Nightlife Previews and reviews in Ibiza — 7 of Our Favourites

Located in an abandoned zoo, this place is off the beaten track in terms of location and imagination. Ten years ago the creative minds behind the Zoo Project took over Benimussa Park, San Antonio, and instead of renovating or refurbishing the venue they left the place looking like a zoo and just rolled with what they had. Now in what’s become a must see Ibiza experience. The DJs perform in what were the animal enclosures whilst partygoers dance on the tiered bench seating that used to hold spectators. Swimming pools attract people where they used to hold animals, and performers run and dance around the park dressed as rabbits, gorillas, wild cats and seals. This place truly is the work of a vivid imagination and very different to anything else you’ll find on the island.

The opening hours are another thing that sets this place apart from the super clubs. Held every Saturday through the summer Zoo Project starts at 4pm when the sun’s still hot, a fact which adds to the projects festival vibe, the party runs until midnight leaving you plenty of time to head back to town and hit up another venue or stick around if you can find the 'Panda' and gain access to the secret after party.

There are several main areas to check out around the zoo, including the legendary seal pit where resident DJs and special guests keep the crowd on a high playing from the rocks inside the pit whilst costumed dancers and tribal performers leap around the enclosure, around the edges of the seal pool and into the stands to interact with the crowd.

Check out the Tree House stage, where the dance floor is more normal but the stage is not; decorated with mushrooms, bird’s nests, tree house carvings and weird sculptures the tree house is almost as surreal as the seal pit.

Visit the Mandala Garden to get your hippy vibe on and chill amidst all manner of alternative performances and activities. Get a massage or have your tarot read, dance, chant and sing along with the guided meditations, tribal dancers and mindful healing circles. Or just grab a cushion or sprawl on the floor to watch capoeira, break dancers, fire dancers and all sorts of talented performers show you what they can do in this excellent chill out area come holistic healing zone.

Branch out from the main areas a little and explore the rest of the venue, follow the paved pathways and you’ll find hidden attractions, photo opportunities, secret chill zones and lounge areas, perfect for making best friends with strangers.

Visit the drinks and food stands dotted around the zoo; a beer will cost you €6, spirit and mixer €10, water or soft drinks €5. Most people embrace the beer garden vibe and sit under the jungle trees with pitchers of icy cocktails at €22 each. The food isn’t too pricey either and you’ll need it if you’re staying all evening. Grab a crepe, burger, hot dog or chips for around €5 or head to the Benimussa BBQ stand to unleash your inner carnivore.

If you’re going to head to Zoo Project then you might as well go all in, this is not a place for half measures this is a place to let your imagination and your inner wild thing run riot. 90% of Zoo-goers visit the body painters before arriving and so the crowd is a riot of colour and glitter as each person shows off their own spirit animal; lions, tigers, zebras, monkeys, peacocks and lizards dance shoulder to shoulder decked out in their painted finery, and sparkly costumes or flamboyant fancy dress are definitely encouraged!

Visit the Zoo Project for an unforgettable experience and a chance to get wild. Anything goes here; you can dance your heart out to trance DJ’s, rain dance to bongo drums or lounge by a pool sipping cocktails next to a sleeping Zebra, whatever works for you. Where else will you ever get to see a pirate versus gorilla dance off?

Extend the experience by doing the Zoo Project boat party, Noah’s Ark before hand or finding the ‘Panda’ and sticking around for the secret after party.

Head to Zoo, paint yourself from head to toe, dip yourself in glitter and let your wild thing out!

As epic as Ibiza’s super clubs are, it can (dare I say it) all get a little samey after awhile. If you’re like me and you don’t get the same thrill from watching a DJ standing behind the booth as you do from watching a live band rocking out on stage then you’ll agree that the clubs are missing a little something. Many of them make up for this with the performance factor coming from dancers and theatrics up on podiums and stages or out in the crowds performing as they mingle with the clubbers. For me though this is a different kind of spectacle and not on the same level with watching live musicians do their thing, which is why I’m loving my live music nights at Ibiza Rocks and am looking forward to many more this 2016 summer season.

