July ‘26
So this was an incredibly busy, eventful and fun month.
We’d been looking forward to July for some time as we needed a break from the cycle of heatwaves and work. WIP and WOP had both been busy through June and the pipeline was looking good. Lots of hard work and persistent business development was finally paying off, and the knowledge that I was about to disappear on a few exciting trips felt like a reward worth looking forward to.
Ibiza
Back in April I was on a call with one of the guys from AFEM and he mentioned there was likely going to be an event in Ibiza hosted by Amnesia to celebrate its 50th anniversary. They wanted to invite a group of members over and, best of all, it was all going to be complimentary. We would be VIP guests, invited to a pre-party on a separate terrace, with drinks included until midnight.
As a unique experience, it was something I was absolutely putting my hand up for.
I also asked Nashy if he wanted to come as a potential +1. Thankfully, that got approved and he jumped at the chance.
Flights and accommodation booked, we headed off to the White Isle for four days of sunshine, music and general mischief.
Landing on Saturday, we checked into the hotel, hit the beach and grabbed a few beers before wandering into Ibiza Old Town. After bouncing between a few bars we found ourselves on an excellent rooftop terrace and essentially stayed there until closing.
At some point we asked the staff where we should go next and, rather than recommending a quiet local spot, the manager wandered over and suggested Chinois. Ten minutes later we were standing inside one of Ibiza’s larger clubs at a Claptone night.
The venue was a gloriously bougie pleasure palace. We danced around on the rooftop terrace for a few hours before sensibly calling it around 2am to keep some powder dry for the main event.
Naturally, we still woke up a little dusty.
The following day was spent exploring the island. We drove across to one of the prettier beaches on the opposite coast and found a little slice of paradise at the end of a gravel road. Crystal-clear water, beach bars and just enough civilisation to keep things comfortable.
After a lazy afternoon we headed back into town, showered, put on our disco gear and prepared for the reason we’d flown over in the first place.
When we finally arrived at Amnesia, collected our wristbands and promptly got lost inside the labyrinth, it was a pleasant surprise to discover just how many familiar faces were there. Plenty of MTUK and AFEM members had made the trip.
The terrace reception was excellent and after a few hours of catching up we headed downstairs for the Jean-Michel Jarre performance.
In hindsight, we were probably a little ignorant going into it. As one of the godfathers of modern electronic music, the old Frenchman put on quite the show. Still, we eventually drifted back upstairs where the conversations proved equally entertaining.
We finally arrived at a brewery-cum-day-club in Neukölln to meet Tanu and his mob of ultra non-Berlin Berliners, all dressed in the rainbow uniforms expected of Berlin’s immigrant party class. Basically, non-Germans who have moved to Berlin to party. Seeking all the hedonism of the city with very few of the responsibilities of the places they came from.
Anyway, 100 beers later and no water (due to cup costs and no bottles being available) I was absolutely hammered.
The night disappeared in the way good nights often do. A few hours on the terrace became a few hours on the dancefloor, then bouncing between rooms until around 5am.
The following day involved a beach, Café del Mar, a few drinks, some football and an early night.
By the time we reached the airport we were exhausted, content and felt like we’d absolutely filled our boots.
London
Back in London we settled into a few weeks of long summer evenings and Women’s World Cup football.
One particularly memorable afternoon was England vs Norway in Hackney Wick, where what felt like half of East London had turned up to watch. The atmosphere was brilliant and a reminder of just how far the women’s game has come.
Before long we were into the final preparations for our bigger summer trip: Portugal, Berlin and Croatia.
Portugal
We started in Porto, which by now felt comfortably familiar. It was my fourth visit and Hannah’s third, so it was less about sightseeing and more about revisiting favourite spots.
The main reason for being there, though, was Monica and Daniel’s wedding.
The celebrations kicked off with a welcome dinner at one of their favourite beach bars. The drinks were excellent, the food slightly less so, but it was a great opportunity to start meeting people before the main festivities.
