The last ever Space Opening Fiesta

No matter what the future holds for the iconic superclub – turning into a night version of its neighbouring competitor, moving to San Antonio, moving to the airport, moving to Privilege, hanging on until New Year’s Day or just bowing out gracefully – this will be the very last time we get to celebrate the official summer season opening on those hallowed stomping grounds of a grimey Playa d’en Bossa car park. It was 10 years ago this week that I arrived in Ibiza, a fresh-faced clubbing enthusiast slash journalist, thinking I’d have a fun summer abroad before going back to my serious career in magazines. It was 10 years ago this week that my best friend Miss G and I checked into the Jet Apartments (yes, how our tastes have changed!) as ‘temporary’ accommodation while looking for a place to live (which was certainly a lot easier back then than it is now), dumped our bags and made the short walk up the deserted street (because back then the island was always a ghost town right up until the day before Space opening – how times have changed) to just gaze adoringly on what we thought of as our church. Who hasn’t had a religious experience at Space? I know I certainly spent the majority of my Ibiza summer Sundays there!

As we stood outside the eerily quiet building, I remember it started to rain. Ever since that day, whenever it rains at this time of year I find myself musing, “Oh yes it always rains around Space Opening,” as if I were a qualified weather girl, yet really just based on that one experience. I remember praying that it wouldn’t rain that coming Sunday, as I’d never been to the open-air Flight Club Arena before. I remember Miss G desperately trying to get a suntan on our tiny little balcony despite the rainclouds because god dammit it was Space Opening and she was going to be brown! 2006 wasn’t my first visit to Space, but it was my first time as an ‘Ibiza resident’. It felt different. It felt more special. It felt like… it was MINE. Space would go on to become a huge part of my life, as I ended up working there for many, many years – in many guises – originally just handing out flyers on the beach because I wanted a summer sabbatical (and I wanted to be brown too). I was in Ibiza. I didn’t want to write about it – I wanted to experience it!

Let’s fast-forward now to 2016. I’ve got half a mind to drive to Playa d’en Bossa right now and stand outside that club and see how different I feel ten years later. I never knew it at the time, but I was never going to go back to my home country. That season, Ibiza truly won my heart and soul and for that, I have Space to thank. I met my best friends – my Ibiza family – in Space. I’ve had the best times of my life in Space. Sure, I don’t go there as often as I used to anymore (eventually I swapped my flyers for the keyboard once again), but Space Ibiza – and by that I mean the iconic club in Playa d’en Bossa, not whatever its future incarnation may be – holds a very special place in my heart and it always will. As I’m sure it does for many people. DJs, promoters, workers, dancers, glass collectors (we love you!), sound technicians, the behind the scenes team and clubbers from all over the world. WE were ALL what made Space Ibiza amazing. We all have our own special and unique Space memories (in fact, there’s an entire Facebook group devoted to it). We all have our own Space.

So as this Sunday rapidly approaches, I find myself wondering. Should I do my best to preserve the memory of what will undoubtedly be one of the best parties in the world? Should I take notes, write a review, book a photographer to document every moment? No. When I think back to that very first cherished Space opening experience there were no notes, no cameras, no Shazam-ing the songs the DJs were playing. It was all about being in the moment, the experience. The right thing to do this Sunday is to get right back in the thick of it all and experience Space Opening Fiesta like it was the very first time again. Because it’s the very last time. We will NEVER get to do this again. So we should do it right. Who’s with me?