I love Ibiza as much as the next girl. In fact, probably more than the next girl. I’m the first to say you absolutely have to watch Mambo sunset at least once, take a picture on the pink tennis court at Pikes, and ramble on about its breathtaking beaches (avoid me at parties, if you can). I once dropped nearly a whole pay cheque in a week just to swim in the Balearic Sea, get drunk with my best friends and most of all, dance in its world renowned clubs. (I’m aware that isn’t something to brag about in a cost of living crisis when the world is burning but hey, I was 21).

For my friends and I, Ibiza was about the music as much as it was about the Vibes. But recently, its Vibes have been in question. Zara McDermott’s documentary “Ibiza: Secrets Of The Party Island” aired on BBC last month, with the tagline “Money, excess, luxury – as the A-list gathers for good times, is the party nearly over?” Ouch.

It is no secret that Ibiza is expensive and is getting even more so. In tough economic times with smaller festivals popping up all over the UK, it begs the question if the young and music-obsessed really travel to the island. Or more importantly, can they afford to?

Then And Now

Back in 1976 when Amnesia, Ibiza opened, it was merely an old farm that had been converted into a club. When Paul Oakenfold, Johnny Walker, Danny Rampling and Nicky Holloway discovered the club in 1987, they found a sound and energy that changed the UK music scene forever. In 2007, Paul Oakenfold told The Guardian, “In those days, we had just about enough money for a bread roll – Ibiza’s expensive, always has been. But we went. It was the first night of our holiday and we’d heard it was something special.” Blown away, the four Brits managed to get a tape of DJ Alfredo’s set and tried to recreate what they’d experienced in Amnesia that night in London clubs. What followed was the acid house movement, a 1988 summer of love, and you could argue, the eclectic electronic music we have in the UK today.

If we’re talking about Vibes, in McDermott’s BBC documentary Wanye Linekar’s Ocean Beach features heavily. McDermott argues that places like Ocean Beach offer “the perfect Instagram backdrop”, and that people from the UK flock there yearly to get a taste of the “glitz and glamour”. But in reality, most electronic music fans don’t go to Ocean Beach then fly home, and if they did, they wouldn’t find “glitz and glamour”. It’s expensive and there’s a certain amount of glitter but I wouldn’t say it’s glamorous. Full disclosure: I have been to O Beach, paid for a bed, spent an obscene amount on a drinks package we could never dream to finish, lost a Haviana flip flop, and enjoyed it. Two of my friends even got together in O Beach’s pool and have recently bought a house. Good times, but once was enough. There is a culture and feeling you get at clubs like Amnesia that you don’t get at O Beach.

Amnesia Opens and Ibiza Wakes Up

If each club in Ibiza has its own personality, Amnesia is the other club’s big bad older brother. The club’s organisers told me that enjoying music at Amnesia nowadays is encapsulated by “a rebellious attitude,” and this year, I was led astray by the rebellious big brother’s opening party. It was my fourth time in the club and the line up was the best I’ve seen there. Boasting the likes of Joseph Capriati, Dennis Cruiz, Honey Dijon, 999999999, and Nina Kravis – you can’t go far wrong. The terrace is a tropical greenhouse plucked straight from your fever dreams, famous for its sunrise sessions.

Elsewhere, the club room is dark and brooding with surround sound, shaped by VIP balconies that border the dancefloor; creating an intense environment for techno legends to play. It’s an assault on the senses for sure, but in the best way. It means something to the talent too. When asked what it’s like to play Amnesia, Italian DJ, Producer and UNCAGE label founder Marco Farone told me that, “being a resident for Amnesia Ibiza is like being a player for one of the most important football teams in the world, it’s everything a DJ could ask for.” Conversely, DJ Mr Doris tells McDermott in her documentary that the wealth that has come to the island has “definitely affected the vibe of the clubs”, and I would agree that it has changed over the years.

Every time I hit the club room, I feel incredibly small. As you move into the crowd, you have no choice but to move with it. It is the perfect place to get lost, which makes sense, given the word “Amnesia” originates from the Greek etymology, meaning “to forget”. As Nina Kravis played, my concept of time slipped away, everyone around me drenched in red and blue strobe as her high-energy tunes pulsated through the room. Amnesia boasts the kind of sound quality and acoustics that open air festivals can realistically only dream of, with a capacity of 5,000 people (for context, that’s the same capacity as boutique festivals like Gottwood, hosted in North Wales).

How Much Does It Actually Cost?

It’s something else, it really is. But as intimate festivals pop up in the UK with huge line-ups – are they a more accessible option in a cost of living crisis? I do wonder if young people can even afford to go to Ibiza anymore, considering UK grassroots clubs are struggling to survive because people aren’t spending in them, (a sign that the social media-fuelled wellness movement has officially taken over?). According to Save Our Scene, 2023 saw the highest number of UK music venue closures in the past decade, with one closing on average every two days. In 2024, we already have lost five nightclubs per week. It’s bleak to say the least.

At Amnesia, you can expect to pay anywhere from €35 – €80 per night for parties, in comparison, a 4-night festival ticket for a festival like Houghton stands at £297.50 + booking fee. While a beer is €12–€15 and long drinks can reach €27, you can bring your own booze for a camping festival and spend anywhere from £6–£8 on a pint in arenas (I recently paid an eye-watering €15 for a can of water in Pacha Ibiza – yes, a can). Flights from London to Ibiza range from £50–£145 in April but in September, they can reach £210. Accommodation on the island can vary in price, but it’s likely to cost more than pitching a tent, buying a roll mat and nicking an air bed 2 nights in.

But if we’re asking if young people can afford to go to Ibiza anymore, it’s probably more realistic to conclude that maybe they never could. For many, like Paul Olkenfold and I, they just went anyway. Without Ibiza’s historic clubs that are essentially walking museums, we wouldn’t even have the music to play at the smaller UK festivals today anyway. You won’t get a beer for £6 in Amnesia, but what you will get is an unbeatable line up, top quality sound and production that you won’t find anywhere else, (with a side of overcrowding during peak season).

I guess what I’m trying to say is, if you’re going to spend cash on the Island – spend it at Amnesia. The name might mean “to forget” – but the DJ’s energy, people, legacy and culture will make it a night to remember.