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If you are looking for a place to party, check out the tiny island of Ibiza off the coast of Spain. Celebrities and fans from around the world gather every year to pay tribute to rockstar sensation Freddie Mercury of Queen.

The first party was held in 1987 to celebrate the legendary performer’s birthday. Now, more than 30 years later, people still get together the first weekend in September for the annual birthday bash.

One of rock and roll’s greatest legends

Freddie Mercury with a microphone
Freddie Mercury | Pete Still/Redferns

In 1946, Farrokh Bulsara, who later became known as Freddie Mercury, was born in Tanzania. He went on to become one of music’s greatest legends. The British rocker, known for his flamboyant lifestyle, blew fans away with his four-octave vocal range. As the frontman for the classic band Queen, Mercury had a knack for blending glam rock and heavy metal. 

The group released their first album in 1973, but it wasn’t until the single “Bohemian Rhapsody” debuted that they received worldwide recognition. The song remained at the top of the British charts for nine weeks, only to be followed up by iconic hits such as “We Are the Champions” and “We Will Rock You.”

According to Britannica, “By the early 1980s, Queen had become an international phenomenon, drawing particular attention for its elaborately staged performances in enormous venues.”

Rock Pasta dug up a rare 1982 Entertainment Tonight interview with Mercury. The legendary rock star said, “I don’t really take myself that seriously, not anymore.” He explained how he liked to have “a good time just fooling around on stage,” saying, “I wasn’t afraid to fall flat on my face.” The Queen frontman told reporters, “If I’m seen to be having fun on stage, I think it kind of comes across, which is good.”

Freddie Mercury knew how to party

Known for his lavish lifestyle, Mercury loved partying with friends. In 1985, the fun-loving vocalist threw a flamboyant over-the-top party at the Henderson Club in Munich, Germany. The black and white themed party was in honor of Mercury’s 39th birthday.

Two years later, the “Don’t Stop Me Now” singer chose the Pikes Hotel on the island of Ibiza for his birthday bash. Known for its wild parties, including hardcore drugs and uninhibited sexual rendezvous, the hotel was a regular stomping ground for the Queen frontman.

According to Dangerous Minds, “Mercury flew 700 of his pals to the island off the coast of Spain” to help him celebrate his 41st birthday. The “party to end all parties” was such a hit that it gained legendary status.

The Pikes Hotel now goes by the name of Ibiza Rocks House. Every year the hotel still holds a birthday party for the iconic rock star. Mercury, who died in 1991 from AIDS, may not be there to join the partygoers, but his spirit will live on forever.

Freddie Rocks Ibiza

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It’s been 37 years since Mercury held his epic party at Pikes Hotel. The celebration is still going strong, now a charity event to support the Mercury Phoenix Trust, a non-profit organization that fiercely fights to eradicate HIV.

Attendees of the annual event embrace the “Freddie for a Day” theme with exquisite costumes and a party-hard attitude. Throughout the small town, partygoers can be spotted wearing a fake black mustache to honor one of the greatest rockers that ever lived.

The “Crazy Little Thing Called Love ” singer was born on September 5, 1946. This year celebrates what should have been Mercury’s 75th birthday, and according to GayTravel4U, the “Freddie Rocks Ibiza” party promises to be wild.