Aversion to alcohol is taking the global party scene in an unexpected direction

One Saturday morning in October, Park Jihyun woke up at 5:30 am to go to a rave in Seoul.

And much of his preparation routine was counterintuitive.

Instead of wearing a miniskirt, the 29-year-old slipped into a pair of tight joggers. Instead of wearing a pair of unstable high heels, she put on running shoes. And instead of calling a taxi to go to the party, she ran from her apartment to the event location in Yongsan-gu, arriving after a one-hour, 8-kilometer run, ready to dance.

“It’s just random people meeting for the first time. But as we start dancing together, it gets crazier and crazier as time goes on,” says Park.

Since its launch in May, Seoul Morning Coffee Club’s Coffee Rave has become a viral hit, attracting hundreds of like-minded Seoulites from the comfort of their beds to dance at dawn.

Participants, who paid 20,000 won (about 11.80 euros) for the ticket, start arriving at 7 am and line up for their favorite drink, usually an iced American coffee or a matcha. At 8:00, the DJ plays hypnotic beats to an enthusiastic crowd of revelers who jump in unison in the bright, clear light of day, with nothing but caffeine to fuel their alcohol-free rave.

“It’s a new start to the day,” founder Park Jae-hyun (no relation to Park Jihyun) tells CNN. “Even though it’s very early in the morning, everyone seems excited and happy, even without alcohol.”

The concept of sober raves is not new. The companies Daybreaker, based in New York, and Morning Gloryville, in London, have been organizing these types of raves for over a decade.

But in recent years, the latest subgenre of alcohol-free events has moved to community spaces like cafes and bakeries in major cities around the world, flipping the traditional club scene on its head.

The birth of rave in the bakery

From Brisbane to Mumbai and Paris to Toronto, the movement has quickly gained traction among a segment of Gen Z and younger millennials who are drinking less and prioritizing sleep, health and well-being in their lives.

Interestingly, however, one of the pioneers of the concept in France says that this was not his goal when he launched his first bakery rave in Paris in 2019.

While living and working in cities like Miami and Los Angeles as a French DJ and music producer, Alexis Duvivier, better known as Aazar, said one of the things he missed most about home was the boulangeries, or French bakeries.

“It was such an important part of my culture in my everyday life here in France,” Duvivier said during an interview at a café in Paris. “It was the first thing I wanted to do when I came back or when I was there. I was always looking for the best baguette or the best pain au chocolat. It was always my little personal quest.”

So when it came time to celebrate the release of her 2019 single “Diva,” Duvivier, 36, wanted to create a free event for her fans, combining her two passions: music and baked goods. He organized his first rave in the early evening at The French Bastards, in the 11th arrondissement, which had opened a year earlier and quickly stood out from other bakeries with its irreverent and innovative menu.

As Aazar played to the crowd against the backdrop of baguettes, trays of free sweets were distributed to revelers, creating fun and unusual images on social media.

This year, videos of DJs Bob Sinclair and Peggy Gou playing to excited crowds have also gone viral, making The French Bastards one of the French capital’s most unlikely rave venues.

But Duvivier says the concept was highly personal and was never intended to trend on social media.

“I didn’t choose a bakery because I was looking for an unusual location, but because, for me, it represents France and represents what I love,” said Duvivier, who also organizes events across Europe like Bakery Session.

“Calm down, relax”

However, in the following years, the movement grew beyond Duvivier’s initial intention, spreading across the world and gaining momentum, reflecting changing global trends and responding to a range of unmet needs.

“In Korea, there is a lot of competition and mental illness in society,” says Park, founder of the Seoul Morning Coffee Club (SMCC). “I want to help Koreans live a freer life… tell them to calm down, relax, take it easy and that everything will be fine.”

While South Korea is not the only country grappling with the issue of deteriorating mental health, burnout and the loneliness epidemic in this fragmented digital age, the suffering is particularly acute in this country.

