Location: Ibiza, Spain
Capacity: 5,692
What makes a great club? Show-stopping line-ups plucking from the most exciting talent of the day, mixing big-room headliners and emerging names? Pin-point-perfect audio in every corner? What about mind-blowing lighting to transport crowds into the stratosphere? And a labyrinthine layout hiding weird and wonderful elements in which to get lost, or find a pack of new friends. Maybe, it’s all of the above.
First opening doors onto Ibiza’s legendary Playa d’en Bossa strip in 2017, Hï Ibiza’s inaugural two seasons catapulted the address toward the pinnacle of DJ Mag’s Top 100 Clubs poll. For the past three years, the venue has stood at the summit of this annual list. A non-mover now ranking at No. 1 so consistently it’s getting harder and harder to work out what hasn’t already been said about the fabled institute. World’s most technologically advanced dance music destination: check. Home to the White Isle’s premier-league residencies: done. A marvel of nightlife design: read it before.
Any attempt to define why Hï Ibiza continues to prove so perennially popular should probably start by talking about the layout. Take the Theatre, for example. A main room inspired by Italian amphitheatres with a VIP terrace surrounding the dancefloor, here, a huge LED screen creates a fully immersive experience as sonic drama blasts from the powerhouse L-Acoustics rig. One of the finest sounding things we’ve been lucky enough to experience, lasers, confetti cannons, and CO2 jets heighten the impact of every drop, breakdown and rolling drum those speakers emit.
In contrast, the Club Room feels squarely aimed at the heads — a darker, smaller, lower-ceilinged enclave where the DJ booth sits at eye level and there are far less distractions. A venue within the venue focusing firmly on the music, effects are used to emphasise and accentuate, rather than create awe-inspiring visual spectaculars.
For many, though, The Wild Corner is actually Hï Ibiza’s hidden highlight, a unisex bathroom with CDJs, mixer and a ceiling illuminated in vivid colours. It’s serious yet fun, or maybe that should just be seriously fun.
Back outside, The Magic Garden and Secret Garden provide respite from the chaos, places to kick back, relax and talk nonsense to anyone who will listen. Ethereal installations and luxurious teepees set the tone for these chillout oases.
Each of these areas will make a huge impression in their own right, but arguably it’s the way every element of the complex can be fine-tuned to suit any event that guarantees so many returning visitors. Whatever the night, whoever is playing, things will look distinct compared to 24 hours earlier.
“Our goal is always to create the best experience possible. We put our heart and soul into making every aspect of our events special, but the key element has and always will always be our guests. Without their continued support none of this would be possible. Taking the No. 1 spot in the DJ Mag Top 100 Clubs poll was a dream from the beginning, so to have been awarded the accolade for three years in a row feels incredible,” says Yann Pissenem, founder, CEO and owner of Ushuaïa Entertainment, Ushuaïa Ibiza and Hï Ibiza. “Alongside our incredible family of headline residents, and world-first debuts from pioneering artists, this year clubbers will be able to explore the multi-room experience like never before as we embrace new technologies and showcase cutting-edge production, ensuring Ibiza’s legacy as one of the top clubbing destinations in the world.”
So, what does that really mean for the standard bearer? 2024 will be the venue’s longest season to date, although in many ways much is the same. Hï Ibiza remains shorthand for a one-of-a-kind 360 nightlife experience unlike anything else on the island. It still means expertly programmed sessions led by extraordinary selectors, graced by groundbreaking guests. Impromptu back-to-back sets will continue to bring unforgettable surprises. And the beloved sessions and artists who call this place home are back, for good reason. Like Black Coffee and his sell-out soirée, and Afterlife, where Tale of Us’ melodic grooves form ethereal moments heightened by breathtaking imagery.
David Guetta & MORTEN’s aptly-named Future Rave is also here again, marrying main stage tunes and warehouse noises with surrealist eye-candy. Glitterbox’s colourful, unabashed celebration of upfront house and disco is another contrast. Meanwhile, Eric Prydz will present a newly updated take on his legendary A/V displays, this time known as [CELL]. Whichever you hit — The Martinez Brothers or FISHER — the venue will be transformed for and by the occasion in ways that would prove impossible without Hï Ibiza’s benchmark-setting specifications. And that’s just in the Theatre; head to the Club Room this summer and the likes of Patrick Topping, Paco Osuna, Vintage Culture, Damian Lazarus, and Meduza & James Hype will be leading sonic journeys of their own.
So, what are we looking for in a great club? Beyond the obvious, perhaps adaptability and versatility are the key ingredients. An environment made for events that could only happen in there, at that moment. And a place that’s always ready to do it all over again, only different, tomorrow night.