Channel your inner Willy Wonka at Amnesia in Ibiza with elrow
We experienced the ludicrous Spanish fiesta at its summer residency on the White Isle
THERE is a moment as I look down at the throngs of inflatables and costumed performers writhing on elaborate, hanging sets that I decide I must not be in a club - but in one of Johnny Depp’s Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, acid-inspired dreams.
There is something very Charlie and the Chocolate Factory about elrow at Amnesia in Ibiza.
But even Willy Wonka and his Oompa Loompas might have struggled to come up with some of the carnival-esque designs that are rolled out across the dance floor here.
There are people on stilts, giant bouncing balls, human-sized table football games, tinsel canons, giant suspended sunglasses and a huge variety of banners and colourful flags.
Every elrow event has its own theme from the Rowlympic Games, centred around a Roman occupation, to Rollywood, a psychedelic version of an Indian film set.
It’s anyone’s guess what was happening at the Saturday night I attended in early June. I have videos on my phone of half naked women hiding behind shower curtains that are being lifted into the air.
There is also a girl in sparkly dress spinning around a mock window and brick wall. Glitter eruptions are constant and the entire club is bathed in a vibrant pink light.
I haven’t had the chance to mention the music yet but think techno and deep house mixed with EDM-style tension build-ups followed by chest exploding crescendos.
We were kindly hosted by elrow’s bosses Vicenc Marti and Juan Arnau Jr who brought us to their VIP table and introduced us to the social influencers who were passing through that night.
The crowd was pleasantly mixed and cosmopolitan with first time clubbers mixing with experienced ravers and beautiful revellers in abundance.
Don’t expect to be bored at elrow. Do expect to lose track of time as you channel your inner-Willy Wonka, drifting through an incredible factory of fun in which adults get to be children again.
At one point I recall a group of people standing in a circle as a blonde girl repeatedly jumped up and down in excitement. It seemed like she was having the night of her life.
And clubbing at Amnesia has certainly got a whole lot more memorable.
Elrow takes place every Saturday at Amnesia in Ibiza until October 6.