The global nightlife industry lived this Wednesday one of its most important events of the year with the celebration of the tenth Golden Moon Awards gala, organized by the International Nightlife Association (INA) at the SH Valencia Palace hotel. The event, presented by DJs Anna Tur and Judge Jules, put the finishing touch to the 5th National Nightlife Congress and the 10th International Nightlife Congress, which for two days brought together in Valencia more than 65 international experts to discuss the present and future of the sector.
[UNVRS]: World’s Best Club 2025 in its first year
In a historic edition, [UNVRS] won the Golden Moon Award for “World’s Best Club 2025” after topping “The World’s 100 Best Clubs™ 2025” ranking.
The Ibizan club achieves this worldwide recognition in its first year of operation, an unprecedented achievement that places it as a global reference in nightlife.
The list, compiled by the INA from 545 nominated venues from 73 countries, consolidated Ibiza as the world leader: Hï Ibiza took second place after four consecutive years at number one, while Ushuaïa Ibiza closed the podium maintaining its third position.
The three nightclubs are part of Ushuaïa Entertainment, the company formed by Grupo de Empresas Matutes and Frenchman Yann Pissenem.
The Top 5 was completed by Bootshaus (Germany), which remained in fourth place, and Green Valley (Brazil), which dropped three places to fifth.
Spain leads the world ranking with 28 clubs
Spain is once again positioned as the country with the largest presence in the list “The World’s 100 Best Clubs™ 2025”, with a total of 28 venues, two more than the previous year.
Ibiza stands out as the most represented destination thanks to seven establishments: [UNVRS] (1), Hï Ibiza (2), Ushuaïa Ibiza (3), DC10, which remains in the eighth position, Pacha Ibiza which drops drastically six places, occupying the seventeenth place, Amnesia on the other hand, falls even nine places, occupying the twenty-sixth position and Lío Ibiza, settles two places lower than the previous year, reaching the seventy-sixth place.
It is followed by Barcelona and Madrid with four venues each. In the case of Barcelona, the venues that have made the list are Shôko Barcelona (7), Opium Barcelona (9), Sutton Barcelona (12) and Sala Apolo (34), and in the case of Madrid they are Shôko Madrid (22), Fitz Club (35) Fabrik (48) and LAB the Club (77).
On the other hand, the Girona town of Lloret de Mar has contributed a total of three premises; Disco Tropics, in 23rd place, St. Trop’, Other Spanish cities present in this prestigious ranking are Mallorca, with BCM Mallorca (15), Alicante, with Marmarela (50), and Torrevieja, with Velice Discoteca (57).
These are joined by Marbella, with Momento (80), Lleida, with Biloba (82), Salou, with Tropical Salou (85), Mataró, with Cocoa Mataró (90), Denia, with Condado Club (94), Barberà del Vallés, with La Píkkara (96), and Benidorm, with Insomnia Benidorm (99).
World’s Best DJ and other awards
The gala also honored outstanding figures in the music industry. Italian-American DJ and producer ANYMA was recognized as “World’s Best DJ 2025”, while Carl Cox received the award for “World’s Best DJ Career”. Meanwhile, the Cuban duo Pauza, formed by Paula Fernández and Zahira Sánchez, was distinguished as “World’s Best New Artist 2025”.
In the events category, Tomorrowland was again crowned “World’s Best Festival 2025” for the third consecutive year, and Brunch Electronik received the award for “World’s Best Event 2025”.
Safety, inclusion and sustainability
The gala also celebrated outstanding initiatives in key areas of the sector. Barcelona City Council was awarded the Golden Moon Award for “Best Collaborative Project in Nightlife Safety 2025” for the creation of the Night Office. The He.She.They brand won the award for “Best Initiative for Inclusion in the World Nightlife 2025”.
In terms of sustainability, La Pérgola Clandestina (Colombia) was recognized as “World’s Most Sustainable Club 2025”. The U.S.-based TAO Group received the award for “World’s Best Nightlife Business Group 2025”, while the Shôko Group of Barcelona was awarded for its “Best Performance in Excellence and Protection for Customers and Employees”.
The industry also celebrated the career of Juan Arnau Sr., co-owner of elrow, who received the Golden Moon Award for “Best Business Career in Nightlife Worldwide”.
An exhaustive selection process
The final vote combined a 50% online popular vote and a 50% evaluation by a specialized jury. The criteria evaluated included artistic programming, investment in the venue, security measures, VIP services, acoustics, sound quality, customer service, social media presence, quality certifications and the degree of commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
To ensure a thorough assessment, the organization asked each nominated club for a detailed supplemental information form, in addition to the data collection conducted by the NAC itself.
