Hitting the landmark that is 50 years of Pacha Ibiza, in my eyes, calls for one hell of a party.
For Pacha Group, it apparently called for two. The nightlife heavyweight held two, back-to-back six hour raves to commemorate the musical milestone. The first of the pair took place at Destino on the evening of Wednesday 2 August.
Due to work commitments (and general partying fatigue), I could only attend the first half. But lo and behold, the daytime addition of Pacha's 50th Anniversary Party was more than enough to exceed my expectations.
Marking the celebrations with chutzpah, Pacha's sister venue Destino hosted possibly THE back-to-back of the season. Solomun and Marco Carola - for the first time ever. If you saw my staff picks feature, you already know how amped up I was for this party.
Was it a full house for the occasion? You betcha.
Hotel at full occupancy, every table in the D-Lounge restaurant full, all VIP areas creaking under the strain, every bar fully staffed, loaded and equipped - and that's even before we get to the feverish dancefloor, of which there was not one square inch left exposed.
On arrival my ears were pricked by a pulsating rendition of Make Me by Borai and Dehnman Audio. Instant mass euphoria.
Instead of meeting in the middle, it appeared to be Solomun who leaned closer into Carola's sound, as we were treated to a melee of groove-focused Tech House - befitting of the location and of the time of the day. There was music from Tommy Vercetti, Carola favourite Cloonee's Hell Bent label and Lehar/Luke Alessi, no doubt courtesy of the big Bosnian.
In between stints on the dancefloor, I gladly bagged myself an outfit revamp during a live art performance by the artist Gioele Corradengo, known online as Sexdreams.
Street artist Sexdreams customising my outfit with a cherry touch
The Italian street artist collaborated with Pacha to spray up ravers at the party. A beautiful touch to an unforgettable day.
The vibe persisted by the hands of the clubs leading residents. Island classics like Noir's Around (Solomun Vox) and Ruffneck's Everybody Be Somebody were thrown out. It was pure Ibiza ecstasy.
Meanwhile, Solomun and Carola shelled out track after track as the sun set over the stunning skyline of Ibiza Town below. Ending with Davide Mentesana's edit of Hate It or Love It, the pair left us gagging for the encore at Pacha.
Though it might be the only time this season - possibly this lifetime! - that the two forces come together, you can still catch them playing individually at Destino for Music On Daytime and Solomun's own party.
The next Music On Daytime party at Destino on 10 August is sold out, but tickets are still available for 24 August. Solomun's next date at Destino is the week before on 17 August.
After a mid-season break, both men then take turns to shut Destino down for summer 2023. Solomun takes charge on 5 October, before Carola gets the official swansong on 13 October.
That final party is of particular interest. Much like the 50th Anniversary, it's a straight roll-through to Pacha for the Music On closing party immediately afterwards. Check out our party calendar for tickets, line-ups and extra info.
ADDITIONAL WORDS | by Stephen Hunt
PHOTOGRAPHY | by Adolf Comes
