IMS Ibiza to spotlight and celebrate four decades of Jungle and Drum ‘n’ Bass

At IMS Ibiza 2024, DNB Data Transmission head honcho Shelley Dodds spearheaded a movement for greater Drum & Bass representation at the summit, calling for more panels, discussions, and festival line-up inclusion. She took direct action, bringing together the D&B community at IMS, forming a council to drive real change. One year later, we are thrilled to see these efforts realized with IMS Ibiza 2025 unveiling its most significant focus on Jungle and Drum & Bass to date.

For its sixteenth edition, IMS Ibiza will host a curated program celebrating four decades of Jungle and Drum & Bass, featuring industry leaders, pioneers, and new-generation innovators. The program will be accompanied by an exclusive headline event at Akasha Ibiza.

The summit will feature a series of insightful panels exploring the genre’s evolution, impact, and future. “Four Decades of Jungle & Drum & Bass” will take a deep dive into the genre’s cultural significance, tracing its journey from underground UK roots to its global influence today, with insights from figures like DJ Krust, Bailey, Charlie Tee, and Shogun Audio’s Keir Tyrer.

dtdnb · RENEGADE RIDDIMS: Charlie Tee

A crucial discussion on gender parity in the scene, “Too Many Man, Too Many Many Man”, will highlight the past, present, and future of female talent in D&B, featuring trailblazers like MC Chickaboo, Amy Jayne (LabelWorx), and Nicola Whiskey Kicks (AEI). Meanwhile, “From Local to Global” will analyze how Drum & Bass has expanded internationally, exploring trends in streaming, live events, and emerging markets with industry leaders from Spotify, Beatport, Hospital Records, and AEI.

Adding to the intergenerational theme of IMS 2025, SHERELLE will also take the stage in conversation with a Jungle icon, bridging the past and future of club culture through a Drum & Bass lens.

To cap off this landmark moment, IMS Ibiza will host a special event at Akasha Ibiza on Friday, April 25—“40 Years of Jungle & Drum & Bass.” Featuring a lineup that blends pioneers with fresh talent, the night will see performances from Bailey, Charlie Tee, Krust, Lens, Mark System, and Sherelle, with MC Chickaboo on hosting duties. This event promises to be a true celebration of the genre’s history, energy, and continued influence, set against the intimate and immersive backdrop of Akasha.

This marks a significant milestone for Drum & Bass at IMS, and it’s incredible to see this initiative—pushed forward by Shelley Dodds and the wider D&B community in 2024—now fully embraced by the IMS team.

Delegate Badges for IMS Ibiza are available now, with concessions for Students, under 27s, Ibiza Residents, and those using sustainable travel. Hotel packages at Mondrian Ibiza and Hyde Ibiza are also available, with a limited number of subsidized rooms at €95 per person, per night.

For full details and tickets, visit the IMS Ibiza website.

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Grahame Farmer

Grahame Farmer’s love affair with electronic music goes back to the mid-90s when he first began to venture into the UK’s beloved rave culture, finding himself interlaced with some of the country’s most seminal club spaces. A trip to dance music’s anointed holy ground of Ibiza in 1997 then cemented his sense of purpose and laid the foundations for what was to come over the next few decades of his marriage to the music industry.