One thing that quickly became apparent was just how international the guest list was. Daniel is Chilean, they’d both lived all over the place and the guest list reflected it. Australians, Germans, Chileans, Brits, Portuguese and plenty of others. It felt less like a wedding and more like a small diplomatic summit. A real UN of weddings.
The following day was spent at the wedding venue itself, a beautiful surf camp hosting a pool-and-pizza party.
These pre-wedding events are always underrated. By the time the ceremony arrives, you’ve already shared drinks, stories and awkward introductions with most of the people you’ll spend the next twelve hours celebrating alongside.
The wedding itself was wonderful.
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The venue sat beneath a canopy of trees, the catering was done by a local live-fire cooking team and the food was exceptional. Charred starters, huge pans of paella and a steady flow of cocktails made for a very difficult environment in which to behave responsibly.
Naturally, I failed.
The DJ played bangers until well after midnight and Hannah eventually dragged me home around 2am.
The remaining days were spent recovering by pools, eating excellent food and gradually easing back into work before our flight to Berlin.
A final evening in Porto was spent wandering the old streets, stopping for a few drinks and squeezing in one last meal before heading to the airport the following morning.
Berlin
Berlin greeted us with something we’d almost forgotten existed: cool weather.
After weeks of heatwaves, the grey skies and mild temperatures felt strangely refreshing.
Most of our time there followed a familiar rhythm. I worked from the BSI office during the day, caught up with people from Just 4 Noise and a few others, while evenings were spent with Han’s family, cooking, playing cards and generally slowing down.
For a city we visit regularly, that’s increasingly become the appeal. Less sightseeing and more settling in.
The highlight was Han’s birthday weekend, which coincided with Berlin Pride. We spent the day wandering through the celebrations before heading out for dinner with her parents.
The other long-overdue item ticked off the list was finally visiting the TV Tower. A classic tourist activity we’d somehow avoided for years.
Otherwise, the days slipped by in a very Berlin sort of way: coffee, conversations, cards, office time and a chance to recharge before the final stop of the trip.
Croatia
Landing in Split felt like stepping into a different climate altogether.
Berlin had been mild. Croatia was a furnace.
Thirty-four degrees most days, barely cooling after sunset.
After one excellent meal involving a perfectly cooked sea bream hidden away in a tiny alley restaurant, we rested up before driving north to Tisno for Defected.
We took an odd detour to a waterfall. Not odd because of the waterfall itself, but because we somehow failed to realise that parking was extortionate and entry was €40 each. A stunning example of tourist pricing in action.
Eventually we arrived, stocked the fridge, hit the beach and prepared for festival mode.
Nash, Sophia, Elf and Ben were already there.
The first night was enjoyable enough but everyone was still finding their feet. It was also brutally hot and, if I’m honest, we were reaching the point in the trip where we’d already filled our boots with food, drinks, beaches and adventures.
Night two was much better.
Everyone had arrived, we had a better plan of attack and it became much easier to bounce between different groups, meet new people and settle into the rhythm of the festival. The locker rental so we could regularly disappear into the water was probably the best investment of the weekend.
Overall, Defected was good, but I wouldn’t say it completely blew me away.
Croatia feels oddly mispriced these days. It’s almost become a victim of its own success. Everything is expensive because people keep coming, but increasingly the value proposition feels a bit off. You find yourself paying London prices for things that aren’t quite London quality. That feeling extended into parts of the festival as well, which occasionally felt a little cheaper than the premium price tag suggested.
The crowd, however, was excellent. A real mix of ages, backgrounds and personalities. Everyone was friendly, open and happy to have a chat.
The bigger issue for me was the music.
After a while I found myself struggling with the single-genre nature of the event. Three days of house music, however good, starts to blur together. I think I’ve realised I enjoy festivals with a little more variety and discovery.
That said, spending a long weekend in the Croatian sunshine with a big group of friends is difficult to complain about.
Ultimately, that’s what I’ll remember.
Not the stages.
Not the DJs.
The people.
And like much of July, that’s probably what made it special. The month felt like a reward for a lot of hard work, a chance to spend time with great people in great places and a reminder that sometimes it’s worth stopping to enjoy things when they’re going well.
