From deluge to dancefloor bliss, Amnesia Ibiza weathered the storms to host the best closing party of the season. Rosie Riot was there and reports on the two-day extravaganza for 909originals.
Amnesia’s two-day October closing festival showcased an impressive celebration whilst cementing its reputation as Ibiza‘s most authentic clubbing icon. As one of the island’s most enduring underground jewels, the venue still reigns supreme – or should that be ‘rains’ supreme, considering the torrential downpours the island endured around closing season.
But despite the weather, hardy partygoers shrugged off pummelling precipitation in favour of a stellar lineup. Spread over two days, the venue shimmered with impressive laser displays and its mysterious and immersive wonderland-themed ‘follow the white rabbit’ slogan – synchronistic, given Storm Alice was battering the island at the time.
The slogan is a call for those in attendance to lose themselves in dancefloor bliss, which wasn’t difficult to adhere to with Amnesia’s meteoric lineup and KV2 sound system. The event hosted the very best in techno and tech house, spread over two nights, burning into daylight hours in between.
Commencing on the Friday night with performances from Angel Lee, Arielle Free, Ben Hemsley, and 999999999, to name but a few, the venue followed a format of darker techno sounds in the Main Room and tech-house sounds in the Terrace. The festival-style weekender climaxed with a colossal Saturday lineup, including techno titans Nina Kraviz, Deborah De Luca, Fatima Hajji, and Estella Boersma, as well as East End Dubz, Andres Campo, and Mar-T, to name but a few.
But perhaps one of the defining features of Amnesia’s closing party – and consistently over the season – has been its exhilarating back-to-back sets. From Faster Horses with Kyle Starkey, Sidney Charles’ duel with Gaskin, and Josh Baker’s electricity with Luciano, the venue consistently showcases something fresh and exciting. It manages to simultaneously nod to the nostalgia of a golden era in clubbing whilst giving punters something more innovative and underground.
Josh Baker, who performed on the Saturday, describes in his own words how his exhilarating back-to-back with Luciano was for him, “The Amnesia Closing Party felt like a step back in time to the glory days. It was insane! I used to be on the dancefloor every Saturday morning when the sun came up back in 2015 and never thought I would experience that kind of atmosphere ever again, anywhere!
“However, that was the best DJ experience of my career, and to share it with a legend like Luciano was an absolute honour. No phones in sight, just people smiling, dancing, and fully immersed in the moment. Amnesia plays a huge role on the island; it holds the pure essence of Ibiza! I have played there a lot this summer and loved it every time.”
Josh’s B2B brother-in-arms, Luciano, echoed his sentiments, describing the closing chapter of the clubbing ceremony on the Sunday morning, playing from 9:30 am. until 1:30 pm.
“It was truly a special celebration of everything that makes Ibiza the island it is; raw, free, and full of love. I like to call the Terrace space ‘church’ because it reminds me of those Sunday mornings where souls gather not for religion, but for love. People singing, laughing, embracing a communion of hearts guided by rhythm. Going back-to-back that morning with Josh Baker, even as the thunderstorm roared outside, the energy within was pure electricity.
“It felt as if a higher power, Pacha Mana, had sent the storm to scare but keep us together, to remind us why we celebrate… life, freedom, tolerance, and the beauty of acceptance. There are moments when the universe decides to dance with us, and all we can do is surrender.
“Musically, it was a journey from tribal percussive house to hypnotic, emotional layers; a flow between house and techno wrapped in warmth and soul. I played a few unreleased edits that will remain sacred to that morning, and some timeless classics that Ibiza will always recognise and ride upon. It was one of those sets that don’t just happen; they live, they breathe, and they stay forever in memory.
“Amnesia has always been one of my favourite temples of sound. The energy of that Terrace, the connection between people, space, and frequency – it’s pure liberation. Every corner vibrates with history, and every closing there feels like a return home.
“That morning, I was not just a DJ; I was a servant of the people, of joy, of music. And the crowd, in their devotion, became the purifier. Que Viva la Música.”
It seems that the general atmosphere resonated with Friday’s artists as well. Ibiza-based rising techno star and Pyramid resident Katnada dazzled with a hypnotic journey in the Club Room. Equally as enthused about the electric atmosphere of the event, she looks back fondly on her set, which culminated in a mesmerising vocal performance on her own track Rhythm.
“I played two unreleased tracks on my own label [Divine Nature] that are coming out next year, and that was really magical for me,” she says. “Huge emotion hearing it on a big sound system, I felt like the energy was really powerful. There was a special energy in the room, which is why I wanted to end the set by performing my own track Rhythm, which is a hymn to music itself. I wanted to close with celebrating music.
“I felt like it was the perfect moment because the energy in the room was heightened. I felt like the people were really into it, and as an artist, you really appreciate that, and it means a lot – to have people listen.”
Katnada expands on why this has affirmed her appreciation for Amnesia, as not just a venue but a platform for expression.
“I really appreciate that Amnesia is giving a voice to the underground, with music that is more experimental. I play music that is influenced by Berlin but also influenced by old-school Ibiza, I’d say. I’m also trying to sing live on it.
“Music is a powerful language, and I want to give something new, and I’m really appreciative that Amnesia is giving a voice to that.”
It is this freedom to express that adds to the venue and closing’s enduring popularity. It doesn’t sell out to commerciality and instead keeps its integrity by giving space to let artists be individuals.
Another observation from the lineup was how well it was balanced in terms of gender. Titanic techno queens aside, Amnesia also supports up-and-coming talent on an international scale and excels in creating bills that completely normalise gender diversity. With this, and its subgenre expansion, it stands out in many facets as one of the island’s most progressive icons.
For Amnesia, it seems this triumphant closing of a season is actually just the beginning of an exciting new era for what is clearly one of Ibiza’s most loved venues.
Words by Rosie Riot. Main photo by Ariel Caso.
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