Phone-Free Clubs in Ibiza – There’s No Going Back

Back in May, when superclub Hï announced a no-phones policy during the sets of longstanding resident and veteran DJ Damian Lazarus, the clubbing world raised a collective eyebrow. While long the bugbear of performers worldwide, the filming of DJ sets for social media has become so entrenched in the scene’s DNA that to ban it outright seemed an impossibility. Ibiza is the mecca of electronic dance music, with its nightclubs attracting thousands of tourists every year. However, as mobile phones have become ubiquitous, many argue that their presence detracts from the original vibe of the island’s legendary party scene. Instead of people being fully engaged with the music and atmosphere, dancefloors are more often static, illuminated by the glow of smartphone screens whose owners are more concerned with documenting their night for social media than experiencing it in real-time. 

The decision to ban phones is seen as a reaction to this shift, a way of recapturing the spirit of nightlife before it became dominated by Instagram stories and Snapchat posts. Lazarus, known for his deep, hypnotic sets that demand full audience engagement, has been a vocal advocate for this change, and believes that the phone-free environment fosters a more profound connection between the DJ and the crowd. ‘When you have a room full of people who are truly present, something magical happens. From open to close we take pride in creating a totally unique environment, a proper session where we lose our inhibitions and can enjoy a sense of freedom. Phones break that connection.’

Solid Grooves boss Michael Bibi followed suit this summer with his long-awaited return to DC-10 marked by a phone ban that had the dancefloor going off like it was 1999 again. At Pikes, the lawless boutique hotel in the hills of San Antonio made famous for wild parties and even wilder antics, a full seven-day phones-on-the-dancefloor ban has now been implemented, with the hotel announcing that: ‘Keeping your phone in your pocket and your mind on the music – and knowing that everyone around you is doing the same – opens up a whole world of freedom, not only on the dancefloor but all around Pikes.’ Dan Prince, the legendary promoter whose industry-fave Back To Mine parties have been rocking Pikes for years, thinks that this is the future of parties. ‘We all love nostalgia, we all love talking about the old days and our clubbing adventures of yesteryear, and the no phones policy at Pikes this summer has made such a difference. The vibe has always been magical at Back To Mine, but now that everyone's phones are tucked away, it suddenly feels an even friendlier atmosphere. The dancefloor at Freddie's is a sea of happy smiling faces instead of a bank of phone screens. People are swapping stories instead of selfies, they’re appreciating the music even more instead of wasting their evening trying to take a video of a DJ that in all honesty they will never watch again.’

Photographs courtesy of Dan Prince at Pikes.