Manumission is returning to Ibiza this September, bringing Mike and Claire McKay back together with Mike's brother Andy for a new event inspired by the party's celebrated 1990s era.

The main event will take place at 528 Ibiza on Saturday, September 26, running from 17:00 until 05:00 as the centerpiece of a three-day “Le Weekend” from September 25 to 27.

The production is built around the summer of 1998 and draws heavily from Claire Manumission's recently published memoir, “The Motel: High Times in 90s Ibiza.”

A New Manumission Based on 1998

According to Mike and Claire McKay, the idea is not simply to recreate a 1990s party but to reinterpret the atmosphere of 1998 for a contemporary audience.

The event will transform 528 Ibiza's indoor and outdoor spaces into five interconnected environments, with the production following a single narrative across the site.

A three-storey recreation of the Manumission Motel will form the centerpiece of the production. The organizers are working with choreographers, dancers, drag performers and other artists to bring characters and stories from the book into the event.

Music From 1998 and Earlier

The musical concept is also deliberately tied to the period being recreated.

Mike McKay told Forbes that DJs at the event will play music from 1998 or earlier, allowing the soundtrack to remain connected to the era being portrayed.

The full DJ lineup is being kept largely secret. David Morales and Carl Craig are currently confirmed, while other artists are not being publicly announced in advance.

David Morales will perform a six-hour session as part of the Le Théâtre Pink Pussy section of the event, while Carl Craig is associated with the daytime Garden Stage program.

No VIP Area and Restrictions on Phones

The organizers are also deliberately moving away from some of the conventions of modern large-scale nightlife events.

There will be no VIP area, with the organizers saying that everyone attending will form part of the experience.

Phone use will also be restricted. The official event information states that photography and filming are not permitted, while the concept is built around reducing the role of phones during the experience.

The aim is to encourage guests to participate in the production rather than simply watch or record it.

From Ku and Privilege to 528

Manumission began in Ibiza in 1994 and became associated with venues including Ku and Privilege during the 1990s.

The party developed a theatrical format that went beyond conventional DJ-led club nights, incorporating live performance, visual art, dancers and other forms of entertainment.

The new production at 528 draws specifically on that history, with the McKays describing the event as a way of introducing a new generation to the creative approach behind Manumission while avoiding a straightforward recreation of the past.

Claire McKay's Book Provides the Story

Claire McKay's memoir, “The Motel: High Times in 90s Ibiza,” provides much of the material behind the new production.

The book focuses particularly on the Manumission Motel period of 1998, when the couple created a separate residential project alongside the main club night.

The September event uses characters, stories and situations from that period as the basis for its theatrical narrative.

The Three-Day Le Weekend

The 528 event is the central part of a wider three-day Manumission program.

The weekend begins on Friday, September 25, with activities including a book-related event at Pikes Ibiza and other Manumission-associated appearances.

The main 528 production takes place on Saturday, September 26, before the weekend concludes on Sunday, September 27 with the Carry On Cowboy event. Pop-up activities are also scheduled at Ibiza Rocks Bar.

One Confirmed Event for 2026

For now, the September 26 event is the confirmed Manumission return.

In the Forbes interview, Mike and Claire McKay discuss the possibility of developing the concept into a larger series of events in future seasons if the new format proves successful. However, no 2027 program has been confirmed, so those plans should be treated as future possibilities rather than announced events.

The return marks the reunion of Mike and Claire McKay with Andy McKay and brings the Manumission name back to an Ibiza dancefloor after a long absence, but the September production is designed as a new interpretation of the 1998 era rather than a simple recreation of a 1990s club night.

On September 26, 528 Ibiza will become the setting for 12 hours of music, performance, art and theatrical production built around the world of Manumission and the stories behind one of Ibiza's most distinctive club brands.