Inside U.K. Britain's summer party capital By Richard Payne	フレームで見る  英文をプリントする  脚注をプリントする
若者が踊りまくるリゾート地 現在、イギリスの若者に人気のリゾート地は地中海西部にあるスペインのイビザ島です。この島には話題のナイトクラブが何軒もあり、若者たちは有名 ＤＪ の音楽に合わせて朝まで踊り明かします。島の滞在費もクラブの入場料も、決して安くはありませんが、若者たちは「それだけの価値はある」と、大挙して島に押しかけています。

For years, thousands of young Britons contented themselves spending their spare time lying on Spanish beaches, getting burned by the sun and drinking too much. While there's no sign of an end to their liking of beer, a growing number of them are changing their holiday habits, and one of the most popular alternatives is now to head for the resorts, which offer them the chance to dance for every minute of the day and night.

Clubbing is the No. 1 choice for young men and women looking to escape the stresses and strains of life, and Ibiza is the capital of the European dance scene the vast majority head for. Once the preserve of just a few of the "in" crowd, the Mediterranean island now plays host to 2 million tourists every year - 700,000 of them British - who, although from all different walks of life, are looking for the one same thing - a good time.

But unlike those Spanish destinations where it was cheaper to live on holiday than it was at home, the clubbers are prepared to spend heavily. It's just as well, because Ibiza and the islands competing with it are not cheap. Visitors expecting the best time in the best hotels and best clubs are ready to spend around 2,500 British pounds (¥467,500) for a week's holiday.

Entry to the clubs can cost anything up to 50 pounds (¥9,350) and, once inside, drinks average out at about 5 pounds (¥935). But, despite extreme prices, the number of students who travel to Ibiza is surprising. They either get the money from part-time jobs or from their parents. Others simply travel on the cheap, sleeping on the beach and even finding work out there to pay their way.

People are prepared to pay because, they say, the experience is like none other. Each club rivals the others in providing the best attractions, and they spare no expense. Many clubs pay thousands of pounds to fly the world's best DJs such as Boy George, Fat Boy Slim, P. Diddy and Pete Tong, knowing they will bring a strong following of fans with them. The opening and closing night parties they host are the ones that hold the fond memories during the cold winter months.

To name but a few of the more popular clubs in Ibiza, there is Amnesia, which is the club credited with the acid house music explosion in the 1980s; Privilege has the world's largest dance floor in a club the size of an air hangar, much of which is made up of covered, palm-filled gardens; and Space has the longest stretch of beach on the island and stages 22-hour dance marathons every Sunday.

The club culture in the U.K. is very strong, too, but largely because of the climate, much of it is restricted to indoors. The attraction of going to places like Ibiza is, among other things, the fact that many of these clubs are outdoors.

The goal of most is just to dance - that and to be seen in all the right places. Fashion is a major player, which is why they draw so many young, rich and sometimes famous people.

A friend of mine, Andy Fox, is a 25-year-old insurance salesman, and he's just returned from a week's clubbing on Ibiza for the first time. He's already saving for his next trip out there. "It's like something you've never experienced in your life," he tells me. "Everyone's there to have a good time and lose themselves in a mix of dance and music. The clubs stay open nearly all hours. People think nothing of starting their partying at midnight and going on until 10 or 11 o'clock in the morning.

0 "It's one round of partying. It costs a lot, for sure, but it's worth it because you come back with a real sense of having done something different for a change. There's only one problem, though EI need another holiday to recover!"

1 Andy's experience was, happily, a good one, and he shakes his head when asked if he saw any trouble while on the island. Sadly, that isn't true for everyone because, when huge groups of youngsters fueled with drink get together, the atmosphere isn't always a happy one.

For the most part, the behavior of the youngsters, while loud and colorful, has been within the law. But there are times when the actions of a few have gone beyond acceptable levels leading to incidents of drunken brawling and sexual assault.

Adding to the fears of locals and holidaymakers alike are television programs, broadcast across Europe, that are quick to show the less desirable side of life on the islands where youngsters and drink can make a dangerous mix.

People on the host islands have largely accepted the fact that although they might not always want an "invasion" of Britons every summer, they do provide a lot of money to the local economy.

Happily, though, like my friend Andy, some people return home converted to the dance/club holiday and ready to make it an annual occurrence at the very least. While thousands like him feel that way, the music in Ibiza and places like it will play on.

Shukan ST: July 19, 2002

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