The latest episode of HBO comedy series Youth takes its characters to Ibiza for an anniversary holiday filled with complicated relationships, awkward encounters and romantic uncertainty. However, although the story is set on the White Isle, the production filmed the episode in Mallorca.
Season 1, Episode 5, titled “The Holiday”, was released on October 11, 2026. The episode follows Alex, played by Sharon Horgan, as she joins a holiday celebrating Sam and Frank’s tenth wedding anniversary.
A Couples’ Holiday in Ibiza
The official episode synopsis places Alex in an uncomfortable social situation alongside her ex-husband, Lorcan, her former romantic interest Patrick, their new girlfriends and her son Ruari, who becomes her holiday companion.
The trip provides a new setting for the series to explore Alex’s complicated personal life, particularly her unresolved feelings for Patrick and her changing relationship with her son.
Rather than offering a straightforward escape from everyday pressures, the Ibiza holiday brings the characters’ romantic and family tensions into closer focus.
Mallorca Doubles for Ibiza
Despite the Balearic setting, the episode was filmed in Mallorca, according to Production Service Network, which lists the production location as “Mallorca (for Ibiza), Spain”.
The production was made by Merman for HBO, with Palma Pictures providing production services in Spain. The listed cast includes Sharon Horgan and Rupert Friend.
The arrangement means viewers see Mallorca standing in for Ibiza, rather than the episode being filmed entirely on the island where the story takes place.
Ibiza Continues to Inspire Television Stories
Ibiza remains a familiar setting for screen stories involving holidays, relationships and Mediterranean escapes. In Youth, the island provides the backdrop for a gathering that forces Alex to confront the differences between the life she wants and the relationships she has.
Although the production took place elsewhere in the Balearic Islands, Ibiza remains central to the episode’s story and atmosphere.
For viewers, “The Holiday” offers another fictional portrayal of the island, while the behind-the-scenes production details reveal how Mallorca helped bring the Ibiza storyline to the screen.