The "Real Ibiza" vs. "the Luxurious Ibiza"

After writing about the ancient and more recent history of Ibiza, it’s time to take a look at today’s Ibiza. Is the Ibiza spirit still alive? You’ve probably heard that Ibiza is a great place, but you might also have heard things that make you wonder what’s true. Perhaps you’ve heard about the changes happening—the opening of new luxurious places, as well as complaints about the loss of the “real” Ibiza. You might have heard about VIP culture taking over or remember songs about taking pills in conjunction with Ibiza.

Let’s take a look at some common statements and discuss them:

"Ibiza has become pure luxury!"

Ibiza has seen a major upgrade in quality in recent years. Roughly a decade ago, the choice of 5-star hotels was very limited; now, there is a large selection of high-end hotels, restaurants, shopping, and other activities. But that doesn’t mean there isn’t also an extensive mid-range offering.

Ibiza is a destination popular among the ultra-rich. No matter how big your yacht is, there will be someone with a bigger one in the port of Ibiza. But don’t worry if you don’t own one—you can watch impressive yachts from a viewpoint built especially for this purpose in the port of Ibiza, if you like. If you don’t, turn around and enjoy the charming old town.

It’s also true that prices have risen to levels comparable to other Western European destinations. So, regular visitors who have known Ibiza for a long time feel their purchasing power decreasing.

Furthermore, luxury and the rejection of mass tourism shouldn’t be confused. The official strategy doesn’t rely on mass tourism, and many residents oppose it. That doesn’t mean it’s an all-luxury strategy. It just means that visitors who are genuinely curious and excited are preferred over crowds that are just looking for a place to get drunk as cheaply as possible.

"The VIP culture and influencers are taking over!"

I wouldn’t say it’s taking over—it’s an additional offering. In clubs, for example, there are different levels, from basic entry to VIP tables to special VIP areas. The same applies to high-class hotels, which offer both standard rooms and high-end suites. In effect, there is more choice.

Ibiza is very popular among influencers. Many European and international influencers visit Ibiza and post from there. One consequence is that VIP culture is overrepresented in social media. Another thing: When influencers first started, hotels and venues generously offered them upgrades. Now, there are many more influencers, and only the top-tier ones enjoy these benefits. So, many others who want to post about a VIP lifestyle from Ibiza have to pay their own expenses. This has led to the strange situation where posting high bills has become fashionable.

"Mike Posner’s song 'I Took a Pill in Ibiza' has nothing to do with Ibiza!"

In 2015, Mike Posner released a song called "I Took a Pill in Ibiza", which reached the top of the charts a year later. The song deals with a drug experience in a club on Ibiza. The lyrics begin:

I took a pill in Ibiza to show Avicii I was cool
And when I finally got sober, felt 10 years older

Avicii was a famous Swedish DJ on Ibiza. Posner later explained that he had met Avicii in Sweden to work on a new song. Since he was already in Europe, he joined him for his show on Ibiza. In the club where the show took place, someone offered Posner a pill. The video for the song—or, more accurately, a popular remix of the song by Seeb—shows Posner taking a pill and people partying, even having sex in the restrooms. This song created controversy, and the British newspaper The Guardian reported that tourism officials were very annoyed by the mention of Ibiza in the lyrics.

Roughly ten years later, in 2026, Mike Posner released a song called "I Went Back to Ibiza", with drug- and party-free lyrics. This time, Posner "got a hotel by the shore."

So, was it just by chance that Ibiza was the location for Posner’s drug experience, and is Ibiza now as clean as it appears to be in Posner’s new song?

The consumption of controlled substances was indeed related to the party scene on Ibiza at the time of Posner’s first Ibiza song. Many young partygoers consumed synthetic drugs to party even more excessively. Pre-parties started in the afternoon, and after-parties went until noon. "Get wasted" was a common slogan. As someone who looked like a party tourist, you couldn’t walk along the streets of the party hotspot Playa d’en Bossa at night without someone whispering code words for illicit drugs or trying other means to catch the attention of potential clients. News pages were filled with reports of drug-related accidents or the arrest of drug dealers. It’s important to note that this situation was limited to a very small number of party hotspots.

Now, efforts to clean up the streets and change the tourism model have been successful. But less visibility doesn’t necessarily mean that Ibiza is completely free of illicit drugs. Even among upscale tourists, there might be some demand for controlled substances. The island’s management should continue their fight against controlled substances and not just ensure that songs are about the beauty of the island and "hotels by the shore."