We’ve been to some amazing gigs this year, here’s a rundown of Uneek Ibiza’s top events of 2018…

18. Lost & Found, Malta, May 2018

Annie Mac’s Lost & Found festival in Malta is one of the first electronic music festivals on the calendar year. This was our 3rd year of attending. The main festival ticket included 4 pool parties over 4 days at the amazing and beautiful Cafe Del Mar, which lay adjacent to the sea. These parties ran from lunchtime to early evening with a great line up of DJs including Patrick Topping. There was also the UNO evening venue with loads of different stages, where we enjoyed Kölsch’s main stage set.

Full review – http://www.uneekibiza.com/lost-and-found-again/

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17. International Music Summit Ibiza 2018, May 2018

Ibiza’s IMS conference is one of the biggest conferences on the electronic music circuit. Pete Tong kicked 2019’s offering with his moving tribute to Avicii – a very moving and thought provoking moment indeed. The theme throughout the event was very focused on well being and wellness. Each day a yoga session was available to all and several talks were honed to the industry as a whole focusing on mental health and supporting each other in mind and body. IMS as usual played host to many interesting talks and workshops as well as the usual peppering of musical events externally at some of the best music venues on the island.

Full review – http://www.uneekibiza.com/international-music-summit-ims-ibiza-2018-review/

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16. Flower Power @ Pacha, May 2018

Flower Power is not about a line-up of super star DJs or state-of-the-art firework displays. It’s about a great performances, great spectacle and above all great fun. Inside the club itself we were amazed at the amount of decor set up for the night: hanging bicycles, peace signs and slogans, funky shoes, huge colourful vinyls and a globe hanging above the DJ booth, with the continents made out of flowers. But what really makes the Flower Power party stand out from all the other parties on the island are the number of amazing, music-themed performances by professional actors and dancers dressed as the original artists whose music was played at the time. Flower Power should be on a must-do list for anyone visiting the island, regardless of their musical taste.

Full review – http://www.uneekibiza.com/flower-power-pacha-ibiza-opening-party-2018-review/

15. Ibiza Rocks, August 2018

Ibiza Rocks has a rich history on the island, and we’ve had some of the best nights of our lives at the venue (Ibiza Rocks hotel), one in particular standing out as easily in our top 5 Ibiza gigs of all time, The Libertines at Ibiza Rocks 10th Birthday back in July 2015. We are always made to feel very welcomed into the Ibiza Rocks family by Lisa, Magda and co, and on our short trip to the White Island (August 15-17), this was no different as we headed over to Rocks hotel on August 16/17 to see Rudimental’s pool party and CuckooLand. A change of image has in the past couple of years seen Ibiza Rocks embrace the popularity of daytime parties in Ibiza, hosting pool parties and bringing in weekly residents to host them. We had a really good couple of days at Rocks! If pool parties are your thing, and great music and atmosphere is what you’re looking for, get to Ibiza Rocks in summer 2019.

Full review – http://www.uneekibiza.com/ibiza-rocks-2018-review/

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14. Kölsch @ Café Mambo, Ibiza, August 2018

Kölsch is one of our favourite DJs here at Uneek Ibiza, and we have been privileged to see him perform lots over the last few years in many different venues. One of those venues was the infamous Café Mambo on San Antonio’s sunset strip on a hot August evening. To see Kölsch perform in such a small and intimate setting was easily one of our favourite nights of the year.

13. Solomun +1 @ Pacha, June 2018

We first attended Solomun’s very first event at Pacha back in 2013 in the April, a free party that was road testing all of the new events at Pacha in that summer shake up of change. The only event from that month to last the test of time 5 years later is the excellent Solomun +1 event, in which Solomun invites a different guest DJ to perform alongside him each week.

We attended on a busy June evening at Pacha. Solomun+1 is a great opportunity to see the influential house and tech artist play in his natural environment with his closest musical friends.

Full review – http://www.uneekibiza.com/solomun-1-pacha-ibiza-2018-review/

12. BBC Radio 1 Ibiza Weekend 2018, August 2018

Friday the 3rd of August through Sunday the 6th was crammed full of the most amazing musical artists and acts for BBC Radio 1 Ibiza Weekend 2018. This year San Antonio hosted the live Radio 1 broadcasts from Mambo Friday & Sunday & Ibiza Rocks for Radio 1 extra, and as always, was one of the biggest weekends in the Ibiza clubbing calendar.