On Wednesday 27th July I went to watch Sigma do their thing on the Ibiza Rocks stage. The UK Drum and Bass duo are no strangers to Ibiza having already rocked a Friday night spot at the Hotel back in June, they also appear on the roster for Together at Amnesia in August. Those gigs though are DJ sets and last Wednesday we were lucky enough to catch the only Ibiza Sigma Live party of the summer to which they brought the whole crew and rocked out with no less than five people on stage at any one time.

It’s safe to say that Manchester grime MC Bugzy Malone did a great job of getting the crowd in the right mood because by the time Sigma bounced onto the stage with their revolving crew, the energy of the crowd was ready to keep them dancing, jumping and singing for hours. Sigma had them going from the start with front man Justice doing his thing, and guitarist Ollie rocking like his life depended on it. But it was when their partner in crime Majestic joined them that things got properly wild with mosh pits popping up all over the place as he encouraged the crowd to get crazy.

Sigma gave us all the big hits and the crowd favourites including the songs like Changing and Coming Home that usually feature Paloma Faith and Rita Ora. Sigma had two female singers with them, introduced as Anna and Zoe, who gave us the vocals for these songs and others with beautiful and powerful voices that the crowd absolutely loved. Of course the set closed with the beautiful and evocative Nobody to Love which the crowd embraced so loudly that the band gave us several more choruses than were strictly part of the song and yet still left everyone wanting more. More live acts, more bands, more bouncing crews of energy rocking a stage festival style.

If you’ve got the bug for live music then Wednesdays at Ibiza Rocks is for you, check out the line-up which features in the coming weeks Dizzy Rascal, Wolf Alice, All Saints (yes, those all saints) and what all music fans in need of a proper live band gig are looking forward to; Kaiser Chiefs! For one night only Ibiza Rocks will play host to the UK indie rock group who brought us I predict a riot, Ruby and Everyday I love you less and less. On the 3rd August, it’s the place to be, be there and be ready to rock!

The Amnesia venue makes this night what it is; a two for one party. Two adjoining rooms with distinctly different vibes. You will find the main room belting out heavy drum and bass and just a few steps and a whole world away is the Terrace where house music holds court. Camp out in one room for the entire night or switch it up between the two, the choice is yours.

The line up changes slightly from week to week but in the main room you’ll find Together residents Chase & Status there almost every week and Rudimental nearly as often, they’ll be joined by the likes of Pendulum, Netsky, Sigma, Andy C and Sub Focus as well as guest performers such as Mike Skinner on August 2nd. The only slightly mellower Terrace area showcases Birmingham DJ Hannah Wants and will also be home to Gorgon City, Disciples and some very special guests including MK and Armand Van Helden.

The two rooms give you a great range of music and atmosphere for the night but the struggle comes when you want to see everyone and they’re all playing at overlapping times, can you drag yourself away from Chase & Status to check out Hannah Wants? Did you miss Gorgon City because you were too busy raging in the main room? Did you go too hard too soon and have to head home early missing Redlight at the end? Not to worry, this event runs all summer and you’ll have plenty of chances to check out everyone.

The Amnesia nightclub itself is incredible, two huge cave-like rooms housing two massive dance floors dotted with podiums and stages where the unbelievably energetic house dancers go for it like there’s no tomorrow clad in skin tight silver. The VIP balcony circles the room and it’s honoured clientele look down upon the surging dance floors and DJs at work. Walkways cross the ceiling featuring more dancers raging away in their hooded leo’s and snapbacks, pic laser and light shows fill the air from start to finish.

It gets ridiculously hot in there with the euphoric crowds and the manic dancing but every now and then the entire dance floor gets blasted with a cannon of ice cold smoke that fills the rooms and instantly chills everyone in it, this is invariable met with insane cheers and a wave of renewed energy for the dancers. Packed though the dance floors are all night, the raised edges of the rooms provide breathing space and platforms from which you can scan the crowd for your invariably missing mates, bars also line the edges of the rooms.