South Korea’s suicide rate is the highest among countries tracked by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), with 23 suicides per 100,000 people in 2023 — more than double the OECD average. And it is a worrying title that the country has held for more than a decade.

In a country known for its hyper-competitive, status-centric social structure, work-life balance in South Korea can be difficult to manage, with long working hours and a competitive job market.

But in recent years, younger generations have increasingly rejected the status quo, prioritizing their well-being and seeking community at offline events, like those organized by the Seoul Morning Coffee Club (the group also organizes morning runs, book clubs, and coffee chats), that allow them to let off steam and improve their mental health.

“Compared to other countries, many Koreans are very self-conscious,” says Park Jihyun, who also volunteers as a coffee talk host. “But the coffee rave allows you to be yourself and helps introverts and those who are self-conscious come out of their shell.”

While Seoul is known for its bustling nightlife, raves also cater to an underserved demographic in the city: morning people. And within this group, many tend to lead a healthy, alcohol-free lifestyle, which can be isolating in a drinking culture where professional and personal relationships are often forged during a night of drinking.

For British content creator Freya Hawksley, 23, who has lived in Seoul for five years, the event is advantageous for both those who like to wake up early and those who don’t drink.

“When we’re partying and drinking, our energy levels start out very high and then deplete throughout the night,” says Hawksley. “But when we go to these morning parties, we really gain energy. So we get to these raves at 7 a.m., we finish at 10 a.m., and we feel completely energized and ready for the day.”

Seoul’s raves are also safe spaces: wholesome, family-friendly, multi-generational raves, with babies and toddlers dancing to EDM alongside older adults.

“As a woman, I feel much safer,” she added.

Hawksley was invited to the launch event as a friend of the organizers, but has since returned on her own.

“I don’t want to leave until early in the morning”

The story is similar in London, where DJs Manpal Bhullar (Mezz B), 32, and Vishal Kamle (Chndra), 31, brought sober daytime raves to cafes earlier this year.

“I’m at that age where I don’t want to go out until the wee hours of the morning, drinking and going to clubs,” says Kamle. “In a way, it was built around us, reflecting our era.”

It’s a surprising admission for the duo, who are used to playing nightclubs like Lost in Kaydnce. But Coffee Gen’s founders say London’s nightlife has changed over the years, becoming too commercialized, impersonal and prohibitively expensive.

This disillusionment is shared by many young British people. According to a 2025 consumer report from the Night Time Industries Association UK published in February, 61% of 2,000 respondents aged 18 to 30 said they had gone out less frequently in the last year, citing financial pressures, safety concerns and transport barriers.

The group also warned that 40% of UK nightlife businesses faced closure without government intervention.

Matthew Campoli, co-founder of The Coffee Party in Toronto, also highlights that the new genre of sober raves managed to shake up a stagnant and dull nightlife scene, which lost some of its luster after the pandemic.

“I think there is a need for genuine connection again. Since the pandemic, there has been a gap. Social anxieties have developed and routines have been destroyed, and many people have started to prioritize themselves during this time, which is why interests have changed.”

For Franklin Vaz, 33, the arrival of sober coffee raves in Toronto earlier this year coincided with his own lifestyle changes, as he had decided to stop drinking alcohol completely.

But Franklin still loved music. When one of his DJ friends, who was playing at a Coffee Party event, told him about the meeting, Vaz loved the idea of ​​getting together with people with similar interests. He had no expectations, he explains, and went to support his friend.

While waiting for his drink, however, Vaz was instantly enchanted by the “radiant” face of a woman who was also in line and struck up a conversation. It turned out that they were both avid runners and led healthy lifestyles: two days later, they had their first date, in which they ran a half marathon distance together, 21 km.

“The conversation flowed naturally, it was very emotional and very organic”, says Vaz about the meeting with his now girlfriend.

After participating in events as a guest, Vaz now works as an event helper at The Coffee Party.

“The events are very motivating,” he adds. “People who participate want to be the best version of themselves. It motivated me to be the best version of myself too.”