Nobody likes a gloater, I'm fully aware, so apologies for opening an article on a slightly smug note, but here goes... unless you are permanently online (like myself), you probably missed the fact you could've caught Marco Carola at Blue Marlin Ibiza for free on Saturday.
The restaurant hosted the official Music On opening after party, following its 2025 launch at Pacha the night before. Of course, this little detail wasn’t announced until the morning of the day itself, so don't beat yourself up too much if it passed by.
And, hey, we were far from alone, so it's clear the message was spread far and wide. If you managed to see him twice over the weekend, then you’re laughing.
Music On is one of my all-time favourite parties. It aligns perfectly with my musical taste. Throw into the mix it being a daytime edition at a venue like Blue Marlin? Now you're really talking my language. As soon as the news dropped, I assembled a crew.
There’s something so exhilarating about these last-minute announcements of big DJs playing at Blue Marlin. The sense of spontaneity makes the whole experience feel that even more special.
We arrived around 19:00, just as Music On regular Da Vid was warming up the already buzzing dancefloor. And, yes, he definitely shares a few similarities with Marco himself. I even overheard people debating whether it was Carola on the decks.
Given they were both in black, wearing black sunglasses and share similar facial features, any confusion is natural.
Naturally, Auto-Shazam was on from the start.
Marco is the master of edits and unreleased gems, always one step ahead of the curve with clever flips of classic tracks.
One that completely threw me off this time, was a remix of David Zowie's 2015 hit, House Every Weekend. Another case of the ten-year circle of trends comes true. After some digging the next day, I found out it was an edit by Liverpudlian producer Mick Willow. He must be over the moon!
However, the actual track that really struck with me the most, was Understand by Matteo Dentone.
I had an inkling it was likely to make an appearance, as all of the big DJs have it on heavy rotation right now.
When it actually came, it was a moment like no other. Of course, the phones went straight up, as it's another track that nods to the past with some classic lyrics "not everyone understands House music."
It's a particularly special one for me personally, as I helped procure the release to my boyfriend's label, Nothing Else Matters. I promise it'll be out soon - it's a hard sample to clear! Even though I may be biased, without doubt, it's already shaping up to be one of the tracks of the summer.
Hayley and Holly dove straight into the crowd, while I hung out with some mates at one of the tables, though it wasn’t long before even those were swamped with people either hoping for a free drink or a front-row view of Marco doing his thing.
Either way, a great time was had. I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for Blue Marlin’s next superstar DJ announcement.
From start to finish, the restaurant was buzzing, VIP tables packed and the dancefloor heaving from front to back. Even the beach beds were full. Imagine booking a day at Blue Marlin, only to find out that Music On are doing a surprise pop-up! Erm, winning.
For a complete list of all Marco Carola's confirmed Ibiza dates in 2025, please visit this page.
Music On returns to Pacha this coming Friday and every week, all the way until 10 October.
For more Music On daytime action, check-out the nine dates at Destino Five from late June to mid-August, as well as the venue's Grand Opening Party on 19 June which Carola also headlines.
