At this time of year, well into the middle of June, Ibiza is quite literally bursting at the seams with an incredible range of cool stuff to do. Although all the big clubs are now open, there are still some great opening parties kicking off as individual promoters stake their claims on the Ibiza nightlife scene. Tomorrow night for example, is the opening party of Heart’s Boogie in Wonderland, promising a new concept in clubbing that combines music, art and performance with a distinctly 70’s twist. It’s sure to be one for the summer diary and the show is making it’s World premiere right here in Ibiza. The red carpet will most definitely be out and if we were into celebrity spotting, that’s where we’d be headed, cap’n!
On the other hand, if daytime action is more your thing, then you’re in luck this weekend as the tiny, whitewashed village of San Carlos, Ibiza, throws open the floodgates to the absolutely brilliant Ai Carai – San Carlos Music Festival. Timed to coincide with the pagan summer solstice, the day for your diary is Sunday, June 19th. The fun begins from midday and usually finishes up around midnight.
This is Ibiza’s most bohemian festival. We’re talking Hippie with a capital ‘H.’ The Boats Ibiza team have been to the last 3 events and we genuinely can’t wait for this year’s happening. Why? Because this festival is really what the spirit of Ibiza is all about. Let’s take it from the top.
Firstly, it’s a daytime party, which Ibiza, like it or not, is World famous for. Dancing in the sunshine and merrily downing sangria is something we in Ibiza are really, really good at! Next, it’s a free event. Everyone is welcome and the vibe is something like I imagine Glastonbury must have felt like in its early years. Indeed, Glastonbury is always held around the time of the summer solstice and it too, is at least in part a pagan celebration with its roots dangling way down into the mists of time.
On the day, you can expect to find around 8000 smiling visitors somehow packed into this tiny Ibicenco village to enjoy no less than 50 bands, 150 artists, an array of children’s workshops, circus performers, acrobats, harlequins, a Brazilian style samba procession and countless more spectacles too numerous to list here. The colour, vibrancy and sheer talent on display is pretty mind-boggling. The combination and diversity of the festivalgoers is also something to behold – we’re talking every size, shape, colour and creed you can imagine, across 5 generations. From babies to great grandparents and every age in between. Heartwarming sums it up very well.
Because this is a local festival, it’s a real chance to witness the incredible diversity of creatives that call this island home. It’s a chance to step outside of the usual big venues and names and really engage with the arts and culture scene of Ibiza. If you’re anything like us, you’ll be absolutely blown away.
A word of advice. Get there early, ladies and gents. After 3-4pm, the roads around the village are gridlocked and you’ll have to park miles away. Check out the video below to get an idea of what to expect. Then dust down that vintage kaftan, polish yer love beads, fling off those shoes and get down with the groovy hippies of the north. See you there!
AI CARAI 2016 SAN CARLOS MUSIC FESTIVAL from Pataleta Films on Vimeo.
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