Christianity. Rather than face death by the sword, several Amnesia DJs deserted the club in its hour of need, trading integrity for financial reward. The most shocking of them all was Carl Cox’s recantation of UNVRS and its owners. To put this move into perspective, think of Luke Skywalker joining the Galactic Empire. It was a shrewd tactical move by TNL to capture the island’s most revered DJ and, in the process, neutralise the powerful British anti-TNL social media campaign that had been in play since 2016, the year Cox’s spiritual home, Space, was demolished and replaced by HI.’
UNVRS became the story of 2025. It confounded the critics by opening on time and delivering a state-of-the-art venue, which cast a cathartic shadow over the island’s soul. Its digital stormtroopers dazzled us with blitzkrieg marketing, some of it artistic. The sweeping panoramic drone shot of the sunset inside UNVRS, with Michael Bibi playing his set, being one of them. Commander Yann and his trusted French General Romain delivered a decisive victory for Emperor Matutes. The vanquished armies of Sant Antoni attempted to ambush the victory celebrations by leaking to the media that the Matutes Pissenem partnership had met its Waterloo. However, it was all subterfuge as the partnership is as strong as ever. Revenge is a dish best served cold, and I would expect more to develop from this incident. I will be writing a separate blog on my UNVRS experience, but for now, it is suffice to say that it has changed the face of clubbing not just on the island but on the planet.
The first party to be announced at UNVRS was surprisingly the Catalan-inspired party Elrow. Over 500 industry heads were invited to a private screening in Elrow’s home city, Barcelona, where it was revealed that Elrow would take over Saturday nights at the new club. For some strange reason, Elrow decided not to employ Ushuia Entertainment’s in-house production team, Highscream, and instead subcontracted the job out to a company not aligned with UNVRS’s artistic identity. It resembled Kevin Costner’s Waterworld movie, or, to be more relevant, Brad Pitt’s limp F1 flick. Overproduced, tired and cliched. However, the cinematic trailer did serve to christen the Night League’s Yann Pissenem, as Commander Yann and put an end to the Frenchman’s acting career.
Elrow’s debut season at UNVRS was about as successful as the cinematic trailer that promoted it. As we predicted, the much-loved party lost its human touch and Balearic identity in the digital theatre of UNVRS, with many Elrow fans confessing that it was better at Amnesia. Elrow is already rumoured to be moving to Ushuaia for a daytime party, which should revitalise the party in its original open-air format. It would also open up the Saturday night slot at UNVRS for Black Coffee to slide into, a perfect fit in my opinion. Of all the new parties at UNVRS this year, the one that suited its new audience best was Anyma. If I were giving an award for its star player, then I would hand it to Matteo Milleri, who split from his Afterlife partner Carmine Conte, a story that surprisingly did not make the headlines. The Tale of Us duo had previously played Privilege, but Milleri’s new show is unrecognisable from its Afterlife days. Anyma is about as hot as you can get right now, and 2026 will be a big year for him in Ibiza. The Italians have a long history of setting the musical trends in Ibiza.
Across the road at Amnesia, the Millennium Falcon of Ibiza clubs, it was a meteor storm year. The fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy was pursued and targeted by the Galactic Empire, which took out Jamie Jones, Joseph Capariti and Elrow. Amnesia just about escaped with its life, and under the circumstances, had an ok season. In Obi-Wan Kenobi style, Sven Vath returned to save the day with a classic Cocoon party alongside Richie Hawtin, reminding us how iconic a party Enter was at Space. Watching the two play together at Amnesia brought a tear to the eye and inspired a new hope for the old club. Just like the Millennium Falcon, Amnesia has become a symbol of resistance against Imperial control, and this theme was reflected in the club’s marketing campaign during the season. Glitterbox has already announced that it will host a Friday-night residency at Amnesia next season—an odd transfer, as I would be wary of any ship that was part of the Imperial fleet. The Ferrer family, owners of Amnesia, will come under sustained pressure to sell up. If the Millennium Falcon is lost, then old Ibiza and what it stood for will become a part of history as the New Order marches relentlessly forward. We wish the crew at Amnesia all the very best for the season ahead.
Over at Pacha, it was a season of high drama and intrigue as Marco Carola and his Music On party reigned supreme. It was all too much for its ex-star player, Solomun, who was reduced to tears at the end of a difficult season for the Croatian DJ. He was ambushed in the hallowed Pacha DJ booth by The Ibiza Final Boss, a clever and effective viral sensation that won the award for best social media marketing campaign. Hats off to those behind the scheme, which was well-played from its inception at Andy McKay’s exciting new venue, 528 Ibiza, through to its final stop in the Pacha DJ Booth. Quite the performance and an advertisement for the marketing skills present on the island, promoting Ibiza as the premier destination for clubbers. I remain unconvinced that Ushuaia Entertainment does not have a silent shareholding or influence at Pacha, since Ricardo Urgell sold it to corporate interests whose identities are hidden behind holding companies. Check out our recent blog on Pacha’s new direction.
