New Year in Ibiza is a scandalously special affair. All-year residents, summer workers and lovers of the island in general congregate to celebrate in a way that only a party isle can. It combines the cream of the best that Ibiza has to offer - great food, glamour, spiritual realisation and, of course, some cracking parties! The longer I live here, the more I see New Year as being almost a rite of passage and an opportunity to witness the island, and the colourful bunch of wonderful souls that live here, in their most natural and joyful state. Here's a bit of a run down of what went on as 2015 turned into 2016...
New Years Eve Morning
The 9am BA flight from London City Airport to Ibiza passenger list reads like a who's who of island stalwarts and party people. There's a tangible buzz in the air as a few of the more hardened crew decide to take on the Patron tequila tasting at duty free, as it's now become custom. Lots of Christmas wishing and hugging ensues.
New Years Eve
After a tactical siesta (stringent planning and stamina conservation is key if you are to do an Ibiza new year properly), and a good hard spritz, we head over to Pacha to check out the dinner that they have organised in conjunction with their sassy sister restaurant, Lio. The glitterati of Ibiza are out in full force, dripping in sequins and style. The lavish dinner looks outrageously divine from our perch at the bar and is accompanied by a chic and immaculate performance from the Lio cabaret team. What a way to spend the evening! Pacha has been transformed into a fittingly sumptuous dining room and we love it! However, the fun really starts when the tables are cleared and the star of the show Solomun and his plus one, his sister Magdalena, take to the decks. We, however, make a swift exit just before midnight and pop the mandatory 12 grapes (one per each church gong. Harder than it sounds!) and watch the spectacular fireworks over the port and Dalt Vila.
Underground
A place of Ibiza legend, Underground prides itself on being, well, underground. Shyly tucked behind the super club giants that are Amnesia and Privilege, Underground is popular all year round with those in the know. When we arrive, the resident DJs are in full swing and the dancefloor is packed with lots of familiar faces - residents and workers alike, who are already seeing 2016 in with a bang! However, we drag ourselves away (still sticking firmly to our NY tactics) in order to get a decent amount of sleep before the big event at DC10...
Salinas Swim
Sleep doesn't come easy. I'm far too excited! I wake up like a kid at Christmas and join my mates for a big fat fry up and a bloody mary. Thereafter, it's straight to Salinas Beach to watch the annual sea-dash organised by the lovely folks at Vino & Co, a delightful wine supplier in San Jordi. The sun is out and a gathering of at least 100 people strip down to their swimmers and on the count of 3, storm into the freezing cold sea. That's one way to blast your hangover into the new year! Only a few are brave enough to get their heads beneath the surface, and the majority retreat shivering to shore, to be rewarded with a glass of pink champagne and a lovely picnic, to which everyone has contributed a dish. Kids, mad men and dogs mingle and laugh as we plan our attack on the mighty terrace of DC10.
Circoloco 2016!
As is tradition, we are the first on the dancefloor, and this year with even better reason - our mates Acid Mondays are opening up the Main Room! We immediately grab a hierbas on ice from the bar and get our groove on. And so it continues. We watch open-mouthed as the room fills up with island faces old and new. Top story of the day has to be the guy in the garden who claimed to have caught a Blue Fin Tuna that morning and had sold it for €15K. The shots were most definitely on him! By midnight the place is RAMMED and I mean July/August rammed. We keep nipping out to the backstage area to try grab some air, but it's just as busy there so we admit defeat at about 2am and almost fall asleep in the taxi on the way home. Let the sleep marathon begin. Detox starts on Monday. As I eventually come round, I can see from Facebook that people are still carrying on at villa after-parties and at Nassau Tanit for local hero Sid Shanti's birthday. Only in Ibiza!
Next week, we are back in the sleepy swing of things as winter advances into the new year with the 3 Kings Fiesta and much more...
WORDS | Leena Sharma
