I’ve Been Going To Elrow For 12 Years And I’ve Just Realised It’s Never Really Been About The Party

The first time I went to Elrow, I was 20 years old and twelve years later, I've lost count of how many times I've found myself under a shower of confetti, surrounded by giant inflatables, wondering how a party could get any more ridiculous.

From Elrow Town to the birthplace in Barcelona, I've been to many locations and like most people I believed I knew what Elrow was but it's so much more. Sitting down with Elrow's Juan Arnau and artist Daniel Popper ahead of the brand's latest Ibiza show, I realised I've missed what the core of the brand is all about.

In an industry obsessed with what's next, Elrow's story begins more than 150 years ago. "We are the fifth generation in the industry," explains Elrow's Juan Arnau. "We have done all kinds of music and entertainment. We started with cafés and selling wine, then theatres, cinemas, pop, rock and electronic music. We don't know what else to do – we've only entertained people for more than 150 years." 

Long before Elrow existed, his family were already entertaining people. They've run cafés, theatres, cinemas, bars and music venues, adapting to every cultural shift imaginable while always keeping the same goal. Arnau recalls his grandfather telling him, "The music changes, the venues change, the technology changes, but in the end, people just want to have fun. They want to disconnect, enjoy their lives and forget about their day-to-day." This philosophy has guided every generation of the family and suddenly, my own memories of Elrow started to make more sense.

The reason people travel across countries to attend Elrow, the reason Barcelona still feels special and the reason thousands of strangers can end up feeling like they're sharing the same experience. It's not really about the production; it's about what the production creates. A lasting memory you can always look back on.

Elrow's philosophy has become more apparent as they collaborate with artists to evolve the experience with their audience. Their latest collaboration is with South African artist Daniel Popper, who has made mind-bending installations for Burning Man and Electric Daisy in the past. While Elrow creates environments for joy, Popper creates physical representations of it. "My work tries to cast a broad emotional net across the human condition," he explains. "Ideas of spirituality, transcendence, nature, healing, and just trying to spread a bit of joy."

Both Arnau and Popper focus on creating joy and a safe space for release for people to escape to and maybe that's why Elrow has been so successful over the years. Their focus goes beyond ticket sales and trends; it's about the human experience, but the human experience. It's been understood by generations of Arnau's family and is even clearer today.

Today, Elrow holds spaces in the biggest superclub of Ibiza, UNVRS, but it doesn't feel much different to the first time I saw them at 20 years old in Manchester. The venue may have tripled in size but the sentiment is still the same. I always thought there would be more to the secret that has kept one of the greatest parties successful but after 150 years sometimes the simplest messaging is the most important. Provide the people with a place to escape and the people will follow, and maybe in another 150 years, the legacy will live on to continue to do the same.

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