The Chainsmokers Take Over Ushuaïa Ibiza

For one night only, an internationally chart topping lineup, in association with MTV, stormed Ushuaïa Ibiza and brought the ultimate holiday vibes with them. Headliners The Chainsmokers, along with Jonas Blue, Icona Pop and MTV influencers R3wire and Varski, brought the sunshine last night to this very special one off event.

Ushuaïa Ibiza always feels a little like a festival, and instantly makes you feel upbeat and summery – and never has this been more true than last night. From the moment we walked under the famous archway, the sun was shining, people were dancing and having fun and the music was happy and poppy. From the most eager fans already eagerly clamouring to the front of the main stage, to the laid back partygoers bopping away in the pool, everyone was on the same page – mellow, tropical and uninhibited feel-good fun.

Hand-picked by MTV in 2013 to be influencers, DJs and producers, duo R3wire and Varski know a thing or two about entertaining a crowd. Even in the late afternoon, the space in front of the main stage was a sea of people, all enthusiastically dancing and jumping. R3wire and Varski got the crowd amped up perfectly for the next big act of the night: Swedish pop mavericks Icona Pop, who have a litany of international hits under their belts. The upbeat girls instantly launched into an eclectic DJ set, covering ska, drum and bass, house and pop as they decadently sipped champagne in the booth. Although the sun was still intense in the sky, it didn’t stop the sunkissed crowd from packing in so tightly that they became one, unified body. That said, there wasn’t the usual intensity that there can be at the front of a DJ booth – everyone seemed mellow, friendly and just happy to be there. By the time Icona Pop’s set was drawing to a close, they’d abandoned the booth and were instead dancing on the front of the stage. As they sang their hits ‘All Night’ and ‘Girls, girls’ they were hugging and singing to eachother, and groups of friends in the crowd could be seen doing the same; there was a real spirit of friendship in the air. As they closed with ‘I Love It’, their original and most famous number, people were going wild – jumping and dancing not only at the front of the stage but as far back as the pool, and on pretty much all the balconies of the Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel.

As the crowd prepared for the next set from Jonas Blue, planes flew so close overhead that you felt you could touch them. Whether they were just arriving or leaving the island, I only hoped they’d been able to experience pure, unadulterated holiday vibes like the ones here. An astounding number of the crowd had come in full festival regalia – face glitter, flower crowns and elegant floor length maxi dresses; this is a night that obviously meant a lot to a lot of people.

Jonas Blue’s set started suddenly with his smash hit ‘By Your Side’, to a rip-roaring reception. The world famous producer has had a hand in basically every big pop song from this and last year, so it’s unsurprising that he had a long litany of hits to choose from. As he reeled off track after track, each more famous and popular than the last, the crowd grew more intensely enamoured with the main stage, pressing forward even further, cheering in recognition to the first few bars of each new track and singing along to every single word. As the sun began to set over the famous stage, Ushuaïa Ibiza’s renowned production came into play, with strobes and lights illuminating the crowd as smoke blew inwards on the stage to shroud the booth. By nightfall, Jonas Blue was well into his set and knocking out some of his most famous hits like ‘Perfect Strangers’ and his stellar cover or Tracey Chapman’s ‘Fast Car’. He even played his new track, exclusively for the lucky fans at Ushuaïa Ibiza, before moving onto remixes of club classics like ‘Destination Unknown’ and ‘House Every Weekend’, as well as pop hits such as ‘Shape Of You’ and ‘Heads Will Roll’ – it was a set that everyone knew every word of from start to finish. This was definitely a night that people will remember for a long time.

As Jonas Blue’s set ended, the party was in full flow, and mood in the crowd had heightened to an intense anticipation. With good reason – up next were headliners The Chainsmokers, the iconic duo who have taken the world of dance by storm with their signature sound and commercial success. The set started with a single, ambient vocal of their new song ‘The One’ – the stage was still in darkness and the anticipation was palpable. The lights came up and the crowd screamed – The Chainsmokers are bona fide celebrities, and can command as stage as thus. Suddenly, a bang of smoke, lights and pyrotechnics erupted from the main stage as the baseline dropped and the duo began dancing and jumping up and down. The set was a little heavier than their normal sound, and just right for the crowd in question, who had their arms in the air hanging on every bar, lyric and note. When the duo requested that fans ‘make some noise’, the response was thunderous. They certainly knew their audience, which was full of young partygoers in their late teens and twenties – everything from noughties dance classics from the likes of Cascada to modern hip hop bites seemed specifically tailored to the crowd – and they all responded accordingly. After a quick hiatus, we were back to the signature sound of The Chainsmokers, as they started to play their chart toppers in quick succession, complemented by the impressive lights, pyrotechnics, confetti cannons and effects that is so synonymous with Ushuaïa Ibiza. Throughout the whole set, the talented DJ duo interspersed their own sound with popular hits of all genres, keeping fans on their toes but never allowing the energy to wane. The crowd were in a frenzy by this point, screaming and jumping relentlessly.

When the night drew to a close, everyone must have been exhausted after hours of high energy and impactful music – not that you would be able to tell from looking at them. Everyone was laughing and smiling, and you could just tell that they’d all had the best night. The infectious, poppy, feel-good music of the all-star lineup had clearly worked its magic on the crowd at Ushuaïa Ibiza; and I very much doubt if one single person didn’t leave feeling 100% in the holiday spirit.

Information:
w: www.ushuaiaibiza.com