Reviving the Spirit of Ibiza: Forest Fest’s New Dance Tent

Review Jeff Dobson

Forest Fest, a burgeoning festival in rural Ireland, has made a significant stride by introducing a Dance Tent to enhance its lineup. This addition aims to recreate the iconic Ibiza Bora Bora parties of the 90s, known for their hedonistic vibes and eclectic music.

With the help of Ibiza legend Gee Moore, the tent promises an authentic experience featuring a stellar lineup of artists like Mr. C, Terry Farley, and Rocky (X-Press 2). This development marks a promising expansion for the festival, offering a nostalgic yet refreshing retreat for dance music enthusiasts.

Forest Fest Ticket Link

As money has become tighter than a nun’s knickers and many festivals across the globe have drawn the curtains on this year’s productions—not to mention the high possibility of canceling next year’s and the foreseeable future—it’s always good to hear of some form of growth in the industry. Whether that be a grand gesture or the merest ripple, it all counts in the greater scheme of things.

One such festival, while still in its relative infancy, has grown its attendance to the point that this year they’ve added a Dance Tent to complement the Marshall stacks. Now, I may have made that sound flippant or a simple last-minute random addition, but I assure you it isn’t.

Instead of the usual suspects flaunted about at this time of year playing the usual tickerty-tocky nonsense that’s more a photo opportunity than a genuine audio soundtrack, tent head honcho Danny Kirwan wanted more from his square footage.

Not just a drop-off point for husbands/partners etc. while the other half indulges some secret guilty pleasures on other stages, wanting to create something tangible with its own identity reached out to long-time friend and Ibiza stalwart Gee Moore with the idea of recreating the infamous Bora Bora parties in a small corner of Ireland.

Now, for those too young to have experienced Bora Bora in the 90s, it was the precursor to those legendary venues that (some) are still operating today minus the overinflated door tax and heavily overpriced drinks.

I dare say one of the last places that still held the original virtues of the white island post-Balearic days, where the people and the music were the be-all and end-all and not pigeonholed as it is today, sadly.

Techno, trance, breaks, deep house, and their offspring all nestled into the sandy soundtrack that made it the place to go in its heyday, which was formed with the sweat of Gee Moore and guest DJs who were rarely booked and often impromptu.

Tasked with recreating the feeling of this hedonistic time and place is quite a gathering of artists, all with tales to tell and a notch on the bedpost of dance music history.

Ticking all musical boxes from that decade is a stellar lineup across the three days and nights with Mr. C, Terry Farley, Gee Moore, Rocky (X-Press 2), DJ Jurgen, Jon Sa Trinxa, Acid House Cabaret, DJ Pipi, DannykayIbiza, and Weekend Vandals. Delivering both the unexpected and classic sounds from the island over that decade, all to a backdrop as closely aesthetically possible to the original Bora Bora.

I, for one, can’t wait and will be sharing the experience with you all with a full post-weekend review and chats with all involved in this wee slice of history. Until then, mofos…