Off the bat of the huge success of the two pre-season parties, we had big expectations for the official Ants opening – and we were right to have them. Since its conception in 2013, Ants has garnered immense popularity. The weekly party at Ushuïa Ibiza Beach Hotel kicked off last night to massive crowds, with sets from Tapesh, Raul Rodriguez, Maya Jane Coles, Matthias Tanzmann, Groove Armada (DJ set) and headliner Andrea Oliva. Ants will run every Saturday from 3pm until the closing party on September 30th.

Even though we arrived at Ants well before sunset, we were expecting it to be busy, but busy is an understatement. And although Ants is a daytime event, it inevitably gets busier as the night goes on. But as early as 8pm, Ushuaïa was packed to the rafters with swarms of partygoers. Ants – originally a party for the workers of the island – has proved incredibly popular.

Although the venue was packed, thanks to the spacious, open-air and multilevel nature of the place, it didn’t feel at all claustrophobic. Rather, you could just feel the spirit of the night in the air. Everywhere you walked – even early in the evening and on the outermost sidelines, people were dancing excitedly, enjoying the beats. Partygoers danced in the pool and, for the lucky guests staying in the Ushuaïa Ibiza Beach Hotel, in the comfort of their balconies.

Within the first hour of us being there, the crowd had started to heat up even more. Everyone was dancing and loving the music from the word go – a true testament to the lineup, the DJs and to the popularity and success of Ants as an event. Many partygoers had adorned themselves with Ants paraphernalia, from t-shirts to temporary tattoos. In four short years, it really has developed a cult following, which enthusiastically helped the concept enter its fifth season in Ibiza. The reaction from partygoers intensified at the start of the Groove Armada DJ set. The crowd – which was already bouncing – went wild for every drop, burst of pyrotechnic flames, colourful laser beam, glitter cannon or smoke cloud. As the sun set just before 10pm, the vibe from the crowd intensified – the drops and production effects got more frequent, and partygoers responded accordingly. For those lucky enough to be front and centre, it was all-consuming. By the time Andrea Oliva stepped up to the decks at 10.30pm, the atmosphere was electric.

The famous Ants dancers, who had been largely absent up to now, appeared in their droves on the stage and podiums. Clad in sleek black outfits and odd, buggish prosthetics, they looked every inch the part. The famous Ushuïa Ibiza effects – the fireworks, the pyrotechnics – came thick and fast, even more than before. The crowd began anticipating them on the drop, and going mad every time. By the time the final set wrapped up at midnight, the party was far from over, and droves of attendees piled into sister club Hï Ibiza for the opening night of Black Coffee’s hotly anticipated residency. The opening party of any event in Ibiza is always bound to be a big one, but with the intensity and popularity that Ants elicited, every Saturday at Ushuaïa Ibiza is destined to go the same way.

Booking & information:
w: ushuaiaibiza.com