Ibiza In Full Techicolour at Privilege

Every holiday maker has a right for colourful life. That’s probably the reason why paint parties have been so popular in Ibiza in the last few years: when clouds of neon colour are dispersed in the air, the joy of life reaches its maximum. But of course, it has to be done either in the open, or in a very spacious room – otherwise the trick won’t be that impressive. Guess which room is by far the best one on the whole island for hosting paint parties? Of course, the main room of Privilege with its sky-high ceiling and record-breaking capacity. Come here on a Tuesday to take part in Ibiza Paint party that goes off weekly till September 20, and let your inner child come out and play.

If house and techno that dominate the Ibiza club scene now seem too tough for you, you will be glad to listen to more accessible tunes at Ibiza Paint party. Resident DJs Juicy M and Luka Caro compile a high-voltage mix of urban and electro tunes as well as timeless radio classics remixed – think of, for example, Bitch Better Have My Money by Rihanna, 7 Nation Army by The White Stripes or It’s My Life by Bon Jovi in their cutting-edge edits. When we arrived at approximately 2.30am, the crowd was already geared up, and a big clock on the screen behind the stage was counting down minutes and seconds until the paint went off. Looking forward to this epic moment, boys and girls were pouring paint on each other from the tubes that looked a bit like the ones ketchup or mustard are normally put in. Technicolour paint can be freely applied on clothes, shoes, skin and hair and washed off later on. If you have any doubts, just think: would bus or cab drivers let the clubbers in their vehicles, if they were leaving neon stains? No. That’s why you can feel safe and don’t worry.

‘Ok, Ibiza, this is the last track before the paint!’ – warned Ruben Rider, who was on the mic duty that night. In a couple of minutes dancers appeared on stage, and the darkness gave way to a considerable amount of light, so that people could see where the paint came from and how they looked when covered with this paint. The first fountains came from the stage, the second portion was delivered through pulverizers on the ceiling. After receiving a hefty helping of colour right in their face or on their head, the revellers became more ecstatic each time – and their exhilaration peaked when Ruben took a hose and started showering the crowd as if they were flowers.

It’s interesting to witness the evolution of the trademark Ibiza palette. Dubbed as the White Isle, it used to be white indeed when its signature fashion was AdLib – light flowy clothes made of natural linen. AdLib was just spot-on when the hippy lifestyle was rife in Ibiza, and a shirt or a sundress of this style was one of the most popular souvenirs brought from the island. In the last few years a reverse trend gained popularity: due to the huge techno invasion, those who consider themselves serious clubbers run around dressed in black from head to toe, as if at a funeral. But where is the colour, finally? Colour used to belong to the fun-loving clubbing community when it was still all about freaks, when everyone tried to be a diva and sparkles on the outfits outnumbered the stars in the sky. Now, parties with paint dispersed in the air make an attempt to bring back the joy of those bright glorious days as much as they can – and if you are young, active and open-minded, Ibiza Paint is your place to be.