Gen Z are ditching nightlife in favour of ‘soft clubbing’ - here’s how the coffee shop became the new rave

When we look around at nightlife, it's nothing like it was 10 years ago. Clubs that would have once had droves of people queued outside on a Saturday night now stand desolate, and Gen Z are ditching drinking in bars in favour of wellness.

The signs are everywhere too; dance music festival, Creamfields, this year introduced a daily 5K run and on-site gym to its programming, and daytime pop-ups are becoming the event of choice for twenty-something-year-olds seeking sober socialisation.

Welcome to the era of soft clubbing.

Soft clubbing is the go-to new term to describe this shift in party culture - whether that's DJ pop-ups in coffee shops, or cold plunge speed dating.

This isn't just a fluke either - EventBrite has reported a 478 per cent increase in coffee clubbing events, a 20 per cent increase in morning dance parties, and 1,105 per cent increase in attendance at thermal gatherings.

“This movement isn’t about giving something up—it’s about choosing more,” says Roseli Ilano, Eventbrite’s Head of Community & Trends Expert. “More presence, more intention, more joy. Gen Z is redefining what it means to go out, and they’re turning to experiences that nourish the body and soul as much as they entertain.”

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So just why has 'soft' clubbing taken centre stage over the night out we knew and loved?

Firstly, going out is expensive. Everything has increased in price in recent years, and people are now being more mindful of how they spend their cash - that means choosing events that give them genuine benefit, whether in the form of proper time to catch up with friends, or boosting their wellbeing - rather than being found on a dance floor.

Secondly - forming genuine connection is hard. Between Covid lockdowns stunting friendships and a chronically online generation; young people today are far lonelier than generations before us.

So, naturally, instead of going out and waking up with no recollection of how you'd just spend the last 12 hours, Gen Z are now seizing every opportunity they can to build real relationships and properly socialise in a way they'll remember the next morning and beyond, free from hangxiety.

Choosing daytime events is also more practical on every level, whether it's balancing a career with a social life, or being able to enjoy events while still having the evening to unwind, as well as the safety aspect of not roaming the streets during the early hours.

Daybreaker is one of the brands embracing the wellness generation, and they're now throwing sober, afternoon raves in over 60 cities, and getting major DJs on board. One of their most recent was in London, and saw Groove Armada headlining.

“For 13 years, Daybreaker has been laying the groundwork for a new kind of party culture - one where belonging, joy, and the technology of dance meet wellness and self-care,” founder and CEO, Radha Agrawal told the events platform of how it came to be. “Younger audiences are done with the all-nighters; they want to wake up feeling alive, not depleted. Daytime, coffee-fueled gatherings aren’t just events—they’re a cultural shift, and after more than a decade of building this movement, it’s clear the future of partying is bright, healthy, and connected.”

Similarly, earlier this year, LAB 54, one of London's leading events companies, teamed up with IKEA to throw a major party playing techno and house music among the city's coolest crowd...except it was in a coffee shop and finished at 6pm.

The House Of Happiness has equally become hugely popular among sober clubbers, bringing the typical rave experience (glitter and lights, and all), without a drop of alcohol in sight, to their tight-knit community - who often sell their events out.

"I don't think we're boring, I just think the way we've socialised has changed because we went through a whole lockdown where we couldn't socialise in the way that we would have", Olivia Bennett, who turned 18 in the midst of the pandemic, told followers in a TikTok addressing the shift.

"We found new ways to socialise that weren't going out and spending loads of money on drinks."

While some may worry this is the doomsday of club culture, it's about time we accept that this is merely a turning point in how we do partying - and frankly, nightlife no longer needs to wait for the night to begin.

Why not read...

Gen Z: The generation leading the 'sober curious' phenomenon

Expert shares what happens to your body when ditching alcohol for Sober October

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