Full review – http://www.uneekibiza.com/bbc-radio-1-ibiza-weekend-2018-review/

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11. BBC Radio 2 Ibiza weekend, July 2018

For BBC Radio 2’s first Ibiza weekend Zoe Ball broadcast her Radio 2 show live from the terrace of Pikes Hotel, where Wham! famously filmed the video for Club Tropicana, to celebrate the music that has become synonymous with the White Isle for the past three decades. Maxi Jazz of Faithless joined Zoe for a special performance, plus there was a poolside-mix from Groove Armada and a live acoustic set from Morcheeba. Pete Tong shared his favourite memories of Ibiza. Scissor Sister Ana Matronic then played Freddie’s Bar (named after Queen front-man Freddie Mercury) at Pikes Hotel live on air. The airwaves and the air were filled with amazing music and Pikes Hotel was awash with stars from near and far.

Full review – http://www.uneekibiza.com/bbc-radio-2-ibiza-weekend-2018-review/

10. Amsterdam Dance Event, Amsterdam, October 2018

ADE’s 5 day event is now the largest electronic dance music event in the world with live performances, events, talks, movies, meetings, fun and frolics, serious business and the many many amazing opportunities it offers spread near far and wide across Amsterdam’s amazing locations and venues. The city was awash with amazing little parties and networking moments. We’ve been present at ADE several times these last few years in different guises and this year was the best so far.

Full review – http://www.uneekibiza.com/amsterdam-dance-event-2018-review/

9. Knee Deep In Sound @ OFFSónar, Barcelona, June 2018

OFFSónar parties during Sónar week are hosted at El Poble Espanyol on Barcelona’s mini mountain, Montjuic. “The little village,” purpose built to showcase the different architectural styles of Spain is a brilliant backdrop to a host of parties. The venue for the Knee Deep In Sound event was the beautiful Carpa & Picnic area, which looks over the whole city of Barcelona from atop.

Prolific label and riotous party Knee Deep In Sound have boasted a swelling reputation across the globe, revered for its glittering lineups and blistering sets by boss Hot Since 82. Unfortunately Hot Since 82 had to cancel on this occasion due to a bad back, but not to worry as the rest of the line was stellar – featuring back-to-back sets from Kölsch b2b Tiga, Cassy b2b Heidi, Butch b2b Josh Wink and a performance from Cocoon’s La Fleur.

Full review – http://www.uneekibiza.com/knee-deep-in-sound-offsonar-2018-barcelona-review/

8. Drumcode @ OFFSónar, Barcelona, June 2018

At OFFSónar, we also attended the excellent Drumcode event. Set in the beautiful surroundings of Plaza Mayor, the line up featured the likes of headliner Adam Beyer who was joined by Joseph Capriati for an exclusive back-to-back set, flanked by Boxia, Enrico Sangiuliano, Julian Jeweil, Marco Farone, Matador, Pan-Pot, Sam Paganini and Wehbba. A fantastic afternoon listening to some of the best techno in the world, in the most amazing of locations.

Full review – http://www.uneekibiza.com/drumcode-offsonar-2018-review/

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7. Re:imagine presents Daft Punk live orchestral rendition @ XOYO London, August 2018

On a hot August evening, in a packed sweaty basement room, we witnessed a brilliant gig, that worked really well. Daft Punk’s fusion of house music with funk, techno, disco, rock music and synthpop influences won them critical aclaim across music genres and established them as one of the most successful bands of our time. To celebrate 20 years since Daft Punk’s seminal album ‘Homework’, Re:imagine brought a very special re-imaginging of their greatest hits with full 16-piece orchestra and immersive production. This included a 16-piece orchestra, a bespoke light show, special projections and visuals, complete with a unique orchestral music score.

The second half performance, which we witnessed, was fantastic and included Daft Punk’s biggest anthems. It was a brilliant atmosphere, on a hot mid summer night in central London, and as we wandered off into the Shoreditch summer evening air, singing “One More Time”, whilst looking upwards in awe at some of London’s finest buildings we reflected on an awesome event and performance.

Full review – http://www.uneekibiza.com/reimagine-presents-daft-punk-live-orchestral-rendition-review/

6. Ushuaïa Ibiza closing party, October 2018

Ushuaïa is our favourite Ibiza venue, we have had some of the best nights of our lives there over the last few years, with their closing party in 2018 being no different. The colony swept through the entire venue with a human ANTS takeover, from technicians to check-in staff, the full-army was onsite. The poolside stage was decked out with huge green leaves, while other creative elements were placed throughout the crowd. ANTS certainly is one of our favourite events on the island, and combined with Ushuaïa’s phenomenal productions, incredible pyrotechnics, brilliant lighting, visuals and a state of the art soundsystem, confetti, streamers and CO2, it’s no surprise people flock from around the world for the inimitable Ushuaïa experience.

Full review – http://www.uneekibiza.com/ushuaia-ibiza-closing-party-2018/

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5. Sónar Festival Barcelona, June 2018

We’ve attended Sónar Festival in Barcelona for the previous two years, and watched it get bigger and better every year. 2018 was Sónar’s 25th anniversary, and brought together 126,000 people, the highest attendance in its history. For us, it was our favourite to date, the music, general vibe, crowds and venue are all spot on.

