Legendary Ibiza nightclub goes ‘phone-free’

Iconic hotel and nightspot Pikes Ibiza has announced it is banning mobile phones from the dancefloor seven nights a week.

The legendary venue acknowledged it “caused quite the stir” when it became the first site on the island to launch a phone-free policy for Mondays back in April.

“We think it was the start of a positive shift in the way people experience parties in Ibiza, especially as we’ve noticed more and more events adopt a similar approach over the course of the season,” it says via its social media channels.

The reaction has prompted Pikes to extend the approach through the whole week.

“Keeping your phone in your pocket and your mind on the music – and knowing that everyone around you is doing the same – opens up a whole world of freedom, not only on the dancefloor but all around Pikes and so, we’ve decided to introduce the policy seven nights a week,” it continues.

“You can bring your phone with you to Pikes… we’ll simply place a sticker over your device’s camera when you step through the gates”

“Of course, you can bring your phone with you to Pikes… we’ll simply place a sticker over your device’s camera when you step through the gates. We ever-so-kindly ask that you refrain from filming or using your camera and our team will ever-so-politely enforce the policy if they catch you trying to snap a cheeky one, though you might even find your fellow partygoers stepping in ever-so-nicely to remind you before we get there!’

An Ibiza institution, Pikes is operated by Ibiza Rocks and was immortalised as the location where the music video for Wham!’s 1983 classic Club Tropicana was filmed. It was also famously the site of Freddie Mercury’s 41st birthday party in 1987.

“We want you to dance like no one’s watching,” it adds. “We want the very special guests in our booth and our resident DJs alike to feel as comfortable as if they were at a friend’s house party, with the freedom to dance, sing, jump, squeal, shout and celebrate however they like. We want you to find your new best friends, make memories that live in your mind, not on your phone, and experience the magic of Pikes the way it was always intended to be. After all, what happens at Pikes stays at Pikes.”

On a related note, Bob Dylan unveiled the European leg of his 2024 Rough and Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour last month, for which mobile phones are prohibited. The shows are being held in partnership with US firm Yondr, which specialises in producing sealed phone pouches.

Swedish rock band Ghost also banned phones for their US tour last autumn, following in the footsteps of the likes of Arctic Monkeys, Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds and Jack White.

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