Ibiza has long attracted those with an alternative and open-minded way of living: Artists, hippies, healers and ravers have all been welcomed with open arms as they followed the White Isle’s siren call.
But while headlines mostly continue to focus on Ibiza’s well-documented nightlife and club scene, the island’s spiritual side is slowly stepping out of the shadows – and is being embraced by visitors from all over the world.
In 2024, you are just as likely to find Full Moon ceremonies, crystal grid manifestation workshops and ecstatic dance parties on the Ibiza events calendar as you are to see the big club nights.
Several steps ahead of this ‘new wave’, Cosmic Pineapple founder Kim Booth brought her colourful and creative “mini festival” to the island in 2016.
Dipping into her enviable little black book of contacts to invite some of the world’s most respected DJs to play, Kim had the idea to combine the musical offering with a fantastical array of crafts, healing arts, esoteric wisdom, theatrical performances and food. Led by her intuition and backed by extensive experience in the music industry, Cosmic Pineapple became, arguably, the first event to fuse electronic music with a sprinkle of spirituality – and that famous ‘Ibiza magic’.
As the concept nears its first decade on the White Island, Kim tells us about the evolution of Cosmic Pineapple – from a spark of an idea to one of Ibiza’s most wonderful, quirky and thriving events.
Tell us a little bit about yourself and your story. How did you come up with the concept for Cosmic Pineapple?
I was born in England; I grew up on a council estate in the South and left home at 14. I first came to Ibiza when I was 16 when I was sent on holiday with my friend Tracy and her friends by my foster family. It was a completely wild week away, fuelled with alcohol and lots of sunburn.
This trip somehow inspired me to get into working with dance music and at 18, I started as work experience for dance music magazines. I then fell into PR and started my own music and events PR company when I was 23, called Rebel Butterfly. Through this and my job being remote, I had a lot of freedom and I began to travel.
Through travelling, I began to open up my spiritual connection via courses and teachings in Thailand, India and eventually the Americas. Cosmic Pineapple transpired in the middle of a medicine retreat in Mexico in 2012 – celebrating the end of the Mayan calendar.
How did you come up with the name? It certainly stands out on the Ibiza events calendar!
I remember seeing pineapples everywhere and thinking how happy they looked. I registered the domain – at the time I didn’t know why – and in 2015 I began “Cosmic” first as a website, sharing articles on information that I had been learning and wanted to share with others. And in 2016, the events began at Pikes.
Cosmic Pineapple was one of the first events on the island to combine electronic music with the spiritual and magical, no?
Coming from the established electronic side, I think so. Of course, there is also “Namaste” at Las Dalia, which has been going for a long time, but they have a more ‘earthy’ aspect rooted in a different way.
From my perspective, I wanted to merge this mystical and spiritual side of life into the electronic music realm that I came from, and bring a bit more consciousness back into dance music – especially on the island.
How has the event grown over the years? And what kind of wonders can we find at Cosmic Pineapple in 2024, specifically with the move to Cova Santa?
“Cosmic” is a huge creative experiment that is somehow always changing and evolving. It kind of has this DIY feel to it, and the element of surprise, which I always want to try and retain. I’m inspired a lot by the Talking Heads ‘Stop Making Sense’ film, how they keep building the live show as they go along, and that’s how it is each season: The story keeps unfolding.
I love Cova Santa – to me, each venue is like a canvas to curate and I adapt what we offer into that space. I guess now the main thing is that the dancefloors are a lot bigger and we have moved the cosmic activities around a little. With this move, I wanted to explore the idea that the dancefloor is a healing place and the DJs and music help to facilitate that and move energies.
During the day at Cova Santa we have a healing area with massage, tarot, and energy work, we have live artists on stage, who paint to the DJ’s music and I love seeing this! There are performers and medicine people weaving around, and the new “Earth Spirit” stage is where we have the more esoteric offerings and live music from medicine musicians. And then, of course, we have the cosmic cave, which is where the midnight prayer is held at every event.
And food! We have healthy but filling snacks like dumplings, cacao calls, and empanadas.
You have a lot of amazing friends and contacts in the electronic music industry. How do you create the line-ups for each year?
Thank you. Usually I draw up a list of ‘wants’ and figure out who would work with who, who is an interesting mix and so on. It never goes how you think it will go, as the pieces of the puzzle move and change, but somehow it works out and the energies become what they are! Doing the line-ups this year definitely gave me a few new grey hairs, and I have also been so lucky to meet and hear some amazing new music, which has really inspired me.
And getting to spend quality time with old friends is priceless! At the last Cosmic Pineapple party we had an amazing time with the Robert Johnson crew, and it reminded me why I love electronic music and the creativity and characters in it.
In the past, Cosmic Pineapple has been in support of charitable initiatives such as “Choose Love”. Do you continue to do so, and if yes, who are you working with this year?
Yes! We will always do this as it is a strong part of the ethos of “Cosmic” – give something back. The first event we did with Laurent Garnier, we worked with Earth Percent, the charity of Brian Eno, and raised 1,000 Euros. And for our first event at Cova Santa we worked with Share Tanzania – a charity chosen by Nightmares On Wax, and we raised 2,000 Euros. The main charity partner for this year will be Earth Percent, as they are doing great work on waking up the music industry to take better care of the planet.
Ibiza has always had a special kind of magic, but it seems that in recent years visitors from all over the world are becoming more curious about this side of the island. Would you agree?
Yes, I do agree on this. I think it shows the world in general is waking up. My hope is that people want to take better care of themselves, and each other, and the Earth.
What is your ultimate mission for Cosmic Pineapple? What would you still like to achieve in the next few years?
Ouf, no idea. I think it’s already doing its mission. Which is to inspire people to connect more to the “self”, the “other” and planet Earth. It’s like a baby I birthed and that is doing its own thing now. In a way I just have to step back and watch it grow, whilst guiding it when needed.
I personally just want to live on a hill in nature somewhere, with my big, strong, kind man who knows how to build things, and have my own family and lots of animals.
I would be very happy with this.
The next Cosmic Pineapple event is taking place at Cova Santa on Thursday, July 4th 2024. For further information visit www.cosmicpineapple.co.uk or follow @wellcosmicpineapple on Instagram.
