Ibiza's super-clubs are on sabbatical now for winter, but the island's global influence continues elsewhere in the world. During the low season, we bring you club reviews from Ibiza favourites at other party destinations from around the world.
After experiencing Amsterdam Dance Event (ADE), the clubbing team ploughs ahead with autumn/winter 2023-24 shenanigans in London.
First up, it's the return of Jamie Jones' Paradise.
Jamie Jones presents Paradise London | Drumsheds | Saturday 18 November
Dubbed The Night of the Jaguar, this summer's Ibiza residency saw Paradise rise to the top of Amnesia's food chain. The apex party was slammed week in, and week out.
Year one at the club had been promising, but was still a case of Jamie Jones and co. adapting to their new environment. Year two left no dispute as to where they stood in the pecking order.
Now that the season has finished, a migration has taken place. The sunlit plains of Ibiza have been exchanged for the cooler climate of London's urban jungle.
Capable of housing up to 15,000 people, Drumsheds is three times the capacity of Amnesia. Today's party is long since sold out. Any tickets that re-entered the market were immediately snapped up. It feels as though the whole of London has stampeded to the borough of Enfield.
As we've come to expect from previous Broadwick Live and LWE collaborations, everything is made easy from ingress to egress.
Event stewards have been recruited in droves. Signage is displayed in abundance. Bars at the former IKEA warehouse are well-staffed and stocked with the latest lines. The welfare team is both diligent and non-judgmental.
Even for first-time visitors, the one-way system - a surviving relic of its past incarnation - can be navigated effortlessly.
Fresh from a Manchester edition of Music On the day before, Marco Carola is already deep in the mix. His earlier-than-expected billing certainly helped drive an early door. The majority in attendance are inside well before his 16:00 start, keen to claim their turf on the dancefloor.
Not that fighting for a space is a concern, irrespective of today's sold out status. There's plenty of it to go around.
Next, Paradise mainstay Richy Ahmed ups the energy levels before handing over to Hot Since 82, who delivers the set of the day. Sounding like the HS82 we fell in love with ten years ago, he opens with the Mobb Deep-sampling Shook Part 3 by Nick Morgan. But it's his new collab, Never Enough, with Us Two and Paige Cavell which gets the biggest reaction of the day.
Exotic species and monuments from ancient civilisations are displayed, as Jamie Jones appears on the mezzanine level and surveys his kingdom below.
Elsewhere, fresher names are given the limelight to shine in the smaller-sized, but still expansive Y and Z rooms. Black Science founder Antss, Kolter and Alisha, who was a punter on the dancefloor the last time Paradise came to London, could all be caught.
Underlining the talent on display, former FUSE members Archie Hamilton and Seb Zito reunite to close but it proves difficult to tear ourselves away from the main spectacle. Rewarding our commitment, JJ treats the masses to his Tourist Trap remix, sending everybody home happy - all 15,000 of us.
18 November will be remembered as the day the jaguar prowled Meridian Water.
Drumsheds is an unassailable triumph, but what are the wider implications for the city? Justifiably, questions will be asked, as to the sustainability of introducing an invasive species of such dominance to an already delicate ecosystem.
With the former 10,000 capacity Privilege and a reported €8.2 million refit looming large on the horizon, it's a question that Ibiza cannot shy away from either.
PHOTOGRAPHY | by Jake Davis, Rob Jones, Henry Woide and Khali Photography
Coming up at Drumsheds, Charlotte de Witte, Chase & Status, Bicep, Skepta & Jammer and Sugababes all headline before Christmas. This weekend, it's the turn of another Ibiza favourite in CAMELPHAT. Head here to view the full schedule.
In the interim, we'll bring you more Ibiza worldwide reviews from London and beyond over the coming weeks. For anyone lucky enough to find themselves on Balearic soil, head to our party calendar to cater to your dancing needs.
