Whilst travelling through the town of Talamanica, a road that hugs the marina strip, is Av. 8 d’Agost. This strip of road will lead you down the path to a hidden temptation in Ibiza.
Along the scenic route of Port d’Eivissa is a sought-after nightclub destination. It offers a unique restaurant and sushi lounge experience as well as its very own four star hotel accommodation, situated minutes away.
Clustered together in a set of white buildings is an entrance which is engulfed by palm trees. The venue is just a 10 minute walk from the old Ibiza town but is easily spotted for its wagon wheeled peace sign and glowing billboard.
However, only one image will be remembered after visiting this venue. Its huge set of pop art inspired cherries that are on display outside of the venue is the clubs iconic logo. If you find it, it can only mean one thing.
Your impulse has welcomed you to Pacha, Ibiza’s most iconic nightclub.
Symbolically, cherries represent the pursuit of physical and sexual pleasure, self-indulgence and lust. It’s known to fulfil our senses through its exquisitely sweet taste and juicy flavour. It shines bright with its red complexion during the delights of summer and its self-replicating seed makes way for a new life ahead.
The seed gives way for a renewal, a chance to see itself in a new light. In essence, a cherry is an iconic symbol of transformation and change.
A vital era that embraced this idea was brought about in the late 1960s.
Hundreds of thousands of young people formed a movement that rejected mainstream ways of life. The movement ignited one of the most powerful and invasive shifts in American history. Their aim was to advocate love, freedom and promote openness and nonviolence.
The main factor that drove this idea was through music. During the time music gave people a sense of generational solidarity. It made them feel like they were different. It gave them a sense of being embattled after being considered outsiders’s or rebellions.
Being freed from conformity and being a part of something new and exciting is what drove Spanish-born Ricardo Urgell, founder of Pacha, to build an entire empire, making its famous cherry icon an internationally recognised symbol of world class clubbing.
Born from a wealthy family, his father, who worked as a motorcycle engineer for Ducati, was raised to follow in his fathers footsteps. However, Urgell was increasingly attracted to the counterculture happening in the 1960s and decided to follow his own path.
When he was just 18 years old, Urgell started his own sailing school business, targeting the tourism industry in Spain. He moved to the seaside town of Sitges as more and more foreigners from all over Europe discovered the benefits of the Mediterranean.
Years later, after coming acrosslocal disco Tiffany’s, Urgell fell in love with the magical atmosphere that the music brought to the room, especially the way that it brought people together and created a non-judgmental atmosphere.
This is when, in 1967, Pacha was born.
After a huge success from building one of the first night clubs in Barcelona, Urgell noticed another area that was becoming a pilgrimage point for thousands of hippies all around the world-the island of Ibiza.
Ibiza is the capital of the Balearic Islands, which is an archipelago of Spain in the Mediterranean Sea. It is widely famous for its association with nightlife and its new and upcoming electronic dance music. The island has attracted large numbers of tourists around the world for decades.
Everyone who resided there and came to the island from countries all over the world spoke how once you arrived, no one cared who you were or what you did.
A night at Pacha is an authentic experience embodying the magical energy of a bohemian spirit who brings in decadent performances and dazzling world-class acts. From the queue through to the exit, Pacha is a truly iconic club that places emphasis on high-end service that still inspires and excites its visitors to this day.
During the day the idea of conformity and modernism is evident throughout its smooth rounded white interior. Its minimalistic aesthetic exemplifies wealth and luxury. The sophisticated decor gives off a clinical twist with pops of cherry red, making it feel very smooth and fluid around the room.
At night, however, the club is bursting with the colours of life. At the centre of the main floor is the DJ booth which keeps a very recognised style.
Symbolising the counterculture, found in the 1970s, the atmosphere completely switches as soon as the club comes to life. From confetti cannons going off to musics bone-shaking drops to strobe madness, smoke machine blasts, to an array of dance performers.
Your eyes are guaranteed to either elevate to the raised platforms in front of you or gaze up towards the artists swinging on trapezes above. The idea to transform you into a festival filled with controlled chaos speaks levels to the people who enter.
Urgell wished to create Pacha in order to give his clientele a chance to show who they really are. By targeting young adults, with the promise of carefree fun and entertainment, the Pacha brand image soon became a symbol of hippie culture.
The fresh air came like a breath for a society that was finally opening up to the world and leaving behind the conservative and archaic customs of the past. This was a place where the concept of sexual and personal freedom resigned.
Pacha, a word in Arabic meaning ‘a sulton’ or ‘lord’ with money, came about when Urgell’s wife stated that with the success of the business they could live like kings or ‘pachas’.
His dream came true.
A once traditional country house in Barcelona, is now considered to be the centre of a global network of Pacha clubs. With growing success, Urgell was able to expand his now franchise to places like Italy, Japan, Argentina, England, Austria, Belgium, Holland and even the United States.
Over time, the club adapted to the ever-changing generations and has since settled on the new golden rock stars-DJ’s. It soon sought luxury and sophistication after branching out into clothes, perfumes and any product closely associated to celebrities.
In 2017 a global private equity firm, Trilantic Capital Partners, took over the business after it successfully spread to more than 80 franchised nightclubs around the world.
Pacha was transformed into an entire resort in Ibiza. Located on the edge of a cliff with spectacular views of the sea, it offered a full cuisine experience mixed with shows such as singers, contortionists, dancers, to burlesque actors. The unique entertainment offered within the club attracted world influencers, from international political members, to Hollywood actors, to famous athletes every summer.
With a capacity to hold 3,000 people, the Ibicencan styled building, along with its world-beating sound system, create a unique clubbing experience that attract and accommodate for different types of musical styles.
In fact, the layout of the club is not just designed to contain one open-planned room, but through its corridors and secret stairways, the building opens up to three. The main floor, which hosts the international DJs and artists, is surrounded by mezzanine-style platforms that spread around the room.
The next room focuses on latin music, reggae and RnB and at the top of the club holds a space dedicated for pure funk. Pacha even built an open terrace garden overlooking the beautiful old town of Dalt Vila, for those looking for a breath of fresh air and relaxation time.
Since opening, Pacha has built an incredible reputation for themselves over the years through its charms and exclusivity..
VIP celebrities visiting the club reflect its powerhouse status. From David Guetta to Fatboy Slim, Calvin Harris, Swedish House Mafia, Bob Sinclair, Goldfish, Sven Vath to Solomun, dance music’s biggest stars have frequently taken to Pacha’s famous DJ booth.
So, for those craving to fulfil the thrill of temptation, to escape from society’s idea of conformity and go to a place where you can simply be yourself, a trip to Pacha should certainly be in the works.