Story By: Ana Lacasa, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Newsflash
Iconic Ibiza nightclub Pacha will not open its doors this summer season for the first time in its 52-year history as the government has banned them from opening.
The Pacha group which owns Pacha Ibiza on the Spanish Balearic Island has announced they will not be opening the nightclub’s doors at all this year due to the local government’s strict new measures on nightlife.
The local government, led by Francina Armengol of the Socialist Party of the Balearic Islands, announced last week their plan for safety measures as the islands come out of coronavirus lockdown.
The measures include strict regulations on nightclubs, with any nightclub or bar which has a capacity of over 300 people not allowed to open. Pacha’s capacity is around 3,000.
In the popular Balearic tourist spots of Palma Beach, Magaluf and West End, nightclubs will only be allowed to open their outdoor terraces with limited capacity and enforced social distancing, with the insides of the clubs remaining closed.
However, small bars, cafes and restaurants in Palma Beach, Magaluf and West End will be allowed to open their indoor areas.
The CEO of Group Pacha, Nick McCabe, said in a statement: “We are just as disappointed as you are about the announcement that nightclubs in Ibiza cannot open this season. We were hopeful of being able to invite you all back to our home, however everyone’s health and safety are a top priority for us, so we will follow the guidance of the Balearic Islands Government.
“We will miss all of our guests and artists massively, but we hope to see you at Lio and Destino this year, and back on the dance floor at Pacha in 2021!”.
The group’s restaurant Lio and hotel Destino, both in Ibiza, will open on 16th July.
Pacha Ibiza has been one of the island’s most iconic nightclubs since it opened on 3rd July 1973.
It has been remodelled several times and in 1993 became one of the largest in Ibiza, with a current capacity of 3,000 people in five different rooms which play host to famous nights such as Ministry of Sound and F*ck Me I’m Famous with David Guetta.
Ibiza has begun to welcome tourists this week as part of a pilot scheme from the local government. Specific flights were chosen by the local government to bring tourists to the island with conditions such as them needing to have booked accommodation with operators selected by the government.
The scheme was created to give the island a boost in the tourism industry before Spain reopen its borders to visitors on 1st July.
The Mayor of Ibiza, Rafael Ruiz, has said: “The nightlife sector has preferred to step back and nightclubs in Ibiza will not open. Visitors’ temperatures will be taken at the airport, we have systems for fast detection and to carry out en-masse testing. Zero risk does not exist but we should be responsible and careful”.
He said that the authorities will be looking out for “private parties,” adding: “We are ready and Ibiza is a safe place.”
According to the latest figures from the Johns Hopkins University Spain has registered 247,486 cases of COVID-19 and 28,330 related deaths.
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