All good things must come to an end, as the old saying goes. Sadly, my Ibiza adventure was no exception.
Me being me, I couldn't resist one last night on the dancefloor before packing up my belongings and headed to the airport. Intent on ending on a high, I went to check out one of the biggest bashes on the island, Wednesday night's Tech House superpower Paradise at Amnesia.
Now midway through its third summer at the club, the party from Jamie Jones is enjoying its biggest season ever. Each week has been slammed. With a Thursday departure on the cards, it felt like the obvious choice to close out my summer on Ibiza.
One last night in Paradise
Arriving on the Terrace for 02:00, I found Nicole Moudaber laying down the groove. Being peak season, the crowd was already starting to pick up, so I quickly secured a strategic spot on the balcony with a decent view and some room to dance.
From this spot, I was instantly struck by the hanging décor. The Paradise set designers clearly had creative licence with this year's theme.
Ancient architectural columns stood in striking contrast to the modern tech of pulsating lasers and moving lights, as well as a colossal LED disco ball. The combination of old and new elements created a visually stunning backdrop for the night's musical journey.
Adding some eccentricity, the dancers dressed up in loud outfits, accentuating the atmosphere. One that especially caught my eye, was a shiny gold ensemble topped with an Asian-style conical hat that emitted pink laser beams. Not your every day kind of attire.
While the décor was outlandish, the music was absolutely as you'd expect, staying true to the party's core sound. Below me, a sea of ravers danced carefree. The energy of the room was indeed electric.
Conscious I had yet to step into the Main Room, I forfeited my spot for one next door. In stark contrast to the Terrace, the Main Room had no hanging pillars or giant disco balls. Here, the focus was placed on the music and lighting, for which a custom rig had been installed.
Behind the booth, Manchester trio Mason Collective were in full flow, dropping fiery bangers that had the crowd in a frenzy. Goosey's Coast 2 Coast and Cromby's House Flava were two in particular that stood out.
Come 03:00, it was time for the decks to be handed over to the Dean cousins. Max Dean and Luke Dean wasted no time, opening with a mystery ID as clubbers' phones were whipped out to capture some of the back-to-back magic that was unfolding.
Max's darker sound palate merged nicely with Luke's more uplifting style. The cousins had a natural rapport behind the decks. Both their mixing and track selection.
I soon realised that the monster back-to-back-to-back between Jamie Jones, Chris Stussy and Archie Hamilton had already started on the Terrace.
Torn between the energy of the Deans and the unmissable opportunity to witness a mammoth performance next door, I made agonising call to switch rooms. Clearly, many others had the same idea. This was the busiest I'd seen the dancefloor all season.
The three DJs unleashed a combination of Tech House, UK Garage and the odd dance classic, which included In The Morning by Egypt. As much as some might have fought the urge, the track had everyone singing in an ensemble.
Lost in the groove, the crowd and I bopped away for the last few hours.
By 06:00 the moment I’d been waiting for had arrived.
Chris Stussy's absolute weapon of a tune Desire made its audible appearance over the speakers. Turns out, everyone else was waiting for it too. It was a sight to behold, as bodies danced in unison, hands went into the air, and lasers and strobes painted the room different colours.
With the sun beginning its ascent, I made my exit. The perfect finale for my 2024 season, it was almost enough to convince me to abandon my travel plans and extend my stay.
My summer ended with one last night in paradise. And there's always Ibiza 2025 to look forward to...
Although my season has finished, Paradise still runs for another eight weeks. Tonight, Jamie Jones is joined by East End Dubs, Cloonee, wAFF, Italobros and more. Below, you can find tickets and line-ups for the rest of the calendar up until the closing party on 2 October.
WORDS | by Luke Botting
PHOTOGRAPHY | by PHRANK
