The legendary Space Terrace dancefloor. 2014 - Credits : Space Ibiza

Space Ibiza will become Ushuaïa Club in 2017

Alexandre Trochut
The legendary Space Terrace dancefloor. 2014 - Credits : Space Ibiza

In a recent interview to the Australian media Inthemix, Carl Cox has confirmed that the people behind Ushuaïa will take control of Space Ibiza in 2017 and Thereby transforming it into the “Ushuaia Club”, a more business-oriented club with first-class services as the biggest clubs in the world.

Earlier this month, Carl Cox announced he’d be closing a 14-year chapter of his life: 2016 will be the techno legend’s last season at Space Ibiza, the superclub where he’s been in residence since 2001. He didn’t explain why he’d made the decision to leave Space when he broke the news to fans but more recently revealed the business plans of the club and therefore his final decision :

Me and Space have been like a married couple and we haven’t even really had that many arguments, it’s just been fantastic, there’s going to be a lot of tears ending it. This is it. This is where it actually finally does end. It’s not that I’m walking away from the club, because Pepe [Rosello], the owner of Space, his contract is up at the club. He’s going to be 80 years old and will officially be out. It gets handed over to Ushuaïa Group across the road and its manager Jan will be given the keys to run Space. And once that happens, everything changes. So I have no desire to stay in that club for any reason. 

They want me to stay from a business point of view – it makes sense for them, but it’s not what I want in my heart. And if I was going to stay, I’ll tell you now, it’d only be because they were giving me one million euros to DJ. I’d be like “Wooo!” every night, I’d get up for 90 minutes to mix and pocket €1 million playing all the records from Beatport, and there would be as many VIP tables as possible. I’d be smiling all the way to the bank.

But my heart tells me I will not ever do that – because if Pepe’s not there, I am not there. We grew up together, we’ve been all the way through this together, and we’re going to finish together. And I’m quite happy about that, because it means we leave the legacy of a club that made a difference. We can walk away with that – the legendary status of what used to happen at Space when we were there – because no one else can emulate that, it’s not possible.– Carl Cox

The Ibiza’ techno legend confirms once again what he had already announced when he said that 2016 would be the last of his residence in the legendary club of Ibiza stating :

” The thing is, all good things come to an end. It’s common knowledge that the owners of Ushuaia [and Space] want to turn Space into Ushuaia Club. Whether it’s a good or bad thing, I don’t want to be a part of it. It’s got nothing to do with me. If I re-contract myself to do Ushuaia Club at Space, potentially, what do I do? What would they want me to do? Either carry on doing what I’ve been doing for 15 years or wise up to what the future holds. ” – Carl Cox

While the announcement of the judgment of his residence had already triggered a tsunami in the musical landscape, after the announcement of the launch of his own techno festival “Pure” in Australia next April – this confirmation of change of ownership for Space adds a little more to the confusion related to these numerous changes ahead for the white island and the Techno legend.

After offering years of unforgettable nights to thousands of dancing lovers and fanatics, there is no longer much doubt about the future of the club, Space Ibiza – as the island – is preparing to welcome mass tourism. With rumors that have reported multiple VIP areas inside the club like those found in the biggest clubs in the world, it’s clearly the end of a generation of hedonistic evenings in this temple of underground music, but a new chapter for people surely more inclined to spend much money. However as the EDM bubble has given new life to the underground music, it’s obvious that a lot of new music scenes will open their doors elsewhere on the legendary island.