A social experiment is being conducted on the Spanish island of Ibiza to see if its famed club scene can reopen without conflicting with efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. About 1,400 people have volunteered to be “guinea pigs” or “key workers” by joining an experimental dance party in the experiment.

Now that Ibiza has been green-listed by the U.K., the area is preparing to revive its nightlife. Lovers of the club scene are hopeful that the trial party will represent the revival of this island

“Music is the pulse of this island and Ibiza’s economy revolves around its nightclubs” is how a short documentary by the BBC explained it.

The night starts off by checking the temperatures of every guest who enters, along with negative COVID-19 tests being checked at the entrance for the key workers.

Two nursing assistants were interviewed by the BBC. “I can’t wait to dance, it’s been a long time since I’ve been able to party around here,” one nurse said. The other nurse assistant stated that “after such a long time, you really do want to go for it.”

There are apparent signs that Ibiza is recovering from the crisis, with no restrictions for people to make travel plans to the island from the U.K. Ibiza had seen a record number of travelers just years before the pandemic and the island is capable of another boom under looser COVID-19 restrictions and guidelines.

Ibiza politicians would like to see tighter entry rules to ensure the safety of everyone who comes to enjoy themselves in the club.

"We think that with the increase in the number of cases in the U.K., now is the right moment to put in place some controls, to make sure everyone that comes here, is in the right condition, is safe and can have a safe holiday," said Rosana Morillo, Director of Tourism, in the documentary.

Some of the island's most popular clubs have not seen any action since October 2019. Club owners point to the fact that the island needs its clubs, that it brings people to the island year after year. They claim that the Ibiza experience can draw people in for life.

Hotel owners believe that drawing tourists to Ibiza has long-term benefits, as there will be recurring tourists for its dance culture.

“People crave dance, they crave connection, they crave expression and I think those are the things that have been taken away from us. People have been isolated, people have been locked up on their own, segregated from family, so I think going back to the dancefloor, going back to music, it’s a form of real essence of life," said Dawn Hindle, owner of Pikes Hotel.

The club scene of Ibiza is riding on this experiment. Should Ibiza succeed in avoiding COVID cases, the experiment may be used as a model for reopening other club scenes.

Coronavirus