Plans for rebirth of legendary Ku Ibiza nightclub as chain sets its sights on the Costa del Sol

The company behind the legendary Ku Ibiza nightclub chain wants it to be reborn in the heart of the Costa del Sol. The owners of the name, which was considered to have the best nightclub in the world during the 80s, are looking for premises in the Marbella area to revive the brand.

The company headed by nightlife entrepreneur Santiago Llorens is actively looking for locations with a view to opening next summer. For the time being, he says that he has already held conversations with different groups of hoteliers interested in making the project a reality.

The businessman explained that the future Ku Marbella will adapt the appropriate form to the space they find, which could be a nightclub, a beach club or even a restaurant. "There have been conversations with entrepreneurs interested in opening franchises using the brand in good locations," he said.

Llorens considers Marbella to be an ideal location because it has "one of the best audiences in the world" and because for any prestigious brand "it is important to be present in such emblematic locations". Ku currently has a venue in Benidorm.

With more than 25 years of experience as a nightlife entrepreneur, Llorens has been a franchisee for more than ten years of the Pachá group with the Pachito nightclubs in the Olympic Port of Barcelona and in Terrassa Leisure Centre, and with the Pachá nightclub in Maresme (Barcelona). He has also managed two of the most important clubs in Spain: Pachá Madrid and Joy Eslava Madrid.

Ku was Ibiza's first large-format discotheque and the echo of its endless nights still resonates on the island. It was founded by three Basque entrepreneurs in 1978 in the San Rafael club and for more than a decade it represented the spirit of freedom, spectacle and transgression that characterised the island's wild years. Ku Ibiza was considered the largest discotheque in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records.

Throughout the 1980s, Ku was at the forefront of Spain's nightlife culture. Visitors from all over Spain and Europe came to the iconic venue. It was the birthplace of the well-known group Locomía and hosted historic moments, such as the meeting between Montserrat Caballé and Freddie Mercury performing the anthem of the Barcelona Olympics.

The club closed in 1990, when it was renamed Privilege, a brand that operated for more than 25 years. The Ibizan pavilion is currently under construction to house the UNVRS nightclub, owned by the same people as Ushuaïa and Hï Ibiza.