The big news, of course, is that Ibiza’s world famous clubs are able open from 8 October. However, "can" and "will" are two very different words. It takes so much energy and expense to open a large discotheque that they may decide to wait for next summer.
The final decision on nightclubs is still subject to a judicial ratification in the next few days that will establish the rules of opening such as whether vaccine certificates will be required and if masks are obligatory in certain areas. It won’t be how it was before, and the purists are already kicking off online, but it’s another move in the right direction.
Pubs and bars are also now able to open until 4am as long as they have the relevant licence. This will be good news for owner and operators, although with only a few weeks of the summer season to go, it will also be a bittersweet moment thinking what could have been.
For an island such as Ibiza to ban dancing is tantamount to torture. The White Isle was built on a freedom of expression, especially during tough times when people could come here and lose themselves in hedonistic pursuits, and dancing is right at the heart of that.
The Balearic government, in all its pomposity, seems to have forgotten what’s important and while other tourist destinations were quick to lift restrictions, the Balearics have lagged behind.
Despite the Balearic government’s lack of teeth, it’s important not to forget how far we’ve come in such a short space of time and the fact that we are talking about "relative normality" is a massive step; 2021 has been another rollercoaster year, but it’s finishing strongly, and there’s plenty of momentum going into summer 2022.
Now, as restrictions come tumbling down, the aforementioned momentum is so important – and who’s to say that this season can’t be extended into winter. The weather is still glorious and there will never be a better opportunity but, as always, it depends on connectivity from the airlines so the hope is that they will be brave and play ball or at least give it a go.
The island of dance has finally been given the green light to reopen its dance floors. It’s been a long time coming but two years after they last opened their doors, the dream has now become a reality.
Ibiza 2022 looks like it will be back to business as usual but for now let’s see if there’s a collective will to take Ibiza kicking and screaming into its first ever viable winter tourist season, something I thought I’d never see.
Strange times indeed.
Martin Makepeace is managing director of Ibiza Property Shop. He moved to the island in the early-1990s and writes the Man in San An blog.
