The month ahead: Ibiza in July

It's at this time of the year where much of the country's clubland is divided between smugness and jealousy - the smug ones have their flights booked to Ibiza while the jealous ones curse their rotten luck and lack of a sun tan.

Cooped up at Skiddle towers this summer, I'm in the jealous camp, made even more jealous by the fact I have to salivate over all the Ibiza events I wish I was at in July.

Week one's got to be the winner, on grounds of pure range. The ultimate opening gambit comes in the shape of Laurent Garnier on July 1st. Hot off the back of his appearance in the final of our very own DJ World Cup, Laurent jets in for his only Ibiza appearance this summer at Carl Cox's Music Is Revolution. 

Then it's time for the Paradise opening party at DC10 on July 2nd, which sees a few notable wildcards joining the home bankers of Jamie Jones and Richy Ahmed - the most exciting being Michael Mayer.

I've had people rave about him to me in three different continents and two separate hemispheres so far this year, so expect something very special. If it isn't, then there's always Steve Lawler, Derrick Carter and Craig Richards to fall back on.

I'm really liking the style of Glitterbox Saturdays at Booom this year. They've got all sorts on... who'd have ever thought we'd see the day that CJ Mackintosh, Arthur Baker and Mousse T appeared on the same line up? But on July 5th, it will be a reality.

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And on a similar theme (and don't forget, we're still in week one here), Ibiza Rocks House play away at Pacha on July 7th, with Giorgio Moroder, Basement Jaxx, Tony Humphries and Doorly. Find me a more insane line up this summer. 

It's old skool almost everywhere you look, with classic trance looking particularly strong in July. You've got Ferry Corsten, Cosmic Gate and BT at Space for Clandestin presents FULL ON on July 11th. Then it's time for the ever-dependable Cream @ Amnesia on July 17th to host the equally dependable Paul Van Dyk and Paul Oakenfold, before ending the month in fine style with their 20th birthday party.

Oakey and Van Dyk are joined by John O' Callaghan and Adam Sheridan for the festivities; and then on the Mixmag Terrace you've got the newer breed of big-room-big-synth-luminaries, with Eric Prydz (Ibiza exclusive) and Laidback Luke.

And in keeping with the unashamed old skool that pervades this Ibiza season, we've got another 20th birthday bash, this time courtesy of Clockwork Orange on July 25th @ Es Paridis. I always have a smile when I see Brandon Block on an Ibiza line up, because not enough people know the indispensable fact that, using his skills as a builder, he actually laid the bricks on the Space Terrace with his own bare hands.

So while you're watching whatever bright young thing from Berlin tooling it out on the Terrace, remember for a moment that Space and Es Paradis in the early days were often very much a London thang, and this line up has all the luminaries from that era, like Judge Jules, Tall Paul, Jeremy Healy, Seb Fontaine... even early nineties rave king Gordon Edge.

Final mention goes to Sankeys. Phil Weeks playing Magna Carta ADELANTE on July 19th is an interesting one. Not normally a name you associate with Ibiza, he's the absolute don of chunky house with a bit of aggression, and he's a right character as well - check out his own madcap series of video diaries. 

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No Ibiza season is complete without a few appearances from Danny Tenaglia. There have been catastrophic recent seasons where Tenaglia has played only one or two Ibiza dates, but thankfully he's busy this season, especially at Sankeys.

Catch him on July 16th at Tribal Sessions, and if you've never seen him before, witness how it is actually possible for a DJ to get on the mic, dance about on top of the DJ booth, and play a different genre of music every hour, yet always pull it off. Magical.

For Tribal Sessions tickets follow the ticketlink below, or head to the event listing page.

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