Friday is always a day of celebration at IMS Ibiza – as the prospect of IMS Dalt Vila, presented in partnership with AlphaTheta, grand finale to the Summit and the unofficial start of the Ibiza season – looms large. With the 1,700+ delegates (this has been the most attended IMS Ibiza in our 16-year history) fully oriented, caught up on most of their meetings and starting to reconcile the packed days at the Mondrian and Hyde Ibiza with the equally busy nights (call it the ‘Ibiza rhythm’), there’s been a relaxed feel today, helped by yet more stunning spring sunshine.
That’s not to say that there haven’t been some vital issues discussed. On the Summit Stage – Indoor, the day began with two sessions on a key theme of IMS Ibiza 2025: Four Decades of Jungle & Drum ’n’ Bass. Building on what we heard from SHERELLE and DJ Flight in yesterday’s Intergenerational Exchange, the first was on female representation in the genre. ‘Too Many Man Too Many Many Man’: Gender Parity Past, Present and Future featured perspectives from some of the women driving the scene, including a genuine legend and pioneer in MC Chickaboo. Electronic music as a whole has a tendency to write its female figures out of its history, and its foundational narratives, and it felt important to hear the ‘herstory’ for once – and reassuring that after a long period where few female acts seemed to be following in the footsteps of the OGs, more women than ever are now coming into the scene.
The next session, The MCs to the OGs to the New Breed, explored the quite incredible longevity of Jungle and Drum ’n’ Bass. The overriding message? From liquid to jump-up, these genres are so endlessly resilient because audiences and artists alike know, respect and care passionately about their heritage, their roots and the legacy of the sound.
Delegates have really embraced The Art of Areté’s focus on wellness, resilience, mental health and maximising human potential this year. The morning walk, the yoga, breathwork and sound frequency sessions have been busier than ever before, while today’s session on Reinvention in the Music Business, with Pete Tong and Carolina Tong alongside Danny Whittle, Deer Jade, and Alex Tripi explored one of the best features of our culture, the way that it offers so many opportunities to grow and change across different facets of the industry – on the proviso that you stay true to your own self.
In the Brave Space presented by HE.SHE.THEY. in partnership with One Of Us, fittingly at times the most culturally fearless hub of IMS Ibiza 2025, an emergency session, Navigating DEI in the Current Climate, offered guidance – and a little hope – for anyone concerned about keeping electronic music as a medium for equity and diversity in the face of the current backlash happening in the USA.
Opening up electronic music to everyone was also explored in Breaking Barriers – Dispelling Elitism in Dance Music, presented by Homecoming™. “Being included is easy,” said Shamiso, “being supported is being given space to grow, to see what we are capable of, to be able to share our ideas and support other people.” Definite echoes of Andy Crysell’s talk yesterday, where he pointed to the culture’s legacy of offering opportunities in the creative industries to people that are so often excluded from them.
Indeed, Homecoming™’s several excellent sessions have reflected something striking across the Summit this year: just how many global electronic music scenes have been represented, each bringing their own perspective on business, culture, and of course the music. Whether Drum ’n’ Bass and Jungle, rooted as they are in British multiculturalism, the rise of electronic music culture in the Middle East (exemplified by last year’s debut of IMS Dubai), the East meets West session (recorded with the BBC South Asian Network as part of a special radio documentary), the focus on the live landscape and markets in Spain and in the US, or the many African artists that were such a presence this year, there’s been a strong sense of international cultural exchange, of different elements of the global community learning from each other.
RA’s session in the main room, The Future of Global Nightlife: How to Rebuild a Sustainable Eco-System, struck a timely warning note amid the final day euphoria. This global club culture that we love and work in can only survive if we – as artists, as audiences, as promoters, as agents, as an industry – support smaller grassroots venues. The kinds of places where, just to pick an example at random, Jungle and Drum ’n’ Bass first took root four decades ago…
The theme of Intergenerational Exchange has galvanised this year’s program, and today’s final session, pairing Dantiez with a founding father of techno (and of course, Dantiez’s actual father) Kevin Saunderson, encapsulated what these one-to-one exchanges have given us all week: intimate, insightful discussion, as different generations of our culture see what they can learn from each other – and the spirit and values that transcend eras and age differences. Kevin, a truly foundational figure in electronic music, was also presented with this year’s IMS Pioneer Award, presented in association with AlphaTheta.
It only remains then to dash for the ferry to IMS Dalt Vila, and to thank the sponsors and partners of IMS Ibiza: AlphaTheta, Beatport, Favela Cerveja, L-Acoustics, Weeztix, MDLBEAST, Burn, Helix Records, Ultra Records, Telekom Electronic Beats, Plain Supply, Believe/Tunecore, YouTube, PIPP, Deezer, One Of Us, Ibiza Calm, PPL, Festibax, AFEM, The Art of Areté, Bridges for Music, Earth Percent and He.She.They.
