Swaying to dance music and TikTok-fueled pop under a disco ball, young punters are packed shoulder to shoulder while sipping on coffee, their energy powered by pour-overs rather than pints.
This is no underground rave, nor a brunch gone wild. It is a caffeine-powered daytime clubbing sesh — part of a growing wave of alcohol-free, Gen Z-driven events gaining traction in Singapore and elsewhere in the world.
At a recent event in Singapore’s trendy Duxton district, the space was jammed by 4pm, with baristas churning out fancy coffees and DJs spinning back-to-back sets. The crowd grooved with energy, even without the usual liquid courage.
Photo: Getty Images via AFP
“A lot of people think alcohol gives you the high, but caffeine sometimes can do that too,” said Aden Low, 21, cofounder of Beans and Beats, which organizes coffee raves at different venues.
“That’s why the atmosphere at our events tends to be quite energetic,” Low said.
The parties blend curated music with specialty coffee served in white paper cups. The vibe is light, friendly and very Gen Z.
“It’s also the idea that this is a safe space,” said Esther Low, 31, who was at the event in Duxton. “When you go to a club setting, there’s usually this underlying intention to hook up. So, for me, that’s personally why I would prefer this.”
Several reports say Gen Z is chugging fewer pints than previous generations, with the sober curious movement gaining popularity on social media. Sober curious people cut back on drinking or abstain altogether, often citing health reasons and better mental acuity.
“Changes in alcohol use have been observed in population surveys and cohort studies. Generally, alcohol use among young adults has decreased,” the WHO said in a report last year.
From London to Los Angeles and Melbourne, similar coffee raves have swept up the social scene, appealing to young partygoers who also want to avoid hangovers.
Ashley Chean, a Singaporean student who has been alcohol-free for a year, said she appreciates these sober gatherings.
“When I lived in Paris, I realized I had a lot of alcoholic tendencies, and I didn’t want that to be my lifestyle,” the 20-year-old said. “More and more of my friends are sober or sober curious.”
The coffee clubbing events are usually held in cafes and other spaces such as rooftop bars — as long as there is room for DJs and baristas to do their thing while people dance.
The parties typically end by late afternoon, just in time for golden hour selfies.
Besides the health benefits of avoiding alcohol, the events appeal to cost-conscious youth in Singapore, one of the most expensive cities in the world.
The excess drinking and hard-partying ways of Gen X — fueled by anthems like the Beastie Boys’ Fight for Your Right (to Party) and hip-hop videos glamorizing club culture — are fading for members of Gen Z.
While organizers do not see Singapore’s glitzy nightlife and clubbing being replaced, they hope their combination of beats and brews would keep the dance floor buzzing.
“As long as we bring the vibes, we’ll be OK,” Ashley said.
‘CROSSING THE LINE’: China’s embassy in Seoul criticized US Forces Korea Commander General Xavier Brunson, asking if his ‘hostile’ remarks were authorized by Washington South Korea and the US are in talks over recent public remarks by the commander of US Forces Korea, Seoul’s presidential office said yesterday, after the comments drew sharp criticism from China. In a recent podcast interview, US Forces Korea Commander General Xavier Brunson described South Korea as “the dagger in the heart of Asia” from China’s east coast, prompting the Chinese embassy in Seoul to say that he had “truly crossed the line.” The interview came amid growing speculation that Washington might seek to expand the role of US Forces Korea in countering the growing regional influence of China, a key
SEEKING ORDER: Rodrigo Paz said that ‘anyone who wants to destroy the nation will have to deal with this president and the full force of the constitution’ Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz on Wednesday said that the nation was at a “breaking point” after nearly a month of protests that have caused shortages of food, fuel and medicine. Paz, who took office six months ago amid the worst economic crisis there in four decades, is battling a groundswell of fury over his policies. The political capital, La Paz, has been besieged by low-income workers and members of the indigenous majority calling for his resignation. “The country needs order and is reaching breaking point,” the 58-year-old said at a public event in La Paz, renewing his appeal for dialogue. On Tuesday, the Bolivian
Through the noise of rushing papers and whirring belts at a print factory in Kyoto, two creators watch their photo essay come to life in broadsheet form — part of an effort to win new audiences in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Despite the decline of the publishing industry, self-publication and handmade “zine” magazines are growing in popularity in Japan, reflecting the nation’s enduring love of paper in the digital era. While speaking to Agence France-Presse at the plant, his hands black with ink, one of the creators, Kazuma Obara, said: “I think [paper] is a medium that engages all five
Australian researchers have trained lab-grown brain cells on a silicon computer chip to play the 1990s shooter game Doom and said they are just scratching the surface of what the neurons could be capable of doing. It is the science-fiction work of biotech boffins at Cortical Labs, who researched and developed the technology that harnesses the workings of the brain’s networking system. Each so-called “biological computer” contains about 200,000 living human brain cells, grown from stem cells that were harvested from blood donations. Having mastered the simple computer game Pong, where a paddle is moved up and down to send a ball
RSS