With the official start of the Ibiza 2019 season less than 24 days away, we take a look at the trends we expect to see on the island this summer. Each year Ibiza keeps surprising us with her resilience and adaptability to change and this season is no different with lots to look forward to. We are splitting this blog post into two digitally digestive parts, the second set of five trends will appear next time.
1. It’s All About The Weekend.
The island is gearing itself up to meet the fresh demand for weekend trips to the White Isle. Not too long ago, Saturdays were regarded as one of the weakest days on the calendar, as most big name DJ’s were booked for lucrative weekend gigs around the World and Saturday was the changeover day for Villa owners and package tour operators. With the increase in commercial flights, clubbers are now making shorter trips to the island, taking more frequent 2-3 days getaways, rather than the traditional one or two week holiday. Already David Guetta has moved to a weekend slot at Hi on Fridays, alongside Calvin Harris at Ushuaia and Dixon at Pacha. Saturdays now have Elrow, Ants, Black Coffee and a new party yet to be announced for Pacha.
2. A Season Of Politics
With European and Local Elections due in May, the island is buzzing with political activity. Traditionally the PP Party, backed by big business owners including the Matutes Group, have been the party of Government. But due to the many corruption charges levied against it and its pro-capitalist leanings, it lost its tight grip on power when a socialist alliance swept into government five years ago on a tide of reform and change. While the PP did their best to stop the rookie government from making any real progress, it was unable to halt the sizeable reform the socialists made in San Antonio, delivering on their election promise to clean up the West End. While the business owners will not be voting for them, the locals will, and because of this I expect the left to retain power in the San Antonio municipality. Elsewhere it could be a different story, as the PP are a party not to underestimated and this time around, I don’t expect them to poll as poorly as they did five years ago.
3. The Dominance Of Hi
As we predicted when it was first launched in 2017, Hi has grown into a real clubbing powerhouse not just in Ibiza but Worldwide. The islands number one club for the past number of years, Amnesia, is struggling to hold onto its champions title due to the loss of Music On to Pacha, and with Elrow doubling its dates at Ushuaia this summer, the San Rafael club is falling back and Hi could soon overtake it as the islands premier venue, thanks to parties like Afterlife, Black Coffee and David Guetta. Its EDM meets underground music policy, is attracting a new generation of Instagram clubbers looking for modern facilities and big production values, all of which they can find at Hi who I expect to consolidate its influence and remain on trend for years to come.
4. The Growth Of Alternative Ibiza
Ibiza has always been known for its alternative side, people with a different perspective on life that is opposite to mainstream thinking. Up north, traditional family resorts like Portinatx have changed from family friendly hotels to adults only, catering to couples into Yoga, healthy lifestyles and Vegan food. Pikes Hotel welcomes back Ibiza’s Literary Festival with Irvine Welsh, while the Mambo group have some interesting events running at Hostal La Torre and Casa Maca Hotel in the hills overlooking Dalt Villa. On the rise are Food and Art Festivals at venues like Sluiz in Santa Gertrudis and Atzaro in the middle of the island, as the Ibiza trademark starts to add value to non clubbing areas.
5. Quality Staff Shortages
In recent years Ibiza has been in a midst of an accommodation crisis. While rents continue to rise, wages have remained static, making it much more difficult for service staff to make any real income on the island during its five month summer season. Many workers who remain on the island all year round, are finding it increasingly difficult to make ends meet. For anybody thinking of relocating to Ibiza this season, I would strongly advise to think twice before they do so, as the cost of living is pricing many out of the market. Quality staff are not returning to Ibiza as its become too expensive and they are relocating to other holiday destinations where they can make more income and the opportunity to save a little which is difficult to do in Ibiza at present.
The second part of our Top Ten Trends for Ibiza 2019 will publish on Tuesday.
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