Thanks also to Katie Sallows, Melissa Sutton, Farah Nanji, our production partners at The Shop Productions and all of the fantastic team that makes the Summit a reality every year: the IMS Curation Committee, the photography, video, PR and marketing teams, our hosts at the wonderful Mondrian and Hyde Ibiza, the IMS Ibiza Founders Ben Turner, Pete Tong, Simeon Friend and Danny Whittle, and our partners Beatport, and of course YOU: the delegates, speakers and artists who came together to manifest three truly exceptional days and nights of connection, inspiration and education.
IMS Ibiza will return in 2026.
QUOTES OF THE DAY
“Where Africa is right now… it’s how I imagine dance music was at the start. It feels like something real and exciting and led by emotion and community. Those are the people we should all be learning from.” Dare Balogun, Cultural Strategist, Metallic
“Jungle is our hip hop. We made it, it’s a British thing and it’s lasted for decades and gone all around the world. We have to be so proud of that.” Krust
“Who gets to make music at the end of the day is not going to be supported from the beginning of their life. [When we talk about DEI] we’re talking about kids’ capacity to have a healthy and fulfilling life, and possibly a career in the arts.” softchaos
“A lot of major agencies… they don’t see club culture as valuable: it’s all about hard ticket festivals and building up fees and ticket data. They‘re not looking at grassroots or smaller venues as important.” Ellis Coles, Booker, fabric
“We’re the number one Latin House label in the world right now. That just comes from two guys who didn’t really know what they were doing – but believed in the sound.” HUGEL
“Everyone should have a mentee. If you’ve been in the industry for 10 years and you’re now a master at what you do, you should pass that on to the next generation.” Amy Jayne, Senior Label Services Manager, LabelWorx
“TikTok has been a huge driver of major label interest. But, at times, you’re seeing young artists getting signed off the back of TikTok who don’t actually know how to produce a full-length track. They just know how to make the 30-second clip.” Chris Goss, CEO / Co-founder, Hospital Records
“Coming to South London, it felt like utopia: the diversity of people, the representation. But as I moved from DIY promoting up through the echelons to the managerial, hidden regions of electronic music, I realised I was the only one [like me] in the room again.” Bradley Zero
“When [Dantiez] first got into DJing and said he wanted to make music, I wouldn’t let him in my studio. I told him to go and watch YouTube. But he was persistent and learnt, and we hit a moment when the beats never stopped in the house, so six or seven months in I realised he had this creative energy and started to take him seriously. He started reminding me of me back in the day.” Kevin Saunderson
“Diversity and inclusion is inherent in what we do, and even in our business model. Bottom line: a diverse workforce and diverse artist roster makes us more profitable.” Maria May, Music Agent, Creative Artists Agency
“I could never have envisioned when I started that I’d still be doing this 45–50 years later. Ultimately, I have so many different jobs because when I started, you couldn’t make a living just being a DJ.” Pete Tong
“I get people coming up to me and saying, ‘My mum used to rave to you,’ or ‘My dad used to rave to you.’ While that makes me feel really old, it makes me feel great that these parents are happy for their kids to go to d’n’b events and carry the torch on.” MC Chickaboo
IMS Ibiza 2025 - Day 3 Summary
Friday at IMS Ibiza 2025 embodied a spirit of celebration, anticipation, and reflection as over 1,700 delegates—the largest attendance in IMS history—geared up for the grand finale at IMS Dalt Vila, marking the unofficial start of the Ibiza season. The day was bathed in radiant spring sunshine, setting the tone for meaningful discussions and cultural exchanges.
Key Themes and Sessions:
Four Decades of Jungle & Drum ’n’ Bass: The Summit Stage opened with in-depth discussions on the resilience and evolution of these genres. The session on gender parity, ‘Too Many Man Too Many Many Man’, spotlighted female pioneers like MC Chickaboo, emphasizing the increasing presence of women in the scene. Another session, The MCs to the OGs to the New Breed, celebrated the genre’s enduring legacy rooted in respect for its heritage.
Wellness and Personal Growth: Delegates engaged deeply with The Art of Areté, embracing wellness activities like yoga and breathwork.
A compelling discussion on Reinvention in the Music Business featured industry leaders like Pete Tong, highlighting the dynamic opportunities within the industry.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI): The Brave Space hosted an urgent session, Navigating DEI in the Current Climate, addressing challenges within the global music landscape. Breaking Barriers – Dispelling Elitism in Dance Music emphasized the importance of support systems beyond mere inclusion.
Global Cultural Exchange: Sessions reflected the rich tapestry of global electronic music, from Middle Eastern influences to African artistry, fostering international dialogue and learning.
Sustainability in Nightlife: RA’s session, The Future of Global Nightlife, underlined the crucial role of grassroots venues in sustaining vibrant club cultures worldwide.
Intergenerational Exchange:
The day concluded with a heartfelt conversation between techno pioneer Kevin Saunderson and his son, Dantiez, showcasing the enduring values within electronic music. Kevin’s receipt of the IMS Pioneer Award was a fitting tribute to his influence.
As delegates transitioned to IMS Dalt Vila, the energy was electric, filled with gratitude for the connections, insights, and inspirations cultivated over three transformative days.
IMS Ibiza will return in 2026.
Additional info:
