Ibiza has a calendar more important than any weather forecast: opening parties at the end of May, closing parties in October, and a programme every night in between.
The island runs in seasonal rhythms. From November to April the big clubs are closed, Ibiza Town belongs to the locals, and if you come then you find bars like Bar 1805 but no night. From May everything changes.
May: opening
The opening parties of the big clubs fall between the middle and end of May: Pacha, Amnesia, Ushuaïa, Hï and DC-10 with Circoloco. Tickets cost 50 to 90 euros and sell out weeks in advance. The advantage of May: hotels are half the price of August, the sea is fresh, the island still green.
June to September: residencies
Every club has fixed nights: Mondays Circoloco at DC-10, Tuesdays and Wednesdays the big names at Hï, Fridays and Saturdays Pacha, Sundays Ushuaïa. If you plan a week, build it around these dates. In July and August prices rise to 70 to 100 euros entry, a drink costs 20 euros, water 12.
October: closing
The closing parties run from the end of September to mid-October and are for many the real Ibiza: the DJs play longer, the clubs are fuller with people who worked the season on the island, and the Amnesia closing ends in the afternoon. Then it goes quiet.
Planning a week
Two club nights a week are enough, with beach clubs in between, sunset in Sant Antoni, an evening in Dalt Vila. Sleep in the afternoon, sunscreen, water. Plan four nights in a row and you will not experience the third.
Budget
Two club nights with entry and three drinks each: around 300 euros. A beach club day with a lounger: 100 to 300 euros. Taxi from the airport to Sant Antoni: 30 euros. Come with a 600-euro night budget for a week and you have to choose, and that is a good thing.
Frequently asked questions
When does the season start on Ibiza?
The opening parties fall between mid and late May, the closing parties from late September to mid-October.
What does entry to Ibiza clubs cost?
Between 40 and 100 euros, depending on club, DJ and date.
