Being one of the island’s most iconic and busiest venues, it's no mean feat playing the opening set at Ushuaïa Ibiza.
Throw Calvin Harris into the equation and the pressure is on for any DJ. You’ve got a huge crowd arriving, but can’t get too carried away with the energy levels, given the night is in its infancy. No stranger to a big stage, opening duties at the Scot's final Tuesday party fell to Siân Owen.
Having already carving out a successful career, it's fair to say she’s put in a particularly high account of herself this summer.
From Ministry Of Sound mixes and releases on Defected Records, to appearances at some of Ibiza’s biggest clubs, she’s fast becoming a familiar face behind the decks on the island and beyond. This year alone, she's graced the booth at Pacha, Hï Ibiza and Chinois, whilst bagging the weekly warm-up at, arguably, the island's biggest party.
With insurmountable task of getting proceedings underway, how did she fare? Despite the weight of expectation, I'd say she stuck a comfortable landing that exceeded her experience...
With doors opening at 17:00, Siân was straight off to groovy start. Four-to-the-floor beats set the tone from the off.
Rather than going straight for the jugular, there was a nice sense of restraint to the opening, allowing the Ushuaïa crowd to slowly warm up, whilst still giving those already on the dancefloor enough to get stuck into.
The mix was tidy throughout, with an overall balance between familiar and slightly less obvious selections.
Beave's recent release 1997 was definitely a moment that gave a glimpse into where the party was heading.
A few other favourites of mine were My House by Olive, Guy Burns' remix of Wanna See Ya Dancing and My Life Was A Disco from Mellizos & Mix-Masters. The latter two were good fits for the mood, bringing that feel-good, Deep House energy.
There’s always a temptation for an opening act to try and prove themselves, particularly when warming up a venue for someone as big as Calvin Harris. But there’s a skill in knowing when to push and when to hold back.
The dancefloor doesn’t necessarily need to be at full tilt from the first record, it just needs a bit of momentum to keep things going as the crowds roll in. And, boy, did they roll in. Ushuaia gradually filled before the crowd's energy level shot to the moon.
As far as opening sets go, I have no doubt Siân struck the balance like a pro.
Her selections were groovy, upbeat and energetic enough to get the party moving, while leaving sufficient room for exploration for Tyson O'Brien to take things up a notch. It was a display of restraint, as much as it was a shop window to exhibit her talents.
Calvin Harris' Tuesday exploits have ended for 2026, but continue on Fridays until 2 October.
Siân joins him at the final two dates, giving plenty of reason to get down early and enjoy the full party.
Tickets are on sale now and available to buy below or via our party calendar.
