International NightLife Association

The Balearic Government and the Asociación Ocio de Ibiza (AOI), adhered to the International Nightlife Association have agreed on the conditions to hold a pilot event at Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza. The event on 25 June will be the hotel’s renowned Children of the 80's party and is part of a test to stimulate the leisure and entertainment sector on the island.

The conditions require a maximum capacity of 2,000 people, although to ensure the smooth running of the event, it has been decided to reduce the capacity to 1,500 and the wearing of masks will be compulsory at all times. The venue will have an enclosed dance area for 500 people and drinks must always be consumed at a table. The event will start at 7 p.m. and end at midnight.

In gratitude for their work in the hardest phase of the pandemic, Ocio de Ibiza – the association that represents Ibiza’s main nightclubs, beach clubs, and party brands - will invite the island’s frontline workers from various industries to attend the event. The invitation will be nominal, personal and, non-transferable.

"They deserve it. It's for them. We owe them a lot," stresses the Manager of the Ibiza Leisure Association and President of the International Nightlife Association, José Luis Benítez, who adds that entry to the event will be totally free.

“There is huge interest in this event and so the capacity will be completely fulfilled by the island’s essential workers. We’re sure that the public will understand. We have sent invitations to the majority of workplaces, such as the hospital and members of State Security Forces and Corps, among others. If there are places available, we will launch a website where more essential workers from other companies can sign up for. We know that there have been many groups that have been on the front line during the pandemic. I can only say to the general public that Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza will hold more events when they are authorized this season", explains Benítez.

Operational and hygiene measures for the event

When registering to attend the event, all attendees must include their personal details and state whether they have been vaccinated (with one or two doses), or have recovered from coronavirus. They will also be required to have a negative PCR test performed 72 hours before the event. Those who do not meet any of these three requirements must undergo an antigen test hours before the start of the event at a designated location in the vicinity of the venue. A team from Emergency Staff, a company specializing in health and safety in recreational environments, will carry out the tests. Once the registration has been formalized, a ticket with a QR code will be generated which will be used to access the event.

Access to the site will be staggered to avoid crowding. The entrance ticket will indicate the time they can access the event. Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza will have sufficient security personnel to ensure compliance with security protocols and, at the same time, to avoid large groups forming.

Although the risk of contagion is lower in open spaces, all hygiene measures agreed with the Balearic Government will be implemented, such as temperature checks, the installation of hydroalcoholic gel dispensers, as well as the obligation to wear a mask that can only be removed for drinking. In this sense, a specific area will be set up so that the public can buy drinks at the bar without crowding and access a designated area with tables where they can drink.

A dance area will also be set up with a capacity for 500 people, and with different access and exit points where drinking will not be allowed. This area will also be directly controlled by security guards. Masks will be available at the bar for customers who request them, and the toilets will be continuously cleaned. Likewise, the collaboration of law enforcement has been requested to avoid crowds both at the beginning and at the end of the event outside the venue.

"The test event aims to show that leisure activity and events can resume with the application of preventive measures. It is a priority to demonstrate that a regulated events venue offers more health and safety guarantees than illegal parties without any measures in place. We must prepare for the return of events in order to stop uncontrolled and unregulated leisure activity", says the Manager of the Ibiza Leisure Association.

Similarly, Joaquim Boadas, Secretary General of the International Nightlife Association and Spain Nightlife has stated, “The different pilot events that have been carried out these past months such as the one in Sala Apolo Barcelona, Liverpool, and Amsterdam, have proven that nightlife and the prevention of the spread of viruses can coexist with the proper measures in place. It’s about time that we start reopening an industry that has been closed or highly restricted for the past year, even with the economic shortfall the industry is facing, business owners and worker’s are determined to chip in for reopening to run as smoothly and as a safe as possible”.

Iván Brión, Global Operations Director of Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza, equally hails the pilot as a first step towards the reopening of the sector. "We are very happy to be able to be a part of this test promoted by the Balearic Government and Ocio de Ibiza. We are confident that this trial will serve to reactivate the island's leisure sector. We have made a great effort to have everything ready for this date so that everyone who attends will have a great experience. This event is a tribute to the essential workers to whom we have a lot to thank and for this reason, we have chosen to celebrate one of the most loved events - Children of the 80's", explains Brión.

Children of the 80's will be the chosen party for this rehearsal

Children of the 80's is the brand that has revolutionized the music scene in Ibiza and Tenerife with its events full of nostalgia, retro fashion, old school music, and live performances by artists who are a symbol of the 80s era.

Since its birth in Ibiza in 2015 by The Night League, the event’s popularity has grown very quickly over the years and is now established as one of the best-known events on the island. Children of the 80’s offers an alternative musical experience that appeals to a range of audiences, thus uniting different generations in front of one stage. The daytime event goes on until midnight and is open-air, which are further characteristics that have made it so special and different.

Names such as Village People, Boney M, Ultra Naté, GALA, Samantha Fox, Sabrina Salerno, Sugar Hill Gang, Barbara Tucker, VengaBoys, Alice DJ, to name but a few artists, have already played on the stages of Hard Rock Hotel Ibiza and Tenerife in recent years. The headline artists are always accompanied by an army of dancers and performers that keep the audience entertained with every track played at each Children of the 80's event.