The scariest night of the year is almost upon us, and in Ibiza that means another excuse for a party - only this time in all the creepiest clobber islanders can muster. Halloween is a big deal on the White Isle - it's one of the last times to let loose before settling into the winter routine, so unsurprisingly it ends up being one of the most hedonistic nights of the year. This weekend, ghosts and ghouls will be crawling out of the crevices for a night of unsettingly good music and otherworldly escapism. We caught up with the organisers of three of the island's biggest Halloween parties to find out what's in store.
Bambuddha at Pacha / Monday 31 October
As far as memory serves you guys were instrumental in making Halloween a big social occasion in Ibiza, you were the originators if you will, how did it all begin?
"Jon Jon Moon: Back in 1999, [the year that Bambuddha opened] I dressed up as The Hunchback of Notre Dam, and I was the only person in Bambuddha and possibly the island who dressed up! The following years it progressively got bigger and bigger until we arrived at where we are now."
What has changed over the years?
"When we started our Halloween parties at Bambuddha, Halloween wasn't a big event anywhere in Europe. As it slowly gained popularity, other venues took the fiesta on board and a synergetic growth occurred. However, there has always been something special at Bambuddha - we had a strict 'no costume, no entry' policy, and this meant not just a costume from the shop but something fabulous. This really meant that people went all out with their costumes."
This year you have made quite a dramatic move and relocated the party from Bambuddha to Pacha, what were your reasons behind the move?
"The event became too big, too noisy and too successful for our own boots - attracting all sorts of ‘unwelcome attention' from non-ghouls. So we made the decision to move to a more spacious and facilitated venue this year."
What can we expect from this years production at Pacha?
"Expect Bambuddha's great food, our elaborate production and innovative entertainment. We are flying in a troupe of aerial acrobatic midgets who will be taking the roles of killer leprechauns, bloodthirsty ewoks, zombie oompa loompas and so on. They work a wire act so expect to have a little monsters launch aerial attacks on you when you least expect it!"
Will you be getting naked again this year?
"No comment."
The Brothers Grim present Halloween at Pikes / Monday 31 October
This is your first year at the wheel of Pikes Halloween party, what's new this year?
Mark Broadbent: "We hope to take it to a far darker place this year. We thought that the last few years, All Hallows Eves has been a bit too fluffy and we want to bring back a more real and authentic experience. We want people to remember this night. In their nightmares."
Andy Livesey: "You can expect things to go beyond scary and start to get a bit off-side. I'm thinking we might have actually pushed things a bit too far."
This is a joint collaboration between brothers, but who else makes the party happen?
MB: "Everybody involved - from the DJs we have chosen, to the people who work at the venue, and of course the people who come to party. And this year we have a team of actors coming from Madrid to put on some shows around the many venue spaces."
AL: "All the team at Pikes - the bar staff, the security the management etc. They offer the perfect balance of professionalism and hedonism. Exactly the sort of people you want to have a party with."
What kind of people can we expect to see at Pikes this Halloween?
MB: "Very disturbed people hopefully. The usual suspects. And Mr Doris."
AL: "Probably a few too many of those Harley Quinn costumes."
How do winter parties in Ibiza differ from the summers events?
MB: "The obvious answer would be there are more island residents in attendance than tourists. The parties at this time of year also tend to go on for longer unhindered by the authorities."
AL: "Halloween is pretty much the perfect time for a party in Ibiza. The locals have all had a few weeks off from partying after the heady days of the closing parties but they are not fully into hibernation mode yet so everyone is ready to let loose. There are still a few of the more discerning tourists left on the island too, which adds a nice variety to the proceedings. In general winter parties are far better than summer parties and Halloween is the best of all in my opinion."
Your chosen moniker for your brotherly DJ duo is The Brothers Grim. What's behind that, is it Halloween all year round in your house?
MB: "Can't really remember how it came about to be honest but I think it's probably an Andrew thing as he loves a good pun, that lad. It's a bit of a joke really as we are anything but grim…. well he is anyway."
AL: "Yeah, I think I came up with it to save space on a flyer once as I couldn't fit 'Andrew Livesey & Mark Broadbent' on there. I like it though. I think it works well for us. I think Mark likes it because it helps people remember that I'm his brother and not his son."
What's the scariest thing at Pikes this year?
MB: "Sarah Broadbent."
AL: "Sarah Broadbent."
Note: Tickets for this event are already sold out.
The Monster Mash at Boutique Hostal Salinas / Tuesday 1 October
How did Halloween at Boutique Hostal Salinas begin?
Ryan O Gorman: "I did the first party with my pals Will Worrell and Brydie Tong five years ago, Will is a great photographer, he set the standard for our artwork, something we have developed each year. The short of it is we needed somewhere to hang out after Bambuddha, we put the idea of doing a late starting party to the guys at BHS and they loved it. The guys left the island to pursue careers a few years ago and I have done the events as a collaboration with Dave, Dusi and Anita ever since."
The artwork is really interesting, is it specially made for each event?
"Yeah, the illustrations we have used over the last two years are from a really talented artist called Zeke Clough - he's on my creative agency and he specialises in drawing mutants and monsters, so he was the ideal man for the job."
The party has grown considerably in the last few years, what's the key to creating an event like this?
"As I mentioned previously, we started the party with very simple intentions, primarily to have fun. I think those kind of motives are the foundations of any good party - we started small with a bunch our mates and it grew from there. We have all lived, worked and partied in Ibiza for a long time, so between us we already knew all the wrong people. The party and the vibe come first; everything else follows. We all have a good understanding of that and I think it translates - it's my favourite party of the year. I don't know if it's cool to say that about your own party but all my friends are there and if you can't have fun at your own party then you are doing it wrong."
What can we expect from Halloween at Hostal this year?
"An insanely good line-up of DJs. We have 20 DJs playing in two rooms throughout the day and we've got some bone-fide legends in the mix, I'm proud to say. We have a killer sound system and a great venue, and most importantly we have some of the island's most colourful characters (in the freakiest costumes) getting loose and getting weird. Expect shenanigans and expect fun!"
WORDS | Abby Lowe & Ryan O Gorman PHOTOS | Phrank.net, Carlos Pastor, Tamas Kooning Landsbergen
