Space Celebrates Final Birthday In Style

The most awarded and loved, Space is undoubtedly one of the planet’s favourite clubs. As it celebrated its 27th and final anniversary, we entered the party with a bit of nostalgia that was immediately swept away by the powerful energy of the club. With the entertainment and line-up blending island and music history, Space Ibiza’s birthday once again showed why it will forever remain one of the best clubs in the world.

Space was envisioned as an adventure from the start, inspired by the human achievement of traveling in space to the moon. The 27th anniversary party showed that the club has set the bar—and a very high one at that—for all nightclubs to come. A tribute to the birth and life of the club, the DJs on the night represented the island and its development. Off to an early 7pm start, Moy Santana took to the Sunset Terrace decks, followed by island resident favourites Jason Bye b2b Andy Baxter. House duo Dusky was next up until midnight, by which time the sunset terrace was buzzing, as Real El Canario brought on some proper old school, reliving history by spinning on vinyl surrounded by six suitcases of records, as he scratched away decades of house classics.

With a huge circle of new lights spinning over the dancefloor and a screened open cube hanging above the DJ booth, the main room saw Cristoph welcoming the growing crowd with some bouncy techno. Upstairs the Premiere Ètage had the full Ibiza Sonica crew broadcasting live. As planes kept flying overhead, Karlos Sense brought on his hypnotic underground deep house b2bing with Ernesto Altés, and we got to chat with some of the ultra-positive crew. Director Miguel Valverde remembered Space throughout the years, reminding us that while everything changes, it’s not good or bad but just is. One of the planes brought Igor Marijuan flying in from the Tunnel in Tunisia, showing us by celebrating Sonica’s tenth birthday, that the new is great, too. While Ibiza is not the same, Igor told us, quality underground music will always be around for those who seek more than social appearance from a venue. Touring the world, he can say that nothing is like Ibiza.

As Cristoph blew up the now full Main Room, Space’s fabulous performers joined the festivities to welcome DO NOT SLEEP resident Darius Syrossian. Suspended above the crowd sitting on a double-heart, climbing up to the ceiling and dancing around pushing a postmodern Cleopatra above the dancefloor, the Ibiza-born theatre family group Focifum (Catalan for fire and smoke), painted in and wearing white, put on another one of Space’s spectacular performances. Javier, who with his twin sister grew up in the family that performed at Space from the start, later touring the world, has since opened popular restaurant Somiart (Catalan for to dream about art) in Santa Eulalia, a favourite of all at EI HQ. Darius took control of the room and slammed some delicious techno as the dancers in white corsets with pointed breast cups led the festivities.

Back in the Sunset Terrace, Real El Canrario was scratching ‘Notorious’ as Hize and his SupremoscCrew created a circle on the dancefloor for some hardcore breakdancing, the original misconduct of dance and further tribute to the history of the club and music. While two other island darlings Iban Mendoza and David Moreno went b2b in the Terrace, next up Space resident Camilo Franco told us that although a little emotional, he sees the scene entering a new era, the White Isle is always a favourite, as he gets ready to launch his own concept in Barcelona and then Ibiza. As he went on with a remix of Underworld ‘Born Slippy’, Ibiza Global Radio star David Moreno reminisced of how, like all DJs, he dreamed of playing at Space where he started in ’94, seeing it as the ultimate venue to which all clubs will continue to look back. While also somewhat nostalgic, Iban Mendoza knows that underground will survive and exist because of and as a counteraction to EDM for people with different tastes.

When Darius handed the Main Room over to Richy Ahmed b2b Waff at 3am, the game got serious. With a heftier and dirtier bassline, the music dove deep underground taking the whole club with it. As jesters danced under an explosion of sparkling metallic confetti, stilt dancers handed out red and white roses and the crowd was in ecstasy. The Space we all know and love went at it full force with out-of-this-world techno for yet another epic night in outer space. What Pepe Rosello brought to the island and the world can never be undone. Contributing to the creation of the mythical Ibiza known worldwide, Space Ibiza not only still has it but also perfected it. A force to be reckoned with even as it changes form, it will forever remain alive within our hearts. As Space gets ready to celebrate Carl Cox’s birthday on Tuesday, July 26, anyone not taking part in this final chapter will forever have missed out on the making of electronic music history and the celebration of one of its main global meccas.