What do you do on a random Monday night on Ibiza? Enjoy the free hotel entertainment? Scroll endlessly on your phone? Watch television? Absolutely not.
Somewhere, something is always happening. Summer on this island never really takes a night off. After a little research, we discovered a promising option: Eivissa Daurada at 528 Ibiza.
The name alone sounds like something lifted from a fairy tale. Ticket secured, we set off towards the hills of Benimussa.
The drive itself felt part of the experience, with the Ibizan countryside bathed in that magical pre-sunset glow that filmmakers spend fortunes trying to recreate. The famous golden hour was in full effect. The landscape seemed suspended in amber light, as if a fine layer of golden dust had settled over everything.
By the time we reached the upper terrace of 528, the scene was already set. Rolling hills stretched into the distance, candles flickered around the stage and the sun slowly disappeared between the trees. Opulent surroundings for an elegant evening.
Eivissa Daurada is staged in one of Ibiza's most iconic locations. The concept is simple yet effective: cinematic music performed by a chamber ensemble accompanied by dance, storytelling and just enough humour to stop the evening becoming overly serious.
The ensemble consisted of piano, percussion and cello, led by Carlos Vesperinas, with dancer and vocalist Raquel Ortiz adding a theatrical dimension to the performance.
Before a single note was played, Carlos took the microphone, displaying his dry humour that immediately won over the audience. It was unexpected and it worked perfectly. The crowd, impeccably dressed but refreshingly relaxed, responded with laughter. Any lingering formality disappeared instantly. Then the music began.
The opening piece, “Golden Hour” from the TV series Stranger Things, gave way to Hans Zimmer's Interstellar theme. As the first notes drifted across the terrace, conversation ceased and attention focused entirely on the stage. Interstellar remains one of those rare compositions capable of stopping people in their tracks. Melancholic, uplifting and deeply emotional, it seemed perfectly matched to the fading light and the graceful movements of Raquel Ortiz. From there, the audience was transported into the whimsical world of the hit French film, Amélie.
Among the evening's highlights were two compositions by Ludovico Einaudi: “Nuvole Bianche” and “Experience”. Delicate, hypnotic and dreamlike, they demonstrated why the Italian composer remains one of the most beloved figures in contemporary classical music.
Then came an unexpected surprise.
A jazz-infused interpretation of “Tres notas para decir te quiero” - originally known as a beer commercial jingle - injected energy into the evening. What could have been a novelty piece instead became one of the night's most entertaining moments.
The musicians clearly enjoyed it. Samuel Pérez's piano flourishes and Joan Carles Marí's dynamic percussion lifted the tempo and transformed the atmosphere. Audience members began moving in their seats, clapping along and cheering as though they had stumbled into an intimate jazz club rather than a candlelit classical performance.
For the final stretch, the ensemble returned to grand cinematic territory.
“Now We Are Free” from the film Gladiator filled the terrace with its sense of longing and heroism. The immortal composition remains capable of reaching places that words cannot. Surrounded by candles, beneath an open Ibizan sky, it was difficult not to be swept away by the moment.
For the closing piece, Raquel Ortiz returned to the stage, this time as a vocalist, delivering a delicate rendition of Alicia Keys' "If I Ain't Got You”. Gentle, intimate and beautifully understated, it felt less like a finale and more like a lullaby, sending the audience home on a warm and reflective note.
As the final applause faded and the candles continued to flicker around the terrace, one thing became clear.
Eivissa Daurada offers something increasingly rare on Ibiza: an opportunity to slow down.
Away from traffic, crowds and excess, it provides a space for contemplation, beauty and music in extraordinary surroundings. A reminder that the island's magic is not always found on the dancefloor. Sometimes it is found in a cello, a sunset and a hundred candles dancing in the evening breeze.
As Carlos Vesperinas himself declared, "Viva la música y la libertad."
The next Eivissa Daurada concert at 528 takes place on 16 September, watch this space for updates and tickets.
PHOTOGRAPHY | by Raquel Machado
