The Time I explored the Magaluf Party Scene … and Regretted It

Magaluf party

I recently read the BCM Planet Dance in Magaluf, Mallorca has been shut down because its owner has been thrown in jail. This brought me back to the time I was at a Magaluf party in 2015 – a memory that I prefer not to reminisce about.

One of my goals since I started this blog in 2014 was to visit the top 20 clubs in the world and write about them. So far, I’ve been to 12, including Fabric, Green Valley, and a myriad of Ibiza and Vegas nightclubs. I visited Mallorca at the tail end of the summer of 2015 with my Spanish friend Ismael. Therefore, BCM Planet Dance in Magaluf, Mallorca, #10 on the list, was on my to-do list – I had to check out the Magaluf party scene!

Mallorca is beautiful

Firstly, I must say that Mallorca is an amazing island and we had a wonderful time.

For one, it has beautiful beaches..

Mallorca is picture-perfect
Mallorca is picture-perfect. This beach is called Platja de Son Granada de Baix.

And then there’s the amazing seafood…

Las Sirenas in S’Arenal is da BOMB! 💯

Last but not least, the cultural diversity. There’s even a fully German biergarten – the infamous Bierkoning in S’Arenal – full of hundreds of red-faced Germans chugging beer and watching football (or the go-go dancers.)

Only Germans at Mallorca’s Bierkoning

In fact, Mallorca is jokingly referred to as the 17th German state, because the sheer number of German tourists that spend the summer there.

Strangely enough the waitresses in the biergarten didn’t even know how to speak Spanish nor English!

After spending a couple days in the sun and eating good food, we were ready to go all out on our last night with some Magaluf partying!

Gin Xoriguer is the typical liquor from Mallorca. Ready for the night!

The Magaluf Party Scene

BCM Planet Dance is in Magaluf. Magaluf is infamous around the world; people refer to it as Shagaluf. The name says it all – it’s a place to get trashed and get laid, popular among young Brits. Magaluf has been thrust into the spotlight again and again with depravities like people passing out on the street, people performing sex acts in public, and a couple years ago, the Mamading incident.

Consequently, our expectations were not high for the night’s activities, but we were wildly curious to see Magaluf for ourselves. Plus, the club must have been voted #10 on the DJ Mag Top 100, so it couldn’t be that bad, could it?

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That evening, we excitedly boarded the city bus from Palma and traveled 45 minutes to Magaluf.

When we arrived at the Magaluf party strip, we were instantly surrounded by flashing neon lights and young party-goers sporting accents from all regions of the United Kingdom. We were giddy as it was exactly like a scene from the Magaluf Weekender, a show about young Brits’ first holiday abroad partying without Mum and Dad. There were drunk kids left and right. How amusing!

Magaluf party strip
Magaluf strip. Source: randomvacay.com

We went into a bar and Ismael ordered a drink in Spanish. The waitress rolled her eyes at us as she curtly said with a Jordie accent, “I don’t speak Spanish”. Slightly taken aback, Ismael ordered his drink in English. We then sat down and finished our drinks as we chatted about how Ismael was probably the only Spaniard in this town.

After drinks, we wandered down the main Magaluf party strip. Soon enough, a guy approached us: “Hey lads! Looking to party in Magaluf tonight?”

He was selling tickets to BCM Planet Dance. As I recall, the ticket was around 30 euros, all you can drink, and even came with a free “gift” of a BCM tank top. While we were deliberating, he delivered the punch line: “They don’t check IDs!”

Ismael was 30-years-old; a big, bearded Spanish man. I was 26 years old. How old did he think we were? This should have served as a sign for the night to come…

Our Night Out at BCM Planet Dance

Since drinks were all included, we thought we didn’t need to pre-drink and headed directly to BCM Planet Dance. Eventually I came to regret that decision as pre-drinking was definitely necessary to enjoy the place.

First of all, the drinks were of really, really poor quality. I got a vodka tonic, and the vodka really tasted like gasoline. And the drinks were so acidic that after two drinks, I was sick to the stomach and could not drink anymore. The worst thing is I couldn’t even buy better alcohol if I wanted to!

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The whole club’s decor reminded me of a middle school dance: tacky and cheaply pulled together. If Ibiza or Vegas clubs were a 10 in terms of decor, BCM was a 4.

Magaluf party
BCM Planet Dance

Furthermore, the music was very mainstream EDM – not my cup of tea.

And the Magaluf party people, as foreshadowed by the guy who sold us the tickets, all looked 10 years younger than us.

Somehow Ismael and I separated. Given the combination of the setting, music, and crowd, I accepted my fate that I wasn’t going to have an epic night that I had wished for. Therefore, I settled into a corner and quietly observed the crowd as the scene of adolescent drunken debauchery unfolded. Several couples were making out on the side, there was some dry humping, and some girl’s dress was basically falling off of her.

My Encounter with a Young Brit

Suddenly, someone tapped me on the shoulder. It was a boy, around 17 years old, tall and with a friendly smile. He asked me my name and I responded with my go-to fake Starbucks name, “Amy”. He couldn’t hear me so he whipped out his iPhone and pulled out the Notes app. We proceeded to have a full on conversation on his phone’s notepad, passing the phone back and forth. When I got tired of typing and just tried to talk to him, he would insist on using the notepad. Since I had nothing better to do, I complied. We must have been standing there “chatting” for at least 20 minutes. He asked me if I wanted a drink via Notes, and I accepted. We went to the bar and he got me a (free) drink.

