Perhaps you might not have realised, but the reason why Defected coming to Pacha is such a big deal, is because many moons ago it held residency at the legendary club. It's like a homecoming. It's back where it's meant to be.
Now it has two parties under its belt - and we were in attendance for both, who better to give you the low-down than Ibiza Spotlight? Especially since we have intergenerational clubbers amid our ranks. Veteran? Or new to it all? We have both perspectives covered.
Here’s what we thought from either side of the Millennial/Generation Z divide.
Fledgling | Gen Z
by Lissy Lübeck
Born: 1996
First time attending Defected at Pacha: 8 May 2025
If you’re a Gen Z-er like me, you probably didn’t have the pleasure of experiencing this the first time around.
2025 marks two whole decades since it first took over the cherried club. On opening night, after a 13-year hiatus, the OG House music brand made a romantic comeback. To say the return delivered on the anticipation would be an understatement.
For the opening, Defected reeled in the perfect concoction of names that just made sense for their grand return. Like all Defected line-ups, it counter-balanced established household names with breakthrough DJs.
Starting with their very own A&R recruit turned next generation of DJ to watch, Rio Tashan, made his Pacha debut, opening up the club like a true champ.
Road-testing two of his own unreleased tracks, mixed in with some vocal-heavy classics, he succeeded in packing out the dancefloor within thirty minutes of doors opening.
And what about the crowd? It’s not everywhere that you can have a chinwag with the person dancing next to you and end up making lifelong friends. You can always rely on Defected to pull in a friendly and up-for-it crowd.
Veteran | Millennial
by Stephen Hunt
Born: 1985
First time attending Defected at Pacha: Summer 2011, exact date unknown
Following Hayley’s promotion to the other side of the business (or defecting to the dark side, as it’s known around these parts…), I now hold the dubious distinction of being the clubbing team's senior member.
Therefore, it was pretty much already established, I should be the only one of us to remember Defected’s first tenure at Pacha - and what fond memories they are. I still recall walking into the club and hearing One For Me by James Talk and Ridney. It will stay with me forever.
You're preaching to the choir, with me. As far as I'm concerned, party and club are the ideal fit: the perfect couple. When it was announced they would be revisiting their relationship, I was made up.
But how much the history between the two strikes a chord with Defected’s predominantly youthful fan base, is perhaps harder to gauge. It could be strongly argued, the new generation have had quite enough of old crusties telling them how they should be partying…
At the opening party, Low Steppa’s set was the perfect allegory of Defected’s role. It was littered with references to House music’s past, yet never felt it was forfeiting to cheap pops from the same tired tracks you hear everywhere else.
There were numerous occasions when a bassline would come in that sounded instantly familiar, only to introduce a box-fresh vocal. It was funky, soulful and the catalyst for taking the dancefloor from fourth gear, into fifth.
Ninetoes' steel drums on Finder still get the crowd on their feet. And, in Got The Funk, Low Steppa has probably also scored the first big hit of summer. It's already being played everywhere. The crowd reaction on the night further cemented its reputation.
Along with another DJ on the line-up, Dennis Ferrer, and two other DJs, Sam Divine is one of only four surviving members from the class of 2012 to be back in 2025. Back then, she still went by the stage name Miss Divine.
We got to hear her new one, Scars, which she was playing out for the first time. It will surely also prove to be one of this season's biggest records. Representing a small, but vocal, septuagenarian contingent in attendance, Sam was cheered on by her dad. It was a joy to watch.
You see, Defected really does transcend intergenerational barriers.
As Defected CEO Wez Saunders has gone on the record as saying, Defected’s return to Pacha is one of romance, not wispy-eyed nostalgia. And that is something that the youth of today can buy into, whether they’re aware of the past or not.
Attracting Ibiza first-timers and seasoned veterans alike, that's what makes Defected so special. It caters to all with its timeless anthems and roster of affiliated DJs. Everyone is family on a Defected dancefloor, but on the opening night, that felt clearer than ever.
Fresh-faced or weather-worn and cynical, racking up the mileage or new engine, Ibiza veteran or Ibiza virgin, whichever camp you fall into, you’d struggle to have anything but an incredible time with Defected at Pacha. Or, to put it another way, the feelings are mutual.
Although many things may have changed in the last 13 years, that still rings true.
Tickets to the remaining twenty dates are on sale now and available to find below, along with complete line-ups.
WORDS | by Lissy Lübeck and Stephen Hunt
PHOTOGRAPHY | by Jack Kimber, Cris Ann and David Montes Aldea
