The BPM diary: Day One

We will be stationed at BPM Festival in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, reporting daily on the madness from the beach and beyond

There is a palpable energy in the tropical air of Playa Del Carmen as hundreds of fans wait for the doors to open at the kick-off parties of the BPM Festival 2015. Lots have arrived days before the official start date (with some still rolling through from Christmas and New Year) and the atmosphere is fizzing. Bikinis are donned, chests are waxed (really), margaritas mixed – let's do this.

Our first stop is Carl Cox and Friends at the beautifully renovated and expanded Mamitas Beach Club, where the master himself receives a thunderous ovation from fans as he arrives onstage. He destroys the beach-side venue with his patented style of hard hitting, funky techno.

Soon after, we make our way over to the incredible Canibal Royal to catch the sunset at the Rumors gathering featuring label head Guy Gerber, Chaim, Bill Patrick and Lauren Lane.

Polar opposite to the sleek, models-and-bottles scene at Mamitas, the Rumors jam offers a tropical vibe, a stunning background filled with palm trees, tons of nooks, a couple crannies and the best sets of the day from the Rumors clan, particularly Bill Patrick, who absolutely smashes it.

Later in the night, Maya Jane Coles throws down alongside Dusky, Jimmy Edgar, Kim Ann Foxman and Heidi at the also newly renovated Blue Parrot Beach Club. A swift, massive influx of people makes the door at the Blue Parrot a bit of a struggle but it's worth it once we are greeted by the thunderous soundsystem.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the Difficult People party at Tabu featured the Wildkats boys, Bastard Love, Midnight Perverts, Raxon and more in the smartly designed, multi-tiered nightclub. A perfect way to end a great first day at BPM and rest up for the 9 days ahead. This is a marathon, not a sprint!