The Buncaneers Island
Over at the golden triangle in Playa den Bossa, I would guess that both Solomun and the rising stock of Camelphat will transfer from Pacha to Hi to help bolster its offering as an underground club. Rumours suggested that the success of UNVRS impacted Hi and Ushuaia, but judging by the crowds at both venues this year, I find it hard to believe that story, which was leaked to the press as the motive for the Matutes/Pissenem split. One has to realise the Herculean task involved in the launch of UNVRS last season, so both venues had to take a back seat while the hyperclub became fully armed and operational.
Next season, rebuilding and rebranding HI and Ushuaia will be a priority for Ushuaia Entertainment. The suggestion that TNL would not be part of that job is a foolish one for Abel Matutes to consider. Another iconic Ibiza DJ rumoured to be making a comeback to the island next season is Tiesto. He is almost certain to declare for TNL, so what position Yann Pissenem plays him in is open to speculation. A return to his In Search Of Sunrise Monday night slot at UNVRS, while tempting, might upset the island’s top DJ, David Guetta, so an appearance at Hi is more likely.
At Ushuaia, it was another good season thanks to Calvin Harris, who regularly sold out his two days at the open-air venue. However, the venue’s future remains uncertain. If Ushuaia Entertainment were to streamline its operations, Ushuaia would be the obvious choice to decommission, given licensing and political issues. That would allow its top-performing parties to integrate into operations at its sister venue, Hi, which has the option to expand its business interests into the old waterpark that sits vacant behind the club.
In the port of San Antonio, a sworn enemy of the Empire, Eden, had a litigious season. Like the planet Alderan, it became the Death Star’s first victim after it poached the Matutes-owned Space Ibiza branding and dared to fly its flag over its premises. Eden’s Dutch owner, Michael Van de Kuit, has vowed to keep the club open as a rebel base against the Galactic Empire, and his Hans Solo role will be interesting to watch. It was also the swan song for Pepe Rosello, who went down fighting, ending the decade-long civil war between him and Matutes over the ownership of the Space branding. Pepe will be sadly missed on the club circuit; his Ibicenco warmth, hospitality and smile are now a bygone era, a time I was lucky to be part of: Salud, Pepe and thanks for the memories. Your name will be forever etched in the history books.
Outside of the clubs, the stories that made the headlines emanated from the Sant Josep Council, the home municipality of the Matutes Empire. American DJ Diplo was fined 300,000 euros for breaching local licensing laws in the protected nature reserve of Es Vedra. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and the council was forced to close the area due to anti-social behaviour, overcrowding, and safety concerns.
The ink had hardly dried on the Es Vedra closure order before the council issued a cease-and-desist order on the famous hippy beach hangout, Sa Trinxa, located in a protected area on the beautiful Ses Sallinas beach. While music was permitted, the performance of DJs was banned, causing outrage and forcing another iconic DJ of old Ibiza, Jon Sa Trinxa, to depart the island. The incident is linked to the ongoing Chiringuito Wars in Spain, which spilled over into nearby Formentera, where many of its traditional Chiringitos were lost to corporate ownership in recent years. Expect to see this campaign step up a notch in Ibiza over the coming seasons.
The above review is just a brief synopsis of the year that was 2025 in Ibiza. Hardly a week went by without a dramatic news story occurring. Too many people died due to drug overdoses, balcony falls and road deaths. The roads were both jammed and lethal, and the cost of renting kept rising as landlords took full advantage of the supply-and-demand economic forces. The island lost several more traditional businesses as owners sold up and quit the hospitality trade due to the more demanding type of tourist Ibiza is attracting now.
The gentrification of Sant Antoni continues at pace, with old club 18/30 hotels being converted into four- and five-star establishments. Everyone seems to be complaining about something or other, and the energy on the island has shifted to an alien place. It’s as if something from above is draining all the good energy out. The spiritual gurus on the island claim that UNVRS is a harvesting station for carbon units, but they would say that to remain relevant.
In conclusion, for me personally, it was sad to see old Ibiza retire. While many will deplore her mournful fate, I will try to accept it for what it is, be happy I was part of it and look for the positives moving forward. It was the year of innovation and the season that Ushuaia Entertainment stamped its authority on the island. I understand the reasons why people on the island don’t like change, but for centuries, Ibiza has been in a cycle of change.
I am reminded of the famous quote by automobile tycoon Henry Ford, who stated, ‘If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses. ‘ Customers don’t understand markets that represent a complete paradigm shift from what they know or are used to, and most of this sentiment lives in older generations. Innovation is the responsibility of leadership and visionaries, not customer feedback, for Ibiza is, in spirit, a Buccaneer’s island.
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