Established in 1999 by former AM:PM and Cooltempo A&R specialist Simon Dunmore and initially funded by London nightclub and label Ministry of Sound, Defected's first release was Soulsearcher's "I Can't Get Enough", which reached No.

Iconic club tracks such as Masters at Work's "To Be in Love" and Paul Johnson's "Get Get Down" dropped in Defected's first year, followed by Bob Sinclar's "I Feel for You" and Kings of Tomorrow's "Finally", with Julie McKnight.

[2] In late 2016, Defected hit its 500th release, a catalogue that has included singles from artists such as Bob Sinclar, Kings of Tomorrow, Masters at Work, Inner City, Dennis Ferrer, Lenny Fontana, Roy Davis Jr., DJ Gregory,[3] Mr G, MK and more recently Franky Rizardo,[4] Purple Disco Machine,[5] Amine Edge & Dance,[6] Peggy Gou and many more.

12 in the UK and was a hit all over Europe and in Australia, achieving one of the longest runs of all time in the German singles charts and going on to sell over one million copies worldwide.

In addition, they have released a number of underground hits from both seminal recordings artists and up and coming DJs and producers, including Inner City's "Future", Intruder feat.

Jai's "Amame", Flashmob's "Need in Me", Pirupa's "Party Non Stop", Candi Staton's "Hallelujah Anyway", Noir & Haze's "Around", FCL's "It's You", Kings of Tomorrow feat.

April's "Fall for You", Rachel Row's "Follow the Step" and Storm Queen's "Look Right Through", many of which have won awards or gone on to be some of the biggest club records of the year.

Initially, the events were hosted at Space Ibiza, where it quickly garnered a reputation for its uplifting blend of house and disco music, along with its eclectic mix of performers and DJs.

Glitterbox Recordings has put out music by Aeroplane (featuring Tawatha Agee from Mtume),[31] Purple Disco Machine, The Shapeshifters and Mousse T.[32] Defected holds regular events in London at Studio 338, Ministry of Sound and Printworks.

This initial event marked the beginning of a long-standing relationship between the label and the island, with Defected becoming a prominent name in the Ibiza club scene over the years.

[37] From the 2017 to 2023 seasons, Defected moved to Eden in San Antonio, holding a 20+ week residency there every Friday, along with hosting Café Mambo on Sundays.

[38] For the 2024 season, Defected moved to Ushuaïa in Playa d'en Bossa, taking up a 22-event residency every Tuesday at the beach hotel to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

Artists on the lineup have included Eats Everything, Sam Divine, MK, Kenny Dope, Franky Rizardo, Derrick Carter, Roger Sanchez, Claptone and Basement Jaxx.

[41] The festival hosted a crowd of 12,000 and had a line-up that included Masters at Work, Dennis Ferrer, Dimitri from Paris, Claptone, Sam Divine, Purple Disco Machine,[5] The Shapeshifters, Miss Honey Dijon and more.