Early 2000s Ibiza is the clubbing era Brits want to revisit most, poll reveals

The early 2000s in Ibiza is the clubbing era British ravers want to revisit most, according to a new poll. 

The survey involved data from 41,814 music fans, of which four in ten considered the White Island’s immediate post-millennial years to be the era they lamented the most. This tops other significant periods in European dance music culture including the late-1980s rave and acid house period, and the birth of jungle and drum & bass in the 1990s, which respectively received 26% and 21% of the votes.

Virgin Media conducted the study, which coincides with the launch of Club Rewind in the UK — the country’s first nomadic party aiming to take revellers back to Ibiza’s heyday. Fittingly, Balearic mainstays Carl Cox and Pete Tong have been drafted for the launch, which sees venues in London and Glasgow used for the same event, with the veterans playing back-to-back over long distance via the internet service provider’s new Gig1 broadband technology. 

“Music has the power to transport you back in time, relive memories and connect with others… With so many clearly feeling nostalgic for the early 2000s, we cannot wait to bring back the iconic noughties house era with Club Rewind,” said a spokesperson for Virgin Media. “The unmissable sets from Ibiza legends Pete Tong and Carl Cox will be powered by Gig1 as we connect two clubs at opposite ends of the UK, with music-lovers also able to tune in from home.”

Emphasising the results, one-quarter of 18-22 year olds admitted to feeling some jealousy over the music scenes their parents experienced, with three in ten wanting to experience nightlife as it was 20 years ago. A separate study of 2,000 adults who are still in touch with their parents also found that Manchester’s Haçienda was the most iconic club of all time (15%), followed by Studio 54 (12%). 

Dive into the history of Ibiza clubbing with these classic images featured on DJ Mag last year. 

Last month, it was announced that NHS and public health workers across Europe would be offered free vacations in Ibiza, where plans for clubs to safely return were first unveiled at the beginning of summer following coronavirus lockdowns. Currently, only outdoor parties with pandemic restrictions in place have been allowed to go ahead.