It is 4.30am on a Sunday, and much of Chennai is asleep. The roads are empty, the tea shopsare quiet, and stacks of freshly printed newspapers are being bundled to be tossed outside doorsteps. Around the same time, bops are playing from speakers somewhere on a terrace on the ECR. This is not an afterparty’s afterparty. A small crowd has gathered to rise early and put on their dancing shoes for a rave. “This is a healthy approach to partying,” says Richard Noel, creative director of Private Society, which organises sunrise raves in Chennai.
Women’s day rave by The Window Seat
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Special Arrangement
Not strictly for early risers, this rise-and-rave event promises beats, breakfast, and beach vibes. It is a cocktail of upbeat House and Afro Beats, with a side of coffee. It is bizarre and unexpected, and yet, almost two hundred feet are moving to each beat.
“Raving is often associated with late nights and alcohol. But I feel high-energy music deserves its own space too,” says Richard, who started this as a way to enjoy the sunrise and start Sunday on an upbeat note.
But this is not just a one-off experiment. It is part of a growing global trend: the rise of sober parties. These alcohol-free gatherings are showing up everywhere — from bookshops in London to beachside spots in Chennai. From 6am dance parties to 9pm mocktail-fuelled DJ sets, sober raves are becoming the new social glue for a new generation that wants to meet new people and dance without the hangover.
Women’s day rave by The Window Seat
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
This is especially true for the growing tribe of runners popping up in every city. Run clubs in many cities like Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai, and Delhi are turning out to be the third space after home and work, where friendships are formed, playlists are shared, and communities are built.
“Rave became an expression of celebration, of the camaraderie and community since the last year,” says Sidharth Yadav, founder, Stride Run Club in Bengaluru. “These run clubs, especially in cities like ours, are full of people who are away from their hometowns, often working remotely, and don’t have many social outlets. You can’t exactly party with your office colleagues, and dating apps only get you so far. These spaces give people a way to connect without pressure. Everyone comes in alone but quickly realises how non-judgmental and open the vibe is. That’s what makes them come back.”
The venues for sober raves range from coffee shops to clubs and restaurants. In Bengaluru, Stride has hosted raves in a McCafe, and at Virat Kohli’s restaurant One8Comunue. In Chennai, raves have been hosted at venues like Bask by Coffee?, Kup Coffee Roasters, and Asvah24. The footfall for each of these sober parties ranges anywhere from 100 to 300.
Picnic rave by The Window Seat
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Special Arrangement
This shift toward sober celebration is not just a social trend but a personal one. For Karun B, who founded the run club Cloka in Chennai, the power of these gatherings became clear through the small transformations they sparked. “There was a person who came to our run in week 10, and by week 15, they told me, ‘Because of Cloka, I quit smoking.’ That hit me. We were creating something that could change lives,” he says.
It is a sentiment that echoes across many of these new-age gatherings. Arjun Radhakrishnan, co-founder of The Window Seat, a community-led experiences brand, says what draws people in is not just novelty, but comfort. “When you’re meeting someone new, you want to be your real self. That’s hard to do when alcohol is involved,” he says. Their sober raves are designed to create just that: a pressure-free space where people, especially women, feel safe. “You can always grab a drink later. But these moments are about being fully present.”
Sunrise rave by Private Society
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Special Arrangement
For 38-year-old Prathishta Rajasekara, who attended the sunrise rave in Chennai alone, the setting feels like a mix of being both inviting and imperfect. “If this was at night, I wouldn’t have come. I’ve not had the best experiences partying at night in Chennai. But this, in daylight, felt safer.” She appreciates the change of pace — music, movement, and even bumping into someone she hadn’t seen in years. And while she does not mind arriving solo, she has noticed that most people have come in groups. “I like meeting new people, but it wasn’t exactly easy to just walk up and talk. Maybe something interactive, like an icebreaker, would help. If this is about building community, then give people a nudge to connect.”
Run and rave by Stride Run Club
| Photo Credit:
Special Arrangement
Somewhere along the way, “rave” has become the new buzzword for any gathering with a playlist and mood lighting. There are baby raves, pizza raves, ice-bath raves, and even raves inside a sauna. The idea of movement, community, and presence is now being commodified, with every pop-up looking to manufacture euphoria. What started as an alternative to clubbing now runs the risk of becoming just another brand activation strategy.
And maybe that is the real tension at the heart of the sober rave wave: between genuine connection and curated cool, between a celebration and a content opportunity. If everything becomes a rave — from your morning jog to your salad bar — does the word still mean anything?
Yet, meaningful connections find their way. For many in Gen Z, spaces like these offer more than just a place to dance — they’ve become informal hubs for networking, collaboration, and navigating loneliness in a fast-paced city. The mix of high-energy mornings and low-pressure socialising helps create a sense of belonging, especially for those living away from home. Some even see it as a way to plug into a growing subculture of eclectic music that’s slowly reshaping the city’s soundscape. Most events charge an entry fee of anywhere between ₹500 and ₹1,000 but the bigger draw lies in what they offer beyond the dance floor.
Published – July 10, 2025 10:06 am IST
