The Battle for Sunday: How Promoters Vied for Ibiza’s Final Party Slot

By the time Sunday rolls around in Ibiza, most places in the world are winding down. But on the White Isle, it’s just another chance to go out with a bang. For decades, Sunday has been one of the most hotly contested slots on the island’s clubbing calendar - an unlikely battleground that’s seen legendary residencies, iconic closings, and some of the most defining moments in dance music history. From foam parties and marathon sets to disco anthems and techno takeovers, Sunday has evolved into Ibiza’s spiritual finale - and the fight for its dominance reveals as much about the business of clubbing as it does about the culture.

Space Sundays: Where It All Began

The mythology of Sundays in Ibiza starts, as so many things do, at Space. In the 1990s, as most clubs shut their doors by Sunday sunrise, Space flung theirs open - quite literally. The famous terrace, planes flying low overhead, became a sacred dancefloor for sun-drenched marathon sessions. By 1999, British promoter Darren Hughes formalised the vibe with We Love Sundays at Space, a 22-hour weekly institution that ran until 2014. Multi-room, multi-genre, and relentlessly international, We Love was less a party and more a ritual. “It shaped the quintessential Ibiza we know,” said one retrospective, and it’s no exaggeration. Sundays at Space defined the rhythm of the island for 17 years.

Amnesia’s Foam Legacy and Local Roots

While Space pioneered the after-hours marathon, Amnesia carved its own Sunday niche with something entirely different: La Espuma. The foam party became an Ibiza rite of passage in the ‘90s and 2000s, attracting a mix of carefree tourists and Spanish locals looking to blow off steam after a week’s work. Its frothy chaos was matched with a soundtrack that strayed from underground cool, embracing pop, reggaeton and Eurodance. It may not have been the most purist affair, but La Espuma had staying power and mass appeal, and it filled Amnesia’s Sunday slot with volume and vibes.

Amnesia also championed local talent on Sundays. Parties like People from Ibiza spotlighted Balearic DJs like DJ Pippi and César de Melero, weaving together a distinctly Ibicenco identity amidst the influx of international acts. It was a smart cultural move that tied Sunday’s celebration to the island’s own roots.

Pacha’s High-Stakes Gamble

The Sunday slot grew in prestige through the 2000s, and nowhere was the competition more visible than at Pacha. In 2010, the club handed Sundays to Luciano’s Cadenza Vagabundos, a flamboyant, Latin-infused party that brought serious underground cred to a venue often seen as VIP-centric. But it was 2013’s pivot to Solomun +1 that really changed the game. What began as a gamble - a minimal techno DJ headlining alone, backed by just one guest each week - soon redefined the venue’s identity. It married Pacha’s sleek production with Solomun’s emotional sets, creating an intimate, musical experience that proved wildly successful. Over a decade later, Solomun +1 remains one of the island’s most beloved residencies, and Pacha’s flagship night.

The Glitterbox Effect and the Rise of Hï

When Space closed in 2016, there was a gaping hole in the Sunday market. But Glitterbox was ready. Originally launched by Defected in 2014, the disco-forward brand found a permanent Sunday home at Hï Ibiza (built on the former Space site) in 2017. Its ethos - glamorous, inclusive, joyful - offered a different kind of Sunday experience. Drag queens, funky house, and flamboyant dancers created a party that felt more like Studio 54 than Berghain. It resonated. Glitterbox became a cultural statement. “Sundays just got fiercer,” the tagline went - and they did.

UNVRS and the Future of Sundays

The battle for Sunday continues into the next era with the opening of UNVRS, the new “hyperclub” from the team behind Ushuaïa and Hï. To make an impact, they’ve turned to a legend: Carl Cox. His new residency, Carl Cox: The Reunion, marks a return to Sundays for the DJ who helped define Ibiza’s golden years.

Sundays at UNVRS is something I really want Ibiza to experience

For promoters, the move is strategic - pairing nostalgia with innovation, heritage with cutting-edge tech. With UNVRS now in the mix, Sundays have once again become a key strategic battleground for branding and bragging rights.

Why Sundays Matter

So why the fixation on Sundays? From a business standpoint, Sunday captures a unique demographic: weekend warriors staying through Monday, hospitality workers on their night off, and seasoned clubbers willing to go the distance. Promoters also eye the Sunday slot for closing parties, where a strong finale can cement a brand’s legacy.

Culturally, Sunday in Ibiza has always been about celebration and release. It’s when locals mix with tourists, when artists dig deep into their record bags, and when the island’s essence of freedom, unity and excess comes alive in its most distilled form.

And so the battle rages on. Not just for the best DJs or biggest production, but for the right to own that final, magical night - a night where the island doesn’t say goodbye, but one more time.