As temperatures begin to drop and the nights are getting longer on the White Isle, the Ibiza Light Festival is one of our annual reminders that winter is coming!
Having taken place every autumn (with the exception of 2020) for the past four years, the culture, art and technology event makes for a fantastical evening out for the whole family and was welcomed back with much enthusiasm for its fifth edition, running across two nights on 22 and 23 October 2021.
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After being battered by torrential rains on opening night, it appeared like the whole island had turned up on Saturday evening to see the colourful spectacle, with a long queue of excited visitors sneaking through the cobbled streets of Ibiza Town’s historic core Dalt Vila.
Making our way up via the ancient stone drawbridge into the fortified walls, we could already see explosions of neon lights brightening up the night sky!
As on the previous night, there were two time slots to choose from to tour the festival; between 20:00 and 22:00 or from 22:00 until midnight. We had chosen the earlier option of the two and soon realised it must be the most popular one as we made our way to the back of the enormous line to gain admission!
Luckily, things progressed quickly and we soon made our way through a glittering tunnel of fairy lights that led us from the festival entrance on Plaza de España into the 4500 sqm area housing the 12 light installations on display.
This year’s edition of the Ibiza Light Festival saw a collective of both local artists and production companies, as well as creatives from the Spanish mainland, exhibit their creations.
Amongst the artists on display were Hypnótica, PiroLaser FX, Ataraxia, MadVisuals Team, Jordi 8Lasco, El Imaginario, ACROBATI-K, Victor Vitorino and Pedro Comesaña, as well as special guests, and founders of the multi-award winning studio Ledscontrol, Rebeca Sánchez and Miquel Clot.
The first piece we encountered was a spider-like construction by Hypnótica, its legs made up of pulsating red, white and blue lights. It was a source of great fascination for younger visitors, who huddled around the structure with their parents to have their picture taken.
A delicate construction of lasers suspended above a basin of water was up next, the shimmering reflections projected onto the white walls of the nearest building and its beams pointing out towards the harbour and the glittering lights of the Botafoc area on the other side of the bay.
As we continued on, the installations were getting bigger and bolder. A heart-shaped trapeze holding a duo of aerial acrobats bathed in dramatic red light, and an entire building covered in eerie projections of writhing eels made our jaws drop!
With a soundtrack of deep, haunting electronic music as a sonic backdrop, the pre-Halloween vibes were certainly hanging in the cool October air!
Up on the spacious rampart-turned-viewing-platform with the canons that overlooks Ibiza Town, the two largest constructions were awaiting us. A giant cube made up of bars that lit up in dramatic neon shades allowed visitors to enter and view the iconic silhouette of Dalt Vila and its cathedral as if through a kaleidoscopic window.
Making our way towards the final installation through a walkway framed by blue LED lights, we felt like we were meandering through the set of cult sci-fi movie TRON.
A display of huge, illuminated pillars that exploded in neon shades of red and blue in time to a thundering soundtrack offered the dramatic finale of the tour. Overall, it took us a good hour to navigate the festival space, a thoroughly enjoyable and fascinating evening for all the family.
The striking architecture and ancient walls of Dalt Vila always make for an impressive experience, no matter how many times you have visited. But to see its beautiful features lit up by a myriad of rainbow shades and ricocheting lights is a truly mesmerising experience that you won’t forget in a hurry!
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