Velvet Ibiza Is A Party Creating Safe Spaces In Europe
DJ, Carine De Mesmaeker, has held parties in Brussels, Belgium since the earlies 80s. She had her own club from 1999 until 2004, learned to DJ by watching other talented members of the community, and grew to become a popular DJ herself. For De Mesmaeker it made sense, given her experience in the club and party scene, to want to improve the quality of and provide safe spaces for queer women in Europe.
“In the 80s and early 90s the existing clubs in Brussels where I DJed were, in general, very small and dark,” said Carine De Mesmaeker, founder and producer of Europe’s popular five-day party for women, Velvet Ibiza. “When you compared them to a hetero club or a gay club for men there was a big difference. When I started my own club, I wanted to create a safe environment with high-quality sound and lights. I wanted to create a luxury event because, in my opinion, we deserve this. Up until then, it wasn’t very good, what existed for women. So, that was the idea, to offer something similar, compared to hetero events. I wanted to give quality.”
Although the all-inclusive five-day and five-night party in Ibiza, Spain is now in its fifth year, the festival has become a holy ground for queer women around the world to bond, create community, and have fun on the iconic party island known for its LGBTQ-friendly culture.
“I started a party in 2010 called Velvet 69, and I noticed a lot of women traveling around,” said De Mesmaeker. “In America, you have a lot of big festivals, but in Europe, we don’t. We only have a few. From there I got the idea to offer something in Europe. I thought about Ibiza because Ibiza is a party island. In the 70s it was known as a hippie island that had its own special kind of music, the Balearic sound. So, I said, why not do it in Ibiza?”
The party has made history as the first ever queer women event held in Ibiza, Spain, and although it was originally intended to be an event for queer women in Europe, Velvet Ibiza has acquired international interest from women of all ages, shapes, and backgrounds.
“In the beginning, I thought it was going to be a European event, but to my surprise, from the beginning, it received a lot of attention from the U.S.,” De Mesmaeker explained. “About 20 to 30% of the visitors are from America.
The great thing about the festival is that attracts women of all ages,” De Mesmaeker continued. “I think the youngest last year was 20 and the oldest was 70. We have all kinds of women, all ages, and all different types and cultures. It’s really nice. Since the package is all-inclusive, we have the hotel completely to ourselves, so we see each other at breakfast, at lunch, and [at] dinner and that creates a family feeling.”
Tickets purchased for the event include five nights in a bungalow with three meals each day, night activities and parties, transportation to and from the airport and the resort, and all drinks until 11:00 p.m. Attendees don’t have to leave or bring extra cash with them. They are able to freely interact and connect with one another in the resort that is rented out entirely to the Velvet Ibiza guests.
“What happens [after they attend Velvet Ibiza] is that they meet and during the year they do meetups, they go to Pride, for example, and it creates a family and continues after the event, and that is what’s so nice about it. They meet other people. They get to know people from other countries, and they also travel to those other countries. It has created its own movement in Europe. The island has something really special. It’s a very small island, but it has some special vibes.”
Velvet Ibiza is all about inclusivity for the amazing diversity of women everywhere. Attendees of all ages come to the party and leave with friends from around the globe whom they keep in contact with long after the party’s finished. The event creates a strong community of acceptance that lasts beyond the five-day event. Velvet Ibiza has become a safe and amazing space for queer women all over the world and from all walks of life to come together, connect with one another, and have fun.
Velvet Ibiza takes place May 7-12, 2019 at the newly renovated 4-star Club Punta Arabi in Ibiza, Spain. In celebration of its fifth year, the festival will feature live music from openly gay artist, Sarah Bettens, who is best known as the smoky voice of Belgian 90’s rock band, K’s Choice. For more information on the event visit velvetibiza.es.