When it comes to global party destinations, our small island in the middle of the Mediterranean really holds its own. Arguably there is nowhere on the planet as densely populated with parties and music talent.
One of the great allures of Ibiza, with its stunning natural landscape and glorious weather, is its various daytime open-air dancefloors. Just being able to dance under the sun to 4/4 electronic music with a drink in hand - does it get any better than that?
Let's take a look at the best places you can dance outside here on Ibiza.
Ushuaïa
Playa d'en Bossa
Jets fizzing above, throbbing crowds and plumes of CO2 engulfing the dancefloor - there's nowhere quite like Ushuaïa. The open-air complex is primarily a hotel that doubles up as an outdoor club... or primarily a club that is also a functioning hotel - we're not sure which?
Ushuaïa can hold up to 7,000 party animals in any one sitting. You might think that's a tough act to fill, but not when you have dance music icons like David Guetta and Calvin Harris at your disposal. Still, some days it wouldn't hurt to have space for another thousand more!
Vibe: festival-sized sensory feast under the flight path with the biggest DJs on the planet
Popular parties: ANTS, Defected, Calvin Harris, F*** ME I'M FAMOUS!
Destino
Cap Martinet
Pacha and its cherries are far more than just branding, they represent an attitude to life, aspirational in nature. So it stands to reason that its adult-only hotel Destino also satisfies these standards. Look no further than the view. From the Cap Martinet clifftop, you can see walled fortress Dalt Vila, the port and even the sister island Formentera in the distance. It's breathtaking.
Destino couldn't fall under Pacha's umbrella without having music at its core and its programme is central to its identity. Prized assets Marco Carola and Solomun can be found on rotation. The only downside is that it's limited to throwing a round dozen parties every summer.
Here's hoping your dates align.
Vibe: swanky lifestyle resort subscribing to the Pacha ethos, with views to die for and seriously rowdy parties
Popular parties: Music On Daytime, Solomun +LIVE
Cova Santa
San José
Anybody with a loose grasp of Spanish might know that "cova" translates to "cave" in English. While it is seldom open publicly nowadays, there is indeed a cave on the grounds of Cova Santa, surrounded by lots of myth and legend, as is the Ibiza way.
Fairytales aside, you can still experience magic at Cova Santa. Whether that be dining at its award-winning restaurant, overlooking the dancefloor or in the middle of the mixer itself, there's an intoxicating aura at Cova Santa that is so indigenous to the island. The scent of the pines wafting over you on the warm Balearic breeze only adds to this aroma.
As for the parties, they are bursting with colour and incorporate plenty of peripheral entertainment.
Vibe: theatre meets alfresco dancefloor, hidden amongst the pines and above an ancient cave
Popular parties: Woomoon, Storytellers, PIV Ibiza, Eastenderz
Ibiza Rocks
San Antonio
Party hotel Ibiza Rocks has undergone many transformations over the years, in both physical terms and its music programme. While it has drifted away from its guitar-led and frontman attitude that made it famous, Ibiza Rocks now focuses on the youth end of the market. That means DJs, MCs and Pop stars (Dua Lipa, Rita Ora and N-Dubz are all recent bookings, while the residency of evergreen Craig David continues to shine).
Slap bang in the middle of San Antonio's urban conurbation, Ibiza Rocks is the noisy neighbour that calls for you to lose yourself on its suntrap dancefloor as you stare up at a superstar headliner. Don't forget to pack your swimwear. With or without, you might end up in the pool!
Vibe: round up your mates for sing-along anthems galore and youthful abandon
Popular parties: Ben Hemsley, Craig David's TS5, Joel Corry
O Beach
San Antonio
Whether you are holidaying with a group of mates, your partner (or even your folks!), we can't imagine a scenario which would seem out of place at O Beach. Self-professed perfector of the pool party format, O Beach has been doing its thing for over a decade now.
The aerial shows, parades, live musicians and costumes go above and beyond, while the music is fairly consistent day to day. That means, you know exactly what to expect. In truth, you don't need to be a committed clubber to appreciate the O Beach product - and that's comforting, especially for groups. Maybe you'll consider dragging your mum and dad along after all!
Vibe: sun-drenched frolics and colourful parades fit for group-orientated socialising
Popular parties: Kisstory, Pool Party, House In Paradise
528 Ibiza
Benimussa Hills
528 Ibiza was once called Benimussa Park or, perhaps more widely known, as the home of The Zoo Project. The vast estate on the outskirts of San Antonio is owned by land baron Bartolo Escandell, although leased by entertainment tycoon Andy McKay of Ibiza Rocks and Pikes fame.
Parties don't take place weekly, but when they do, they are the hottest ticket in town. For example, the annual BBC Radio 1 weekender takes place here at the start of August. As 528 Ibiza is a little off the beaten track, party organisers tend to put on a free shuttle bus that ferries ticket holders from and back to San Antonio.
Vibe: freedom in nature, on a sprawling estate on top of a hill overlooking Ibiza's west coast
Popular parties: BBC Radio 1 Dance Live
Las Dalias
San Carlos
Originally opening in the 1940s, Las Dalias is officially Ibiza's oldest music venue. Back then, Spain was under the rule of the dictator General Franco, who decreed that only native music was allowed to be performed. Being a bit rebellious, Las Dalias reneged on that order.
The town where it's located, San Carlos, also became the island's hippy commune in the '60s and was frequented by Beatniks, army deserters and those living a new-age lifestyle. You can see how all the ingredients were there for it to become a counter-culture music and community hub.
Although modernised, today, the garden at Las Dalias still hosts free-spirited gatherings and serves as a platform for experimental musicians. Things don't tend to end outside either.
After the music turns off outdoors, we clamber to get inside the intimate onsite club Akasha for the nighttime leg of the party. At only 300 capacity, Akasha is a fraction of the size of the garden. It therefore pays to buy a ticket in advance and guarantee your slot on the dancefloor.
Vibe: authentically hippy-spirited and parallel to the famous night market
Popular parties: Namasté, Nido, Ethereal, Sven Väth presents Catharsis
Baluarte de Santa Lucía, Dalt Vila
Ibiza Town
Not a designated venue, but yet it's still one of our favourites - and all the better that we get to dance here but once a summer. Less is more. Dalt Vila you will surely recognise, if you don't know already. It's the ancient fortified walls that protect the Old Town in Ibiza.
At the start of every season, the music business conference International Music Summit ends its annual three-day visit with a party within those very walls. Pretty cool. As we said, it only happens once a year, so you need to be on the island on the last weekend in April.
Vibe: going medieval under the stars in a 16th century fortress
Popular parties: International Music Summit Grand Finale
Hard Rock Hotel
Playa d'en Bossa
The Hard Rock Hotel franchise is world famous for its memorabilia and honouring the biggest Rock stars in history. On Ibiza, our one does things with a Spanish lick. Attracting a very local crowd, Hard Rock Hotel throws one weekly party that invites you to indulge in the chart music of decades gone by and test those vocal chords. That party is called Children of the 80s.
Vengaboys, Rozalla and CeCe Rogers are all known to appear, although if you want our tip, try to catch Rebeka Brown and her incredible voice. She's got some lungs on her!
Vibe: cheesy choons, cover acts and one hit wonders - a very Spanish fiesta
Popular parties: Children of the 80s
Boat parties
Departing from San Antonio and Playa d'en Bossa
Then we also have dancefloors that float! Making the most of Ibiza's gorgeous surrounding waters and amazing climate, are boat parties. You'll find a number that depart daily from both San Antonio and Playa d'en Bossa, the two main party hubs on the island.
Usually setting off a few hours before sunset, Ibiza boat parties are pure unbridled escapism and, not that you heard this from us, but a great place to pull! Everybody just tends to be more relaxed and let their hair down once onboard.
Vibe: carefree, floating dancefloors with anthemic soundtracks and uninterrupted views of the sunset
Popular parties: Aftersun Ibiza, Pukka Up, Lost In Ibiza, Float Your Boat
Free beach parties
S'Arenal, San Antonio
Who doesn't like a freebie?
While restrictions on noise outside prohibit gatherings on the beach where loud music is played 95 per cent of the time, thankfully there are a handful of exceptions. Nearly all of them are run in conjunction with the council and local authorities and have a cultural or charitable angle.
Ibiza Gay Pride in the first half of June is one occasion, while since summer 2022, the two-day Ibiza Global Festival (run by island broadcaster Ibiza Global Radio) is a recent addition that has proved very popular in mid-August.
The whole of San Antonio is alive for these dates. Temporary toilet facilities are installed and food traders set up to provide refreshments. There's even a fairground. You just need to bring yourself.
Vibe: they're parties on the beach and they're free. 'Nuff said
Popular parties: Ibiza Global Festival, La Movida, Ibiza Gay Pride
Whether you want to party inside or out, by day or by night, our party calendar remains your one-stop shop to finding the best dancefloors on the island on any given date.
PHOTOGRAPHY | by La Skimal, Daisy Denham and Adolf Comes
