5 Sober Raves You Don’t Need A Buzz To Enjoy
The astronomical rise of “wellness” is everywhere nowadays. The global trend has spread from fitness classes to board rooms and even club culture. Sober raves—ostensibly parties with no bar—have grown in popularity in the last few years. Events that focus on music and wholesome fun have popped up all over the world, even in some of the booziest cities, like London and New York. Sober raves fall into two broad categories: the ones that happen during the day and those that go down at night. Some parties are (very) early morning affairs that focus on the idea that the dancing element of partying can be a great energy booster. And for the night owls, the others take place in a more traditional club setting where pretty much all the elements of a rave are present except for drugs and booze. We’ve researched this phenomenon to identify five of the best sober raves around the world.
Morning Gloryville
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Morning Gloryville is the original early morning sober rave—at least, that’s how it identifies itself. It was founded in 2013 in London, but they have since opened a branch in Berlin where the video above was recorded. The parties start at 6:30 AM, a time when most clubs would be sweeping any leftover ravers off their dance floors. Morning Gloryville also usually take place midweek so that you can go to work amped up on fresh fruit juice and natural energy. Expect glitter, costumes and motivational slogans.
Next event: August 23 in London. Tickets and information are available here.
Daybreaker
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Similar to Morning Gloryville, Daybreaker takes place early. After an hour of yoga, the dance floor clears for a two-hour sweaty session of shape-throwing, fuelled only by the body’s natural “happy chemicals.” The Daybreaker brand has grown from its New York roots and now holds events in over 15 different cities across the world.
Next events: Daybreaker parties will take place in Amsterdam, New York, San Francisco, Austin and DC throughout August. More information available on the Daybreaker website.
We Are One Party
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The We Are One parties take place every two months in a church in north London. They happen after dark and feature big sound systems, lasers and pounding beats. Founder and DJ-cum-hypnotherapist Tom Fortes Mayer wanted to create events that have all the best bits of a rave without the bad bits of being drunk or high.
Next event: September 30 in London. More information available here.
Ecstatic Dance
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Finding a place to dance in Berlin is ten-a-penny. But finding a place to dance in a room free of smoke and drunk people is a little harder. That’s where the sporadic event series Ecstatic Dance comes in. Billed as a “free-form dance journey,” the event is all about where music and movement can take the mind. The event bans all substances and enforces a strict charter that outlines rules that its participants must abide by.
Next event: August 19 in Berlin. More information available here.
Cover photo of Morning Gloryville via Onin.London.
Published August 21, 2017.