Ibiza has once again been the center of attention in recognizing the female talent of our society. This time, it was through the fifth edition of the Tanit Ibiza Congress & Awards, which this weekend celebrated the careers of ten women with ties to Ibiza who have helped transform the island in fields such as gastronomy, the arts, tourism, media, culture, medicine, and music. The event also included the presentation of the national Tanit Spirit 2026 awards to journalist and director of Antena 3 Noticias 1, Sandra Golpe; actress and content creator Carola Baleztena; and the president of the NGO Nuevo Futuro, Josefina Sánchez-Errázuriz.
The gala, held this past weekend at the Jesús Cultural Center in the municipality of Santa Eulària des Riu, revealed the surprise award presented to Elena Ruiz Sastre and paid a posthumous tribute to Lina Bufí Juan and Vicky Ferrazzano.
The event also served to present Equilibria, a pioneering study that gathered the opinions and experiences of nearly a thousand participants to measure the reality of women working in tourism. The initiative turned Ibiza into a testing ground for reflecting on the challenges facing the sector.
The ceremony, hosted by actress Patricia Mari-Pino, combined recognition, reflection, and artistic performances. Choreographer and dancer Yaima Arias, accompanied by DJ Cristina Quirós, opened the evening, which continued with a talk by Eva Ballarín, co-founder of Tanit Ibiza Conexion.
Subsequently, the three winners of the Tanit Spirit 2026 Awards participated in the panel discussion “The Tightrope,“ moderated by Alicia Reina, who is also a co-organizer of Tanit Ibiza Conexion. The dynamic, original, and interactive session, with a touch of humor, encouraged reflection on leadership, work-life balance, sacrifices made, and the price of success through probing questions and decisions expressed on posters. The event highlighted that there is no single way to achieve success or to find a balance between personal and professional life.
After the performance by Cristina Quirós, the Tanit Spirit awards were presented, followed by the Tanit Ibiza awards ceremony. Carolina Escandell, Councillor for Social Welfare, Family, and Equality of the Ibiza Council, closed the event, which culminated with a performance by Yaima Arias along with her dancers and the traditional group photo.
Ten stories that helped illuminate Ibiza
The Tanit Ibiza 2026 Awards ceremony paid tribute to the women who have preserved the defining characteristics of the island and successfully transformed them into a vision for the future. Journalist Sonia Ribas Torres received the Tanit Communicator award, in recognition of a career dedicated to reporting on current events and bringing the stories of Ibiza to the public through the press and radio. Chef Catalina Riera Marí, the heart and soul of Ca n’Alfredo, received the Tanit Gastrónoma award for keeping traditional Ibizan cuisine alive, along with her recipes and a way of understanding the table as a space for gathering and cultural transmission.
In the field of creative arts, painter Marta Torres Marí received the Tanit Creadora award for an artistic career in which she has interpreted the light, landscapes, and identity of Ibiza through her work. Meanwhile, businesswoman Ana Bigas Saltó, associated with Ramat, received the Tanit Hotelera award for her contribution to the tourism sector and to a culture of hospitality deeply rooted on the island.
Social commitment and community service were the main focus of the ceremony. The Tanit Solidària award was presented to educator Belén Alvite Gregori for her work in support and prevention through the Center for the Study and Prevention of Addictive Behaviors (CEPCA), especially in the areas of education and the well-being of families and young people. Dr. Montse Viñals Gigena received the Tanit Pioneer Award, a tribute to her professional career in medicine and to the women who paved the way in fields where they were a minority for decades.
Music also played a prominent role among the awards. Violinist and conductor Lina Tur Bonet received the Tanit Emprendedora Award for having built an artistic career of international prestige, for developing musical projects, and for bringing talent from Ibiza to stages in various countries.
In one of the moments that was kept secret until the day of the ceremony, the identity of the winner of the Tanit Prize for Art and Culture 2026 was revealed: Elena Ruiz Sastre, director of the Ibiza Museum of Contemporary Art (MACE), received the award in recognition of her contribution to the preservation, promotion, and dissemination of the island’s contemporary art.
