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Opening blow-back: Top Ibiza weekends throughout May

Special dates and secret parties all month long.

Ibiza formally opens for summer on the weekend of 28 to 30 April with a mammoth party schedule.

Defected opening, Pyramid Special, Pacha celebrating 50 years, Ushuaïa and Hï Ibiza's joint Opening Party, Club Chinois' Grand Opening, plus Damian Lazarus' Crosstown Rebels at Akasha and a certain music conference - nobody needs telling that weekend is mega.

After the dust has settled, what about the weekends after - quiet, right? Wrong. In fact, the pace does not slow. Ibiza starts summer 2023 as it means to carry on.

If you want an early summer getaway that guarantees great parties at a time when flights and hotel rooms are reasonable, then weekends throughout May are an ideal time to visit.

Bearing in mind there are still some secret parties still TBA, let's take a closer look at the special dates that have been announced so far. We reckon one or more of these will tickle your fancy.


Weekend #2 - 5 to 7 May

FRI 5 MAY | O Beach Opening Party
FRI 5 MAY | Happy Camper Records at Akasha w/ unders, Ape Chimba and more
FRI 5 MAY | Defected (week two) at Eden w/ Groove Armada, Arielle Free and Low Steppa
SAT 6 MAY | ANTS opening party day & night edition at Ushuaïa & Hï Ibiza
SUN 7 MAY | Glitterbox opening party at Hï Ibiza w/ Roger Sanchez, The Shapeshifters & Basement Jaxx

+ more TBA, the likes of Applebum and Sunday Service at Ibiza Rocks and the allure of Circoloco at DC10 on Monday if you've still got the legs. Seth Troxler, PAWSA, Gerd Janson and Alan Dixon all play on a night that won't be packed to the rafters like the opening party.

ANTS day & night proved such a success last year, that we get to do it three times in 2023!


Weekend #3 - 12 to 14 May

FRI 12 MAY | Dubfire at Akasha
FRI 12 MAY | Music On opening party at Pacha w/ Marco Carola
FRI 12 MAY | Defected (week three) at Eden w/ Todd Edwards, Prunk and Sam Divine
SAT 13 MAY - SUN 14 MAY | Ibiza Rocks Opening Weekend One w/ Joel Corry and Becky Hill
SAT 13 MAY | ANTS day & night edition (week two) at Ushuaïa & Hï Ibiza
SAT 13 MAY | Amnesia Opening Party w/ Adam Beyer, Layton Giordani, Maceo Plex, Sama' Abdulhadi, Seth Troxler, Skream and more
SAT 13 MAY | The Maquerade opening party at Pacha w/ Claptone
SUN 14 MAY | Glitterbox (week two) at Hï Ibiza w/ David Morales, Jayda G and Purple Disco Machine
SUN 14 MAY | Adriatique present X at Pacha w/ Innellea and Deer Jade

+ more TBA, openings for Pool Party and Soul Heaven at O Beach and again the option of Circoloco at DC10 on Monday if you fancy it. Loco Dice, Luciano, DJ Seinfeld and Rex Axes all play.

After the Pyramid warm-up a fortnight earlier, Amnesia gets underway for real - a marathon party of epic proportions! This is also the weekend of the annual Ibiza Medieval Festival where the streets of Dalt Vila are transported back to the middle ages. Definitely worth visiting.


Weekend #4 - 19 to 21 May

FRI 19 MAY | Music On (week two) at Pacha w/ Marco Carola
FRI 19 MAY | Defected (week four) at Eden w/ Riva Starr, Low Steppa and Majestic
SAT 20 MAY - SUN 21 MAY | Ibiza Rocks Opening Weekend Two w/ Craig David and more
SAT 20 MAY | ANTS day & night edition (final week) at Ushuaïa & Hï Ibiza
SAT 20 MAY | Emanuel Satie at Akasha
SAT 20 MAY | The Masquerade (week two) at Pacha w/ Claptone
SUN 21 MAY | Kinky Malinki at O Beach w/ Amine Edge & DANCE and David Penn
SUN 21 MAY | keinemusik all night long at Pacha w/ &Me, Adam Port and Rampa
SUN 21 MAY | Glitterbox (week three) at Hï Ibiza w/ Armand Van Helden and Dimitri From Paris

Plus the weekly pilgrimage to Circoloco at DC10 on Monday, this time with Maceo Plex, ANOTR, Chris Stussy and Chaos In The CBD.

The forward-thinking keinemusik collective roll into Pacha for a hotly anticipated pre-season date, filling the gap a week before Solomun +1 begins.


Throw in the wildcard of Pikes House Party on Saturday or Tales Of The Unexpected on Sunday and suddenly, you are spoilt for choice.

By the time weekend #5 rolls around from 26 to 28 May, business is really picking up. Calvin Harris opening and Black Coffee opening are both added to the mix from Friday. Though, partly due to the public holiday in the UK, flight and hotel prices take a steep upturn.

From that point, we're only a week away from the season going full tilt and weekday parties joining the antics. GO, GO, GO!

Like always, consult our trusted party calendar to bore down into your holiday schedule - no matter when you intend on visiting. For news as it happens, follow our socials and bookmark our magazine homepage.

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