About The Masquerade
Shadowy puppeteer and rumoured time-traveller, Claptone is the elusive entertainer who revisits 15th Century Venice with his modern take on the masked ball, The Masquerade - a hedonistic concept for the highest of society to live out their most carnal of fantasies on the dancefloor.
Pacha serves as the ideal backdrop for such an extravagant and voyeuristic party. It's dramatic, but camp. Lavish, yet at the same time kitsch. All these contradictions are merely tools for the master of manipulation, our mysterious host, to pull the strings of all who enter his domain.
Want to know more? We answer all your questions: when? where? who? why? and how?
When?
Every Saturday night, starting 13 May to 14 October | 23:59 to 07:00
Just over a decade ago, Saturdays on Ibiza didn't mean the busiest day of the week.
Most DJs took big fees to play weekend shows elsewhere in Europe and most holidaymakers stayed for at least a week, typically arriving and departing on Saturdays. Ergo, compared to the other six days, Saturdays were a bit of an afterthought where partying was concerned.
Pacha has always been sheltered from that, however, as its Saturday nights have been massive since the days of Defected and then Pure Pacha. Nowadays, the rest of the clubs have caught up with their Saturday programme, but Pacha still shines bright.
Where?
Pacha - Ibiza's oldest club, having opened its doors in 1973 - 50 years ago this year.
Originally a converted finca, the building has undergone more regenerations than Doctor Who, expanding and updating almost year-on-year. Today's modern club is very different from the Pacha that stood in the same spot in 1973, as well as considerably larger.
That said, it still drips with that unmistakable Pacha signature. In recent years, the dancefloor has been widened and the sound system upgraded, making the clubbing element equally as important as its famous VIP.
READ OUR BEGINNER'S GUIDE FOR THE FULL LOWDOWN
Who?
Claptone's music will be familiar to most already, we're sure, but how much do we really know about the producer behind the mask?
Still incognito, a cloak of mystery remains - and deliberately so. The curiosity surrounding our gracious, yet elusive, host adds to the hyperbole of this most sophisticated of parties. Like an even more secretive Great Gatsby, and equally as affable.
Anybody who chooses to have candle chandeliers hanging from the ceiling clearly has an eye for extravagance. Pacha is mocked up to look like something out of Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut. The Venetian masks hide a variety of lustful sins.
Opulence, desire and a taste for the theatrical, all can be found in abundance at The Masquerade.
Last year's anthem of summer
Rune | Calabria (Claptone Remix) | Defected Records
Biggest week?
Week two with Danny Howard, Lee Foss and Tube & Burger on 20 May is going to be a night of top House music from start to finish.
Clientele
Since 1973, Pacha has been promoting an aspirational image that sells world-class clubbing.
The cherries symbol is a guarantor of quality. Its metropolitan crowd are moneyed and that is particularly true on 'Glitterati' Saturday nights. The affluent moor their private yachts in nearby Ibiza Marina and descend upon Pacha.
That makes The Masquerade the ideal fit for Saturdays. It's not lost on us that the courtiers of Charles VI's France and nobility of Renaissance-era Venice would surely choose Pacha as their playground of choice for their bal masqués.
Music
Apart from Claptone, you can catch the biggest, most decorated names in House music at The Masquerade from legends through to rising talent. Fatboy Slim, Kerri Chandler, Todd Terry and Groove Armada all play this summer, while Pete Tong is the opening party's big guest.
An important detail is that the music will always remain accessible. This makes The Masquerade one of the few parties that can be appreciated by both seasoned clubbers and newbies alike.
Likely to be heard a lot in 2023
Claptone | Euphoria | Golden Recordings
Ibiza Spotlight's top tip
Did you know that if you dine at Pacha's El Restaurante, you get complimentary admission to the club afterwards? All you need to do is make sure you reach the minimum spend per head. Eat well and party for less. One of our favourite ways to experience Pacha.
How?
Just by heading below and grabbing your tickets. Simple, right?
Not only do you guarantee the cheapest price buying from Ibiza Spotlight, but you get robust consumer protection giving you total flexibility and freedom. In fact, we're going to go out on a limb and say we have the best terms and conditions of any ticketing platform in the world.
Should you change your mind for any reason (illness? change of holiday dates? just, because...) you are entitled to a full refund, just as long as you cancel the tickets in your account at least 24 hours before the start of the party. No questions asked. You don't even need to talk to a human.
Tickets are on sale now.
PHOTOGRAPHY | by Raul Sanchez and Peter Young
