1. Christos, tell us a little bit about yourself. What is your background and what is your connection to FarOut Beach Club?
Hello and thank you for taking the time to include our side of the story. My name is Christos Mykoniatis and my family has been building and expanding FarOut since 1977. My grandfather was the founder and visionary of our resort. Together with my father, uncle and the support of the local community they built a safe haven for like minded people looking to escape reality. I have now stepped in to manage the Beach Club and Event side of things, trying to implement the changes for the new generation, we are bringing like minded people from all over the world together. Hope you are one of them this summer!
2. How would you describe Ios as a local, to a person who has never heard of it before? And what do you love most about your island home?
Ios Island is a special place that makes everyone feel like a kid again. It is tough to say what I love the most because this is my home but I really can’t wait for the summer, I can’t wait to welcome all the party people. One other very special part of being an Ios island local is that we are all a big family here. There is a special vibe in our community, you have to experience it yourself.
3. For many people, FarOut Beach Club has become one of the main reasons why they want to travel to Ios. What’s the history of FarOut – how did it start, and what is it today?
It all started in the 70’s during the peace , love and music revolution. Back in 1977 it was called FarOut Cafe, a small family business. My father was the cashier, my uncle was playing music & my grandmother was in the kitchen. You can find photos in our archive and really understand where it all started, people sharing the same mindset travelled from all around the world to Mylopotas Beach. Our business now offers different hospitality options for every traveller, from a cheap camping tent to a luxury suite with a private pool. Our FarOut family has grown so much since then, today FarOut is synonymous with escaping reality as we offer everything you will ever need for the ideal vacation with our main attraction FarOut Beach Club. Over the past few years we have been hosting international DJ superstars featured in the biggest stages across the world, stay tuned for our summer lineup!
4. Obviously you have a cool job. Running the events at a Superclub like that, hanging out with the DJ’s, making friends with them. What is the toughest part about your job?
It is beautiful to host all these artists that travel all around the planet. We exchange ideas and talk about our shared interests, making sure people have the time of their lives. One of the most difficult aspects of the job is the scheduling. Ios Island is hard to reach and the biggest challenge is to arrange transportation and make all the dates work for us and for the artist management. We take a big risk of booking the artists and figuring out the best possible way of working together. So far no one has cancelled a show last minute, we are very grateful towards the booking agents and managers who have the patience to figure out the best way possible to work with us.
5. Do you have any funny stories to share with us, of a day that was particularly difficult?
One day I will never forget was a couple of summers ago. It was during one of the many Will Sparks shows, not sure which one. Will was stopping by Ios Island during one of his busiest European summer tours, it was also a busy time for us during high season. At FarOut we are always looking forward to the Sparks shows, Will’s energy is very special. After a long journey to reach our island from I don’t know where was their last gig Will’s tour manager, Dylan messages me that Will is sick. At that point I did not know what to think, I panicked and I was already thinking of a way to postpone the show and also figuring out ways to explain to my father and uncle that he will not be performing. It was terrible, I checked with my people and they confirmed he did not look ready to rave. Fast forward thirty minutes before the show Will walked up to me and said “I am sorry Christos but I cannot play today, Οχι ρε χαζε (im’ kidding you dummy – in Greek)”. It was all a prank, Will Sparks and the crew were definitely feeling a little off because of their hectic routine but the show was amazing as always!
6. Summer is over, what does your time in the off-season look like? Is it more work or more play?
The off-season is where most of the work for the summer season happens but its definitely more relaxed. The island quietens down and we have a chance to see what went right and what went wrong during the three hectic months of the summer. My uncle and father stay very active during the off-season, they both love FarOut so much. They always find ways to keep us all busy, trust me.
7. As we know, people are already planning their 2020 trips, and they are curious… Can you tell us anything about the planned DJ line up for next summer yet?
Unfortunately we cannot say or promise anything. Closing and confirming the dates is one of the challenges we face every year. If you follow us on instagram @faroutbeachclub and stay updated with our facebook calendar you will be one of the first to know!
8. How are the DJ´s behind the scenes? Do they mostly wanna chill after their gigs, or are you taking them on some little pub crawls? What is their impression of Ios? After all they have seen the whole world.
The DJ’s are very cool behind the scenes, they get to travel around the world as you said and their perspective and attitude always rubs off on us a little bit. To be honest, it really depends on their schedule. Most of the DJ’s we book visit us during the peak of the European summer, some perform in festivals like Ultra Croatia, Tomorrowland and Parookaville. Most of the times we try to push for a bar crawl in the village because its something you have to experience. If we succeed things get crazy, if we don’t it means that the artists would prefer to relax and we take them out to a local restaurant. Their impression of Ios island is very special, they tell us that the vibe of our island is unique.
9. What is the relationship with FarOut Beach Club and Life is a Beach Party?
We have a great relationship with Life Is A Beach Party. We have known the guys since they started 7-8 years ago & every season we collaborate to ensure that people travelling with Life is a Beach Party have the time of their lives. We can see how much energy the Life is a Beach Party groups bring to our venue and they definitely know how to party! Over the past years we have been working with Renè who is a really cool guy and knows the business. He makes sure everything runs smoothly and as a return the FarOut family always takes good care of Life is a Beach Party ravers. We hosted some crazy events together and filmed some our first aftermovies, go check them out and get ready to become part of the new ones!
10. And finally, when you have some time off. Where are your favorite destinations to travel to, and why?
My favourite destination is Miami during Miami Music Week. It is a wonderful time of the year where people from the music industry meet up to party & connect. I like to travel there because we get to meet the people behind the emails and we get to listen to the new trends of music, it’s a place where I get inspired what to book for the summer.
Website: FarOut Beach Club
Life is a Beach Party Team