Ibiza Global Festival 2023 lures thousands of revellers to the beach

Sun, sand and sizzling beats were once again the name of the game as the second edition of the Ibiza Global Festival took place on the shores of San Antonio’s S’Arenal beach across Friday, August 11th and Saturday, August 12th 2023.

With an exciting line-up that featured a mix of big-name headliners, international guests and local favourites, the admission-free event saw a stellar turnout of electronic music lovers flock to the seaside stage.

Starting off Day 1 was Italian DJ and producer Joenlefou, a longtime member of the Ibiza Global family and regular on the radio airwaves – but not before enjoying a cheeky nibble on sponsor Grana Padano’s fine cheese! He was followed by James My and Criss, a dynamic Italian duo that returned for a second year after making their debut at last year’s festival.

Another artist who was welcomed back after rocking the inaugural Ibiza Global Festival in 2022 was Marta Taddei, who brought her signature electric beats to the sun-drenched sands of S’Arenal beach. Ensuring that festival goers were staying well hydrated, event partners Soul Water were present with their convenient, eternally recyclable cans of still water.

As last year, an eco-conscious lifestyle was promoted at the Ibiza Global Festival 2023, and a special thanks has to be given to the waste-collecting volunteers organised by Amistat Island Hostel Ibiza. Across both days, from 17:00 until 01:00 in the morning, the relentless helpers were picking up litter in a bid to leave the surroundings as clean as they were before the event.

This initiative was in alignment with other eco-conscious measures, such as the offer of biodegradable carton ashtrays and the use of renewable energy to light up the stage. Bye Bye Plastic, a foundation dedicated to removing single-use plastics in the music industry, were also involved in keeping the electronic music gathering as ‘green and clean’ as possible.

As the sun began to make its descent, it was time for the MDL BEAST crew to step up to the decks. Once again headed up by Chief Creative Baloo, this year the festival partner brought another fresh batch of emerging artists from the MENA region to the White Isle.

First up was Nomad, who, followed by Biirdperson, mesmerised the crowd that was starting to fill up the beach in front of the huge stage.

With nightfall on the horizon and anticipation building, it was time for Ibiza Global Radio DJs and hosts Reff and Igor Marijuan to turn the energy up a notch.

Both delivered energetic and impactful sets that perfectly highlighted the musical breadth of the Ibiza Global brand, which spans from organic and deep house to more driving beats in the tech house genre.

Never short of a surprise, island icon and Space Ibiza founder Pepe Rossello delighted the crowd when he unexpectedly appeared on stage and addressed the festival goers. He finished his speech by giving a big hug to Alex Kennon, who was the last DJ to step inside the booth before Day 1 headliner Roger Sanchez.  

By now, the gently curved bay was almost completely packed as yet more people began to arrive to see the grand finale of the first day of the Ibiza Global Festival.

Kicking off with a crescendo of revved up beats, Alex Kennon played an infectious mix of high energy tracks and sing-along remixes that elevated the atmosphere to another level. 

After an afternoon full of good vibes, sunshine and scorching hits, finally the big moment had arrived and all-time house music great Roger Sanchez took to the stage.

Joined by singer Kristen Knight, they performed their new single “Underwater” live on stage. Sanchez delivered a powerful and irresistible set full of spicy beats and uplifting melodies that closed Day 1 in style.

Returning for round two the following day, on Saturday, August 12th the Ibiza Global family was back with another tasty line-up that spanned a full eight hours of the best electronic music.

Ibiza Global regular and tech house wunderkind Varoc, one of the youngest professional DJs on the circuit, kicked off proceedings under the sizzling sun.

He was followed by French DJ and producer SS Ventura, who is signed to Carl Cox label Bush Records and is known for his tech-leaning sound.

Next up were label mates and Barcelona-based DJs Abdon & Pau Guilera, who played an electric back-to-back that echoed across the sands and the glittering Balearic Sea just steps away from the stage.

As magic hour began to bathe S’Arenal beach in a golden glow, MDL BEAST artist Dorar took over the decks, bringing her infectious house sound with an old school twist to the Ibiza Global Festival.

She was followed by Baloo, the creative force behind the cultural platform, a savvy and sassy house music fiend who has been playing internationally for many years. As always, he fired up the ever-growing audience and left them wanting more.

Another returning selector, N0sefin, gave her all on the festival stage with a distinctive set to be remembered. 

She was followed by two absolute powerhouses of electronic music, the incredible vocalist Rebeka Brown and guitarist Lorena de Tena, who whipped the crowd into a frenzy as they performed some of the biggest anthems in house music live.

Ever the show-woman, Rebeka Brown had the beach in the palm of her hand with her charismatic and sexy presence, while Lorena de Tena’s neon keytar was the envy of every ‘70s and ‘80s fan on the beach!

Ibiza Global Radio favourite WOLO had come home from his international tour especially to be a part of the festival, and had the audience in a trance as he played a beautifully crafted set full of atmospheric and mesmerising tracks, leading the crowd towards the grand finale of the night.

After a solid two days of dancing, laughing and sweating in the August heat, it was time for the closing extravaganza of the Ibiza Global Festival 2023.

Playing both individually and back-to-back, good friends and Ibiza veterans Nic Fanciulli and AMÉMÉ were on closing duties for Day 2.

AMÉMÉ took over the decks first, captivating revellers with his magical yet energetic afro house sound, before handing the baton to Nic Fanciulli. Playing a bass-laden, high energy set interspersed with slinky vocals, there was not one person standing still in the bay of San Antonio.

When the two peers finally got down to some b2b action, the whole S’Arenal beach was grooving along, bringing to a close a solid 16-hour dance marathon that once again showed that the Ibiza Global Festival is an event that firmly belongs in the party calendar of every electronic music lover.

Stay tuned for more information about the next editions of the Ibiza Global Festival on Instagram @ibiza.globalfestival and www.ibizaglobalradio.com.