Coffee raves are the new club scene
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Coffee ravers move in front of sun-soaked windows in Los Angeles. Photo: Courtesy of Daybreaker
There's a growing kind of club scene for people who like the word "espresso" in front of "shot": coffee raves.
Why it matters: Daytime dance parties are redefining nightlife for the sober-curious crowd, offering high-energy parties without the hangover.
By the numbers: Coffee clubbing events are up 478% compared to last year, per Eventbrite.
- Attending is cheaper than getting bottle service: Tickets are typically under $60 and often include alcohol-free drinks.
What's happening: DJs spin daytime sets at coffee shops and event spaces nationwide.
- Big names in "soft clubbing" — as Eventbrite calls it — include Be You Disco, House of Coffee Music Festival and Daybreaker.
- Events can mix yoga, live music, cold plunges and saunas, and high fives.
Catch up quick: Daybreaker was a major pioneer of the format in 2013, when it launched early-morning weekday dance parties in New York City.
- The idea came out of a 4am conversation over falafels. Friends Radha Agrawal and Matthew Brimer looked "like hell" after a long night of partying, and "we both realized that we really want to tuck ourselves in by 10pm," Agrawal tells Axios.
- They became Daybreaker's co-founders with this concept: Combine "nightlife" and "wellness" to create a community-oriented, health-forward morning event.
What they did: Daybreaker replaced alcohol with green juice, replaced a bouncer with a "hugging committee," and offered "wow moments" every 15 minutes, Agrawal says. Think aerialists, fire spinners and breakdancers to keep the sober dancers energized.
- "It just took off," Agrawal says. Now, most of their parties are on the weekends.
- More than a decade later, Daybreaker is hosting 100 events this year, Agrawal says, and there are infinite derivatives across the U.S.
The intrigue: Sober dance parties are an obvious fit for Gen Z, but they welcome attendees of all ages: Even Jane Goodall has attended Daybreaker with her friends, Agrawal says.
- Pro tip: For people used to dancing with the help of "liquid courage," you might just spectate at your first couple sober events. Agrawal has studied this, saying it can take seven times before you're comfortable in the center of the dance circle.
What's next: Beyond parties, daylong sober music festivals are coming to the U.S.
- Daybreaker plans to host a few, after holding its first one in London's Hackney Bridge last month, Agrawal says.
