BBC Radio 1 creates world’s biggest nightclub on BBC Sounds to celebrate 25 years in Ibiza

29 May 2020 - Press release

BBC Radio 1 will be bringing the magic of Ibiza to households in the UK and around the world by turning BBC Sounds into the world’s biggest nightclub, from 31 July – 1 August 2020. 

Radio 1’s legacy on the White Isle began 25 years ago, when the station broadcast from the island for the first time. The now annual pilgrimage to Ibiza has long had dance fans flocking to join Radio 1 in the island’s clubs to celebrate the very best the genre has to offer. 

As the Coronavirus pandemic means it will not be possible for Radio 1 to broadcast from Ibiza this year, Radio 1 will be ensuring fans in the UK and around the world can join the party from wherever they are by turning BBC Sounds into the world’s biggest nightclub for a weekend packed full of incredible dance music. While the prospect of clubbing as we know it remains distant, the station will aim to capture the inimitable island vibes by bringing together some of the biggest names in dance music for a weekend of celebrations across radio, social media and online. 

Hosted by Radio 1 dance champions Annie Mac, Danny Howard and Pete Tong, each of the virtual club’s rooms will have its own area on BBC Sounds. Full details of the plans are set to be revealed in the coming weeks. 

Annie Mac says: “While we won’t physically be in Ibiza this year we are still going to be bringing the party all weekend for all the kitchen ravers around the country. We’re already so excited and we can’t wait to share all the details soon!” 

Aled Haydn Jones, Head of Programmes for Radio 1, says: “We know that many dance fans are feeling the absence of club culture while social distancing guidance remains in place, and that there’s a huge appetite for ways we can recreate the shared clubbing experience that we’re all missing. Our aim is to bring together households around the world for the ultimate dance party this summer in celebration of the legendary White Isle, and we look forward to sharing more details very soon.”