Caffeine high: Why early morning sober dance parties are all the rave
It’s nine o’clock on Saturday morning and a Gold Coast rooftop venue is going off.
As the morning sun filters through the top floor of JuJu Restaurant, activewear-clad punters dance to high-energy house grooves. Everyone is fresh faced and vibrant, the DJ included, sipping not on wine coolers or RTDs, but flat whites and specially curated Red Bull mocktails. It’s almost as if the party kicked off two hours ago and not 10pm the night before.
And that’s because it did.
Sober morning dance parties have grown in popularity. Picture: Facebook / AM Social
Welcome to AM Social – one of the many alcohol-free, caffeine-fuelled dance parties taking over cafes and restaurants across Australia.
“We’re not normally open until 11am so it was certainly a different experience for us. A big part of the appeal was exposing a younger crowd to our venue who might come back for lunch or dinner,” JuJu co-owner Cody Beck noted of his collaboration with AM Social.
“Funnily enough, the vibes were higher than what you might ordinarily see in a nightclub. It was cool to see everyone dancing and having so much fun, yet they’re all sober. We had around 300 people through the doors that morning, so we were very impressed with the turnout.”
The brainchild of Brisbane native Nick Stallard, AM Social threw its first sober rave in May in a small Albion laneway behind Fonzie Abbott Coffee Roasters.
“It was a tight community of around 100 people who were all willing to give something different a go. Once we posted it to social media the traction really kicked off. We had so many people asking us when the next one was going to be,” Mr Stallard explained.
In the space of six months, AM Social has six parties under its belt and amassed 17,000 Instagram followers in the process.
Inspired by similar events in the US and Europe, early morning dance parties held in coffee shops and restaurants are now sweeping across Australia. Picture: Facebook / AM Social
Mr Stallard said the crowds are getting bigger and demand is growing.
“The JuJu party in Mermaid Beach was our first event outside of Brisbane, so there’s demand coming from outside of where we normally operate. We’ve had venue owners around the country asking when they can host us. We have plans to throw a party in Sydney by the end of the year.”
Health-conscious raving
Inspired by similar events witnessed in the US, UK, Mexico, Canada, Argentina and the Netherlands, early morning dance parties held in coffee shops and restaurants are now sweeping across Australia.
Akin to the fro-yo revival, the sober rave phenomenon is another viral trend that has health and budget conscious Gen Z-ers jumping on board in ever-increasing numbers, in this instance swapping late-night revelry in favour of sunrise socialising.
Almost every Australian capital city now has its own incarnation; Maple Social Club in Sydney, Mix & Matcha in Melbourne, and Coffee Sessions in Adelaide to name just a few.
Charmaine Schembri, founder of Elevate Marketing + Communications, said sober morning raves have taken off because they align perfectly with the values of Gen Z and younger millennials.
“Younger generations are becoming more conscious of how they fuel their bodies and social media has accelerated this shift. We don’t just see people out at night anymore – we’re constantly seeing health and fitness creators promoting early mornings, movement and mindfulness. That repetition is seeping into mindsets, even subconsciously,” she explained.
Not an alcoholic drink in sight. Picture: Supplied / Milklab
It’s only natural that the warmer climate Australian cities are where many of these events have grown in popularity, Ms Schembri added, where people naturally value early mornings, outdoor lifestyles and wellness.
“They’re not about escapism like traditional raves, they’re about empowerment, connection and starting the day with energy. It’s a really positive cultural shift. Why waste a morning hungover, when you can begin on a sober high and carry it through the rest of your day?”
“It also makes sense economic sense. Young people aren’t going out as much in the evening, but they’re still going out for their coffee in the morning. It’s a lot more affordable to have a $6 coffee than go out and spend $20 on a cocktail at nighttime.”
While Nick Stallard agrees many people attend AM Social for its sober vibes, others view the parties as complimentary to nighttime clubbing.
“I think a lot of people just love to be out socialising to good music, regardless of whether it’s a sober or drinking experience. So we do our best to deliver great DJs, solid music and an inclusive atmosphere.”
Big brands and huge acts
Unsurprisingly, major brands are rushing in to secure their piece of the sober rave action.
Red Bull, regarded for its collaborations in the global music scene for decades, has already sponsored several AM Social parties.
“They help us with a lot of assets on the day and give away a lot of free Red Bulls and things like that to our community, which they love,” said Nick Stallard.
“We’re also working with Footlocker, who are a great fit, pardon the pun. They match the theme of what we’re going with and align with the whole running club morning vibe as well.”
Red Bull is getting in on the sober-rave-wave, sponsoring several AM Social events. Picture: Facebook / AM Social
Aussie plant-based milk brand, Milklab, has taken things a step further, launching its own series of DJ-led coffee shop parties, aptly named Coffee Shop Sets.
The brand has hosted some 20 parties around the country since February – the first held at Project 281 Coffee Roasters in Melbourne and headlined by none other than Australian music sensation, Tones And I.
“That was a rather intimate one to kick things off, but the vibe was still electric,” said Milklab marketing manager, Natalie Latimore.
“Since then, we’ve had all kinds of acts perform. Our most recent party at Matinee Coffee in Marrickville was actually headlined by some of the baristas who work there, who are DJs on the side. It was definitely one of our more high-energy events.”
Aussie plant-based milk brand, Milklab, has launched its own series of DJ-led coffee shop parties including one headlined by Australian music sensation, Tones And I. Picture: Supplied
Ms Latimore said Milklab’s Coffee Shop Sets were a new approach for businesses to promote themselves in different and exciting ways – a necessity in these tough economic times.
“Our events are all about supporting cafes by putting on live acts to draw people into their venues, whether it’s a local DJ or a big name like Tones & I. And at the end of the day, it’s the cafes who are benefitting from the increased footfall and consumers purchasing drinks.”
Aussie bred, globally renowned DJ and producer Chris Emerson – better known as What So Not – is another big star attached to the coffee shop rave movement, recently performing a morning set in the carpark of Micrology Coffee Roasters in Perth.
According to Emerson, sober parties aren’t just about health and wellness, but a social reaction to many nightclubs shutting down due to council overregulation.
“Australians will always find a way to party,” Mr Emerson told realcommercial.com.au.
“These [early morning] events prove how much dance music culture means to people, no matter the setting or time of day. Watching the morning crowd conquer their nerves, sober, smiling and raving, giving it their all with kids on shoulders, it doesn’t get much better. The energy I’ve seen at these pop-ups has sometimes rivalled the sunrise sets I’ve been to in Europe.”
Iced coffees and lattes only at this rave. Picture: Supplied
Nick Stallard has plans for high-profile DJs to grace the AM Social decks in the near future.
“It can be a bit hard to lock them down because they either cost a lot of money or have very tight schedules. On the positive side, it’s unlikely they’ll be booked out at nine o’clock in the morning. And we have plenty of coffee to wake them up.”
With AM Social looking to expand into new states and Milklab gearing up for a big Brisbane event later this month, headlined by a high-profile Australian DJ, the future of coffee-fuelled sober raving looks bright.
“Summer is about to kick off with people going out more, so I think we’re about to see momentum really pick up,” Natalie Latimore said.
“Everyone loves music because it’s a great way to connect, so we’ll continue to use it as a tool for good.”