Smoking tends to occur anywhere and everywhere but if you need a breather the official smoking area is back outside the main doors, it’s worth a visit just for the cross section of people you’ll meet there. True to small world form I met a girl from two minutes away from my home in Wales, alongside a crowd of guys dressed as cavemen, a bunch of newly hired bankers who really wanted me to know that they were not students, “we are not students, we’re not, we’re are staying in a villa’”, bless ‘em. Ibiza workers, Ibiza holiday makers, teenagers, middle agers, music lovers and people who had no idea who was even playing, Together had them all and they were all having a great time. The party raged until 6.30am when the sun was up and it was time to head home, sweaty, exhausted and ready to do it all again next week.

Plenty of taxis swarm around the grounds all night and it’s easy enough to get home whenever you need to but if you’re staying in Ibiza Town or San Antonio don’t forget the Disco Bus which runs all night from right outside the club to the bus stations and at €3 it’s a lot cheaper than a taxi.

Together at Amnesia, a two for one party of raging bass lines, house music madness, diverse crowds and an epic venue, definitely the place to be on a Tuesday night in Ibiza!

To be honest we were close to not making to Kumharas for sunset - it is not the easiest place to find. After driving up and down several dead end roads that led into accommodation blocks we were beginning to give up hope. the area surrounding the venue is misleading, a bit shabby and run-down and full of apartment blocks. However, as we got nearer the end of the correct street (finally!) we saw the brightly coloured walls that conceal this charming bar and restaurant.

It faces out to the west to the setting sun and a small beach area that gets busier as the evening goes on. The bar itself has a really nice laid back vibe and some great decor. It stretches back to an old guard tower that has been converted into a bar with the music being pumped out from the top. There is also a restaurant at the back of the venue, outdoors but part of it is undercover. there are sculptures and ornaments dotted around and a small boutique that gets set up just as the crowds start arriving to enjoy the sunset.

The music was great and within an hour or so if the sun setting Kumharas started to fill up with couples, groups of friends and families all ready to enjoy the natural light show that the ibizan sun regularly puts on. The staff were incredibly friendly, helping with drinks choices and offering snacks and food to those who required it. There was a minimum spend of 10€ on a card when I tried to pay but this was easily spent over the course of the night so they let me set up a tab. The drinks and cocktails are similarly priced to many of the other beach clubs but here you have the added bonus of it not being overly crowded and not having to reserve your spot for sunset! This is definitely more of an impromptu place.

The front area of the bar is open onto the beach where there were also numerous people who had gathered ready with their own alcohol and cameras to capture the moment and enjoy the music. It appeared to be perfectly acceptable for them to be sitting only yards from the bar doing this but I must say that I was glad of our table, comfy chairs and being served by the staff. I guess it all adds to the atmosphere of the night.

As is traditional in Spain, dinner doesn't seem to take place until after 9.30pm...and in this case after the sun has set. The restaurant doesn't take long to fill up either so I can only assume that their menu is pretty good! (Mental note to come back for dinner one night..) But we were happy on this occasion to enjoy some more cocktails, atmosphere and the music.

This is a gem of a spot, once you find it, and a definite 'must do' if you are staying anywhere along the west coast or in San Antoni itself.

The night was a complete success despite starting worryingly slowly. UK five-piece band, The Bulletproof Bombs, who opened the night began playing to an almost entirely empty venue with a few spectators sitting around the edges of the dance floor looking disinterested.

The band appeared not to notice however and the ridiculously young looking indie/punk musicians rocked out as if they were headlining a festival. The lead singer delivered his Jamie T-esque lyrics with overwhelming intensity and slowly their enthusiasm caught on and what little crowd there was shuffled forward from the edges of the dance floor and started to get their groove on. By the time the band shrieked to a finish the night was off to a good start.

