Privilege in Ibiza Details...

Privilege, San Antonio Road, Ibiza Town, Ibiza  

In 1978 the venue known as Club Rafael was bought by three Basques. One of their number was the famous footballed Jose Antonio Santamaria. They changed the name of the club to Ku after the nighterie they already owned in San Sebastian.

Throughout the 80s the soon-to-be legend was born and suckled. In 1987 Queen's Freddie Mercury dueted with rival diva opera singer Montserrat Caballe for a tv show broadcast round the world.

In 1990 a roof was added, literally bringing to a close an era of outdoor partying. In 1991 this roof collapsed during a storm and after refurbishments and much speculation it became Privilege. The arrival of Manumission in 1996 heralded the modern age of imported promoters, guest artists and mass club tourism.

Location

Half way between Ibiza and san Antonio on the main road, near San Rafael. Tricky to miss, given its massive height, girth and garish lighting.

Music Policy

Like most venues in Ibiza it depends on the promoter on the given night. The legendary Manumission offered a much-mashed mish mash of rock, house, electro and pop but moved to Amnesia in 2007 and has since ceased to exist.

If it's your first time in Privilege you're highly likely to get lost. It's extremely easy to get separated from your friends and not see them again till the sun comes up. Don't worry tho, you'll make new ones.

Inside Privilege

Upon entering the club you go down a massive staircase. You are now bang in the middle of one of the world's largest dancefloors. At its centre the dj is suspended above a swimming pool . At the far end is a stage where girls and boys dance around in varying stages of undress and a show with a non-linear dramatic structure (i.e. it's confusing) takes place.

Above this room is a large lattice dome which supports the Privilege sign. To the left is a multi-level terraced chill out area. Downstairs is a toilet complete with dj booth. To the right (south) is the gayer-than-average Coco Loco. In the far corner is the aforementioned Music Box. There's a map on a sign out the front.

DJ Mag Club Review...

If there's one thing Ibizan clubs have over the majority of their mainland counterparts it's a sense of both magic and history. And none can claim more of either than Privilege. Instantly recognisable thanks to its iconic space-station dome that lights up San Rafael's hillside like a beacon, it was on Privilege's vast stage that Freddie Mercury performed his most iconic recording of 'Barcelona' with opera singer Monteserrat Caballe back in 1987, whilst tales of Grace Jones dancing in an open-air thunderstorm the same year are still stuff of Ibiza legend.

And, let's face it, legends don't come much bigger than the Queen frontman and New York's eternal ice queen of disco.

As for clubs, they don't come much bigger than Privilege itself - quite literally. Long touted as the biggest club in the world, stepping into Privilege might not be the same since they stuck a roof on it in the '90s but it remains an experience that first-timers are unlikely to forget in a hurry.

A huge aircraft hangar-like structure with a swimming pool in the middle of its 5000-capacity main room, Privilege is so sprawling that they should hand out maps at the door, as areas like the intimate Coco Loco room and countless corridors weave into its labyrinth colossus. In its full hedonistic glory, it remains a sight to behold.

Of course, cynics could argue that the club enjoyed its heyday across the late-'90s and early-noughties when Manumission's legendary run transformed the epic venue into a carnival of the surreal and sexual. But whilst Privilege's name no longer commands the same worldwide resonance that venues like Pacha, Amnesia and Space enjoy, it remains a force to be reckoned with. Not least because it hosts the only Ibiza residency that trance megastar Tiësto cares to indulge in - last season Sir Tijs' hallowed In Search Of Sunrise parties sold out the colossal venue with shocking ease every Monday and were illuminated by the sort of production you would expect at a U2 concert.

But for the anti-fromage brigade, the most reliable bet at Privilege remains Mauro Picotto's Wednesday night Meganite party, where names like Adam Beyer, Slam and Marco Carola supply techno with funk and thump as standard.