Is it a Wise Move to have the Bad Boy of Ibiza Clubs Open on NYE?
Written by Dan Kirwan
The annual New Year’s Day shindig at DC10 is set to take place amid a worsening Covid 19 situation. The island is currently under a Level 3 health alert with stricter restrictive measures announced this week. On top of mandatory mask-wearing in outdoor and indoor spaces, all hospitality venues require patrons to present a digital covid vaccination certificate regardless of their size. Previously, venues with under 50 person capacity did not require a certificate.
So DC10 has a lot more to lose than gain by opening its doors for Saturday night, and it’s a risky move considering local sentiment towards the industry. In Catalonia, its autonomous government have closed all nightclubs, and the local Catalan population in Ibiza would have a similar risk-averse and health-conscious mentality.
DC10 has long been walking on the thin ice of local patience; its immature reaction to its infamous opening party in October crossed a line, empowering the politically savvy PROU campaign to close the club. Rather than allowing the sleeping dog to lie, DC10 puts its head above the parapet once again. While its opening party was a brave but poorly executed decision, this move is risky in a high stakes poker game. The environment is much different from October’s party; it’s wintertime, and everybody’s inside. The majority of its clientele will be non-national residents, not tourists who would be departing the island straight after the event as they did for the Opening party. I would also be surprised to find that there are so many double vaccinated clubbers in Ibiza, considering their anti-vax viewpoints to date.
Omicron has been labelled a highly transmissible variant of Covid 19. Encouraging clusters of people to gather inside a club during a Level 3 health alert is putting your hand out to get slapped. In Majorca, last weekend, breaches of health regulations at the BCN club event has forced the closure of its NYE party with the Balearic government stating that if similar breaches occur, it will follow Catalonia’s lead and shut down the nightclub industry, which will include Ibiza. The problem with laws in Spain is that once enacted, it’s a lot harder to re-open under a closure order. If Ibiza falls into this legal K hole, in my opinion, it will delay efforts to re-open the 2022 clubbing season as we will be back to square one again.
The bad boy of Ibiza clubs is being asked to act as an altar boy.
DC10 risks not only its reputation on Saturday night but that of the industry that supports it. It’s really tough in Ibiza right now, many club-associated workers and businesses are desperately hanging on by their fingertips; another covid restricted season will kill them. The bad boy of Ibiza clubs is being asked to act as an altar boy. The local resident association have been unusually quiet on the run-up to this party, which is an ominous sign in my book and make no mistake, DC10 is in the telescopic sights of some itchy fingered enemies with old scores to settle. There is the possibility they could be walking into an ambush as they have been so predictable in their actions to date.
There is also the view that operating a club night with the current restrictions goes against the fundamental principle that Ibiza clubs were founded on, freedom of expression and inclusion. DC10 is going into Saturdays game with the cards stacked in the anti clubbing sides favour. In the words of Kenny Rogers The Gambler, “You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em”, and on this occasion, I feel the latter is sage advice.
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