A more respectable crowd was cheering from the dance floor when Patrick Nazemi kicked off his DJ set with an eclectic mix of crowd favourites. It wasn’t all plain sailing however as the poor guy kicked off his set with some energetic spinning, mixing and shouting that the crowd couldn't hear; a technical glitch leaving us all in silence whilst he danced away to his own tunes. Someone eventually alerted him and like a true professional, he simply gave a grin, said ‘that’s live rock and roll for you’ and started the whole process again. He launched tune after tune with Jet, MGMT, Michael Jackson, James Brown, Fatboy Slim and Cornershop all getting a moment in the spotlight. The dancing started and never stopped and this guy was well and truly loved by the crowd.

Eventually it was time for the main event and the serious team of roadies that had been scurrying about through Nazemis entire 40minute set eventually ceased. A hush descended over the now very respectable sized crowd and all at once the Kaiser Chiefs, in all their glory, exploded onto the Ibiza Rocks stage like it was 2005 all over again.  

They played a great set filled with masses of energy and enthusiasm and huge crowd pleasing tunes easily mixed with lesser-known tracks. Obviously the huge tunes from their phenomenal 'Employment' album, Modern Way, Oh My God, Everyday I Love You Less and Less and the song that broke many a karaoke set, I Predict a Riot, were the superstars of the evening along with Ruby and Never Miss a Beat. The band gave those songs everything they had and the crowd responded in style.

Their lesser-known stuff was received well by a happy crowd and they even throw in some new ones from the upcoming album 'Stay Together' which will be released later this year. Lead singer Ricky Wilson apologised for playing the new stuff, saying that he knew it wasn’t what we were there to hear, but played it anyway and kept the crowd engaged with his mad antics and energy from the start.

Inexplicably dressed in shirt, jeans and mustard yellow leather jacket that must have had him sweating buckets on this ridiculously hot Ibiza night, he didn’t let that slow him down but raced around the stage like a mad thing, head banging with his whole body, leaping up on top of amps and drum kits, running down the gangways out into the crowd to salute his fans and having someone carry him on their shoulders all the way back to the stage. Add to that explosive pyrotechnics, and confetti cannons and It was all exhausting and electrifying to watch. When it was all over the crowd whooped and cheered for these guys long after the chances of another encore had passed. Thank you Kaiser Chiefs!

Ibiza Rocks has done it again, filling its epic venue with real music and providing us with something a little different to the DJ sets and trance tunes we’re bombarded with in Ibiza. For your next hit of the live stuff check out their Wednesday line-up which still has Dizzy Rascal, Wolf Alice and Faithless to come before this summer's over!

Nestled in the heart of the narrow shopping streets that are lined with clubbing gear, leather bags, jewellery and market style stalls selling all things Ibizan, I stumbled across this place in the mid afternoon heat and was immediately drawn in.

With a huge range of mojito's and cocktails it was hard to decide what to go for, but the barman was immediately there to help out...I opted for the classic straight mojito. I figured if they know what they are doing then it is bound to be a winner - and I was right! Finished off with a flourish of mint and a slice of lime the mojito was cool, refreshing and deliciously rum filled. Normally I find a mojito can get quite watered down with the amount of crushed ice they use, but with just a few large ice cubes this was not the case.

My friend was after something equally as refreshing but non-alcoholic so he asked what the barman would suggest. After a brief conversation about his favourite fruits the barman whisked the menu away and said he would make him something special! A fancy strawberry smoothie-style mocktail appeared and was the perfect thirst quencher in the middle of our shopping afternoon.

We enjoyed the bar so much that we decided to return later that evening to see what the Ibizan nightlife had to offer. The shops along this street are open later than we normally expect at home in the UK, but it suits Spanish dining time which tends to be around 10pm. The buzz around this small street and the Swami bar in particular is fantastic. It was a great place to warm up for a big night out...or in our case, warm up for a long and lazy dinner! With great music that slowly gets louder and supply's more of a party atmosphere than the chilled-out reggae of the early afternoon, the party really gets started. The cave like interior of the bar is cosy and gives the impression of a very popular place, even though we are still early in the season and there are not so many tourists in town just yet. 

The barman informed us that they will stay open until 2am...a little past my bedtime on this particular night so we call it quits about 10pm and head to find a restaurant for dinner. There is no doubt however that we will be back to sample this choice little nightspot on another occasion...