Ismael was still nowhere to be found so I just assumed he was having a good time. The boy was still keenly “chatting” with me. He “told” me about how he is starting uni next year and came to Magaluf with his friends to party.

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“Do you want to go outside for some air?” he typed. I nodded. We went outside to get some fresh air and I heard his voice for the first time. Finally, Ismael got in touch. I told the 18-year that I have to go find my friend. He asked for my number so that he can text me to hang out. I gave it to him and said bye.

I found Ismael: “¡Ei! ¿Has ligado? (Hey! Did you flirt with anyone?)”

Ismael was fuming, “¡No! ¡Sólo hay chicas chungas! (No! There are only shitty girls!)”

He proceeded to tell me about how he tried to talk to a girl, and before he even opened his mouth, the girl grabbed her friend and said “I’m a lesbian!”

He tried to say something back, but the girl just shoved him, yelling “No!”

“I’ve never met such rude girls in my life!” Ismael complained.

We decided we’ve seen enough of Magaluf parties and that it was time to call it a night. With all the luck we had left that night, we caught the night bus back to Palma just as it was about to leave.

The 18-year old boy texted me several times the next day asking me my plans and telling me about his. I didn’t respond. I felt bad for ghosting someone so young and innocent and hoped I hadn’t hurt his feelings. However, I suppose rejection by a girl is a life lesson he’d learn sooner or later.


In conclusion, what I learned was:

Don’t trust the DJ Mag Top 100 Clubs. Skip the Magaluf parties. And party with people your own age.

If you liked this piece, you might enjoy my story of how I met a stingy Catalan in Berghain or my observations of how men from different countries hit on women in clubs.

Check out clubs and parties I DO recommend.

17 Replies to “The Time I explored the Magaluf Party Scene … and Regretted It”

  1. Your story reminds me of the time I went to Golden Sands in Bulgaria. Exactly the same type of parties, same type of people and the same type of free drinks. Terrible! I have been to Mallorca before but I didn’t want to go to Magaluf. I have spent some amazing days in the North of the island, which is still untouched by the madness of the south.

    1. Haha I can think of a couple places in Europe with the same reputation! Yeah good thing you avoided Magaluf, there really is nothing to see there besides maybe a bit of entertainment value to see young kids on a party holiday away from their parents for the first time. Mallorca all in all is a beautiful island <3

  2. Well, I have to admit it – this post did make me laugh quite a lot! Sorry it wasn’t up to your expectations, but it certainly gave you some good stories…

    Always nice to be told you look young enough for ID, though…?!

    1. Thanks Jill! Yes at least I got an amusing story out of it 😛

  3. Partying with people your age (and with the same frequency) is definitely what I would suggest to anyone. Good write-up and very catchy pictures :)…

    1. Thanks Aarti! Yep, definitely not partying with 16-year-olds again… I cant keep up anymore lol

  4. I’m glad I’m not the only one who hates Magaluff. Made for an amusing read. Ibiza all the way!

  5. Oh man, what a let down. At least it wasn’t wildly expensive, or hard to get to or leave…

    I honestly have a hard time going to clubs these days, unless I’m performing (I’m an acrobat). I love to dance and I love to drink… but the schenes are always shitty. I miss the underground warehouse parties of my youth… those were epic…

  6. Wow. The party scene is not my thing but that did not sound all that awesome. And the girls sound rude. But in fairness, I have pretended to be a lesbian too. Lol. And I loved your fake Starbucks name. Lol.

  7. Your kind of storytelling made me imagine things as they happen! Oh no, what a crazy night you might have had, especially being surrounded by way younger people when you feel “older”. We don’t really party like you guys probably do but every experience gives us something to learn from and then laugh about. Fun topic when you can’t party anymore 🙂

  8. Ha! I don’t like clubs at all and this experience confirms exactly why. I feel sorry for the Brit boy, though 😉

    Happy continued travels & dancing!

    C

  9. As a traveling couple, partying and going to the clubs aren’t our thing. I’m kind of allergic to noisy and crowded places. Perhaps I’m just getting old hahaha. Thanks for sharing your story. I enjoyed reading it.

  10. The sea looks so calming! 🙂
    xx finja | http://www.effcaa.com

  11. I really wanna go to Mallorca. But somewhere more quiet, remote and local. Even if they only speak Spanish, I’d rather learn Spanish in a hurry than going to somewhere like Magaluf. That place seems like the ultimate nightmare and easiest way to contract diseases you didn’t even know exist. Lol thanks for sharing this unusual travel post!

  12. Haha, this made me laugh out loud! Funnily enough, I have just got back from Palma – we were hoping to go to Pacha only to find that it had been shut down a month ago because the owner was being investigated – I’m pretty sure it must be the same guy……

    Love your top picture as well! Brilliant 🙂

    Louise

  13. I was planning to go to magaluf this August, but reading this makes me rethink it , as I am in america and gets one trip a year to europe, I am going to geneva , amsterdam and looking for a beach party city with exotic beaches for 5 days (last year I went to Ibiza and had a blast)

    1. I would not recommend Magaluf really! If you liked Ibiza, maybe you can try Croatia! Split, Hvar.. they have a great party scene there by the beaches and tons of beach clubs.

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