I made my way to Es Paradis's highly acclaimed Glow event wearing a white play-suit; an odd choice of attire for a neon paint rave but it was the only clothes I owned since my airline lost my suitcase earlier that day (apply sympathy here). As a paint party virgin, I was unsure of what people wore to these shin-digs anyway but I needn't had worried; anything goes! There were clubbers in bikinis, beachwear, shorts and t-shirts and yes, white! Note: this is not the night to wear your best glad rags.
The venue itself is pristine white with elegant Greek-style pillars around the centre of the dance floor, reaching up to the domed ceiling. A natural garden grows inside with winding trees that would make even Alan Tichmarsh jealous. It's this glasshouse-esque interior that makes Es Paradis one of the most beautiful and unique clubs in Ibiza. And also one of the coolest - no sweatbox here!
Calvin Harris's We'll Be Coming Back pounded out the speakers that were suspended from the ceiling, shaking the white bannisters below. ‘Rainbowed' ravers with their glow sticks and bright visors took to the dance floor as the Es Paradis Girls injected them with UV paint using gigantic syringes. Now I'm not one to shy away from a bit of colour but due to the “suitcase circumstances” I thought it safe that I stayed in the designated dry zones. This is such a key point about this event. Sometimes when people hear the words ‘paint party' they are put off by the thought of swimming in a sea of neon green, yellow and pink. Es Paradis have specific areas of the club that are Glow-Free… although it's not guaranteed that when you are there seeing everyone ‘neoned up' that you won't want to get a bit paint friendly too!
As the DJ mixed popular chart hits (think Dark Horse by Katy Perry) with 90s classics like Living Joy's I'm A Dreamer the rave got in to full flow; an acrobat suspended from the ceiling splashed paint on the eager party-goers and on the main podium there was no more messing around….the dancers had buckets and they weren't afraid to use them!
Being such a beautifully decorated club, Es Paradis is the last place you'd expect a messy paint night to be held but somehow it just works. Although the speakers and the acoustics of the club are of excellent quality due to the high ceilings, the night is less focused on the music; it's more fun-fuelled. Close to West End in San Antonio, it's the perfect event if you are looking for a different experience from the conventional Ibiza clubbing scene. Revellers who are up for anything and everything will love this luminous night of excitement, special effects and paint paint paint.
