Inside sprawling abandoned Majorca nightclub that once hosted 10,000 party-goers with naked dancers & its sinister past

CREEPING through its surreal grounds, my eyes were swallowed by the sheer monstrosity of the colossal abandoned nightclub – a hulking concrete relic that once throbbed with thousands of revellers and celebrities. Emblazoned with vivid graffiti, the once-glitzy walls of Majorca’s infamous Es Fogueró club have been transformed into a sprawling canvas across crumbling walls. The ruins of Majorca’s infamous Es Fogueró club Credit: Alamy The Sun visited the abandoned arena in the holiday hotspot Credit: Doug Seeburg The structure now sits mouldering in eerie silence. What was once a glittering temple to Majorca’s nightlife has become a derelict underworld of graffiti, weeds, rats and makeshift shelters. The desolate concrete beast, perched beside a busy highway, closed its doors in 1992 – and has barely stirred since. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! For more than three decades, the enormous shell has deteriorated its once-raucous dancefloors reduced to hollow chambers. Since then, the decay-ridden estate has been claimed by a population of homeless migrants, drug dealers, skaters and graffiti artists. People now sleep in the abandoned nightclub Credit: Doug Seeburg/News Group Newspapers Ltd The forgotten club has become a derelict underworld of graffiti and weeds Credit: Alamy People now sleep on bare concrete slabs tucked into the strange recesses and cavities of the building – spaces that once accommodated dancers now repurposed as crude bedrooms. Its sinister atmosphere was made worse in 2010 when a 61-year-old man was found dead at the foot of a staircase. Initially, his death was thought to have been an accident after he fell while living at the abandoned site alongside other homeless people. But an autopsy revealed the man had reportedly suffered a fatal blow to the head from a blunt object. Most read in The Sun The colossal ruins once hosted sprawling parties Credit: Alamy A man was found dead at the foot of a staircase in the venue 16 years ago Credit: Doug Seeburg/News Group Newspapers Ltd Yet despite its grim history, the skeletal remains of Es Fogueró continue to lure urban explorers, who venture into its immense interior each year to glimpse what survives of the once-glamorous entertainment colossus. Inside, rows of concrete pillars line the circular structure, standing inches from the outer walls and creating narrow, shadowy nookes. These secluded pockets have become sleeping quarters, with mattresses wedged between the concrete. I found Michael, 32, asleep inside one of the crevices near an entrance – a tiny pocket of concrete he had transformed into a makeshift bedroom. The venue is located near Port d’Alcúdia on the north-east coast of Majorca Credit: Doug Seeburg The club has been left to rot Credit: Google Maps “There are around 25 people living here,” he said. The Ghanaian man, who works as a cleaner in hotels, told me he had been living at the site for around a year. He also recalled a Hungarian man who had previously lived there and died on the grounds from dehydration. His story offered a glimpse into Majorca’s increasingly bitter housing crisis – an issue that has fuelled mass protests across the island as residents rail against the impact of tourism and soaring housing costs. More than 25,000 people were reported to have taken to the streets of Palma during one major protest, with campaigners accusing mass tourism of hollowing out local communities and eroding residents’ quality of life. “Even though some of us work, we still have to sleep on the floor here,” Michael said. Around me, litter had infiltrated almost every corner of the structure and the air was thick with the acrid reek of urine. Es Fogueró once hosted around 2,000 revellers a night. Situated on the outskirts of Port d’Alcúdia on the north-east coast of Majorca, the extraordinary venue boasted a revolving, retractable stage, vast terraces and balconies designed to turn a night out into something approaching theatre. The club opened its doors in the summer of 1989 with world-famous Spanish singer Julio Iglesias headlining its launch. Horses were brought onto the stage, while flamenco performances, games and elaborate theatrical acts turned the venue into a carnival. Former attendees have recalled strobe lights slicing through the darkness and speakers supposedly so enormous they were “the size of trucks”. It was a world away from the desiccated concrete shell that stands here today. The club’s founder, José Casas, had already successfully established the concept in Palma, but the Alcúdia venture struggled to replicate that success. Its location was reportedly a major stumbling block, with fewer tourists venturing to this side of the island compared with the bustling resort towns further south including Magaluf. Its hefty entrance fees and exclusive image are thought to have put off punters, while the cost of running such a huge venue became harder to sustain as takings fell. Just three years after opening, Es Fogueró Palace finally shut its doors in 1992. The once-packed party palace was abandoned almost overnight, leaving behind a sprawling relic of Majorca’s wild nightlife era. Outside, a former shallow pool has since been turned into a makeshift skate park. But it too has fallen into disrepair, with weeds now choking the pit and pushing through the cracked concrete. Comment now