For a man rediscovering live music in his mid-fifties, few settings could be more magical than Derbyshire’s Chatsworth House, the stately home turned sonic playground for the Classic Ibiza tour. On July 12, 2025, beside this 17th century English Baroque stately home, owned by the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, an orchestra, DJs, and thousands of revellers combined for a night of nostalgia, neon, and pure euphoria to the sounds of Balearic beats from the White Isle.
Classic Ibiza, blending orchestral grandeur with the pulse of club culture, promised to be a crossover between eras, audiences, and even my own evolving tastes.
The atmosphere as we approached Chatsworth was electric. The rolling grounds had been transformed into a festival-style arena, complete with food trucks, bars, and glow-stick vendors. Families sprawled on picnic blankets by day, but as dusk settled, the air crackled with anticipation. Then, as we sipped our Champagne and ate our cucumber sandwiches we heard the first beats of Latin house, Afrobeat, and tropical-infused dance tracks played by DJ Jose Luis.
This year Jose was joined on stage by the incredible London Community Gospel Choir (LCGC) during his final Afro‑Latin House warm-up set. There is nothing like a gospel choir to get even the most fickle bones moving, and Britain’s acclaimed and dynamic contemporary gospel ensemble certainly got the mums, dads, grandparents and children up off their camping chairs and picnic blankets to start off the evening’s dancing. They delivered powerful gospel‑inspired mash-ups—including an a cappella take on Joe Smooth’s “Promised Land” and Clivillés & Cole’s “A Deeper Love”—adding soulful vocal energy to the prelude before the main orchestral/house performances.
The orchestra tuning under a dusky sky, was followed by the first deep house kick, as a thousand hands shot skyward. The video’s ambient swell of cheers tells its own story – the night wasn’t just a concert, but a communal release.
Classic Ibiza’s setlist is a carefully curated love letter to Ibizan club culture. Tracks like “Insomnia,” “Born Slippy,” and “Children” unfurled with symphonic power, the orchestra layering depth beneath the familiar beats. A sea of glowsticks and hands silhouetted against the estate lit up the grounds as Faithless’ iconic bassline took hold.
Soon we had Darudes classic “Sandstorm” – the energy peaking, fireworks arcing overhead. It’s not subtle, but neither is Classic Ibiza meant to be. These are anthems designed to stir something primal as the base reverberates through the chest, even for those of us whose last nightclub memory predates contactless payment!
Part of the magic of this event lies in the age diversity of the audience. Our group alone spanned generations: my fifty-something cohort sharing gin spritzes on picnic chairs, our twenty something friends diving headfirst into the front crowd, and teenagers and toddlers bouncing through the crowds. Everywhere, strangers danced shoulder to shoulder, adolescents belting out “Titanium” alongside retirees reliving their clubbing heydays.
The event also felt distinctively Derbyshire – the lush grounds and stately silhouette grounding the hedonism in heritage. We finished the evening with an encore, where the entire crowd was singing along to “Don’t You Worry Child” as fireworks framed the house – a finale that transcended age, taste, and culture.
Classic Ibiza isn’t about subtlety or musical purity. It’s about communal energy. This evening was a marriage of two of life's most redeeming features - 90s dance culture and live orchestral music - a perfect match in the embrace of Chatsworth's beautiful natural surroundings. Whether seeped in the green shades of rolling hills or the pale turquoise and beiges of the mediterranean, the result is the same: a primal experience to be shared, just as it was dancing around fires tens of thousands of years ago.
This weekend Classic Ibiza visits Ragley Hall, Warwickshire, followed by the last show of 2025 at Hatfiled House Hartefordhsire For more info and to book tickets visit www.classicibiza.co.uk
