July marks the start of celebrity season in Ibiza. Sting and Sir Elton John have already been spotted trying not to hide away from the paps at the 123 festival in San Antonio and our Spotlight snapper, James Chapman, took full advantage, what a great photo of Sting – he looks 10 years younger, doesn't he?
Lesser lights seen hanging around San An were Andy Carroll and Joe Hart from the eliminated-on-penalties England Euros team when they turned up at the Ocean Beach Club opening. Now that the victorious Spanish team are off duty, I can confidently predict that many of them will be down at Las Salinas and its beach bars pretty soon!
July's big retail event, the summer sales, started on Monday with the main thrust being reductions in clothing and accessories – led by the big national chains like Adolfo Dominguez, Zara, Mango, Springfield and the like. So if you've room in your suitcase for a bargain or two, head down to Ibiza town's fashion streets, all close to the Vara de Rey.
The other big retail event in Ibiza was the opening of the Mercadona supermarket in San Jorge. It was such big news on an island with little competition in the supermarket sector and so many people went there last Saturday that police had to be called to deal with traffic jams kilometres long as folk queued up to an hour to get in!
We have a couple of fiestas on the island this month to celebrate San Cristobal (around the 10th) and the Virgen del Carmen (around the 16th) and needless to say, the programme of events and entertainment for them both has not yet been released!
San Cristobal, St. Cristopher in English, takes place mainly in Es Cana where fireworks and live music abound for several days, and in the Sa Capelleta 'bario' of Ibiza town around the Reina Sofia park where last year they held a Flower Power fiesta and the main focus of the celebration is the blessing (with holy water) of the cars by the Bishop of Ibiza. Most towns have some sort of fiesta for San Cristobal, where organised water fights are the order of the day – don't ask me why.
The Virgen del Carmen celebrations take place in Ibiza's coastal towns as she is the patron saint of seafarers, with processions of boats of all shapes and sizes going out to sea to lay wreathes as a mark of respect. The seaside town of Portinatx is the main place where this fiesta takes place with several days of music, feasting, and normally a big party on the beach.
For more details of what's happening and when, keep an eye on our news section this month.