First up on Friday were the headliners, Gorillaz. This iconic UK band performed a brilliant show (complete with 3D visuals on a giant cinematic stage) playing some of their biggest hits including Clint Eastwood, On Melancholy Hill and Feel Good Inc. Elsewhere in the festival, on the Friday we witnessed great performances from a variety bands and DJs, all music tastes catered for. The likes of Preditah, the infamous DJ Harvey (well known for his sets at Pikes in Ibiza) and the excellent and melodic Bonobo.

Full review – http://www.uneekibiza.com/sonar-festival-barcelona-2018-review/

4. Nick Warren & Hernan Cattaneo – Soundgarden @ Thuishaven, Amsterdam, October 2018

During this year’s Amsterdam Dance Event, we rocked up to see Nick Warren play back to back with Hernan Catteneo at their event The Soundgarden at Thuishaven. Located on the Western outskirts of Amsterdam, the site is surrounded by heavy industry, massive oil tankers and scrap metal yards. Thuishaven has several stages, bars, surreal decoration pieces and curiosities. Incorporating materials purchased or found at neighboring scrap yards, the site radiates a raw and industrial atmosphere. During the winter set-up (October – April), all stages are housed indoor, in heated tents and a newly crafted hangar. This was the set up for ADE – circus style tents in a festival set up. Certainly one of the most unique venues we’ve been and it fitted the beautiful and melodic sounds of Nick and Hernan perfectly.

Full review – http://www.uneekibiza.com/amsterdam-dance-event-2018-review/

3. Above & Beyond at Hï Ibiza, August 2018

On a hot peak summer’s night in mid August, arriving at midnight into Ibiza airport (myself from Manchester – it’s great working only 10 minutes away from Manchester airport!) and Mark from Gatwick, a quick change at the airport from work clobber into Ibiza clubbing gear (tshirt, shorts and trainers), we made our way in our hire car to Playa d’en Bossa. After a couple of drinks, we headed into Hï perfectly in time for Above & Beyond’s set. To see them perform at Hï felt really special, they simply don’t play club venues very often anymore, such is their appeal, they are mainly playing stadiums and festivals worldwide. To see them up close and personal in front of a crowd of just a few thousand for me personally was brilliant, and certainly the best night I’ve had in the venue since it has taken over from Space. The energy was electric, the crowd raising their hands in the air for every track, breakdown and drop. After their set finished at 5am we headed back to our hotel in San Antonio with big trance smiles on our faces 🙂

Full review – http://www.uneekibiza.com/above-beyond-hi-ibiza-review/

2. Eric Prydz’s HOLO show at Creamfields, August 2018

Incredible, superb, phenomenal are just a few of the words to describe Eric Prydz’s HOLO show at Creamfields. Everything worked perfectly and seamlessly; the tracks, the music, the progression of the set, the visuals on stage. Absolutely brilliant, and one of, if not the best show we have ever seen at an event. It felt like a real pleasure and privilege to be in the crowd tonight. Dropping his well known anthems EveryDay, Pjanoo and Generate, before ending on an incredible crescendo with the massive Opus. All of these tracks built and worked well against a backdrop of impressive 3D and hologram images, lasers and lights, the highlight of which being a Swedish spaceman.

On a wet and balmy end of summer’s night in the North West, Eric Prydz set the standard going forward for brilliant aural and visual shows with his HOLO offering. We’re not quite sure how anyone, or indeed he himself can better this, but we look forward to seeing if it’s indeed possible!

Full review – http://www.uneekibiza.com/eric-prydzs-holo-at-creamfields-2018-review/

1. Elrow Barcelona, June 2018

“The confetti cannons blasted the whole stage production and the music rocked as the numerous dressed up crazy characters bounded and bounced around the venue, the scene only to be likened to Disney land on acid.”

Once again, Elrow Barcelona claims number 1 spot in our event of the year. Elrow is without doubt one of the hottest parties in dance music right now – from a weekly sold out residency in Ibiza, to one off shows all over the world, and a 2 day festival in London, they’ve had an incredible year. In 2018 we visited Elrow Town festival in London, and their closing party at Amnesia in Ibiza, but it was their party at their Barcelona home, on a hot sunny blue skied day in June during Sonar week that takes number 1 spot as our event of the year. There’s something very special about the place, and is the closest you’ll come to that Space Ibiza terrace vibe of yesteryear. If you’ve still not been to an Elrow event, get yourself along to a show in 2019 where in typically bonkers Elrow fashion you’ll find plenty of their colourful and interesting performers, confetti, inflatables and madness!

An Elrow Barcelona weekend 2018 review

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