No hangovers, home by 9 p.m.: Why some Canadians are choosing daytime parties over nightlife

CBC

15 hours ago

Imagine getting all the exhilaration of a night out — the euphoria of losing yourself in the music, the thrill of dancing shoulder to shoulder with strangers, and the joy of meeting new people — without the 4 a.m. crash or the dreaded next-day hangover.
That's the idea behind a social trend that's catching on around Canada: daytime parties.
Across the country, organizers are rethinking what it means to party, flipping the script on traditional nightlife culture by challenging the idea that celebrations must happen after dark.
"There was nothing going on in that time frame, from 11 [a.m] to 3 p.m.," Zohaib Aziz told The Current 's host Matt Galloway. "And we just said, 'Why not give it a try?'"
Aziz is the co-founder and partner of The Coffee Party, a Toronto-based daytime dance event.
These events feature many of the same elements as a typical club night — DJs, dancing, and a lively atmosphere — but with a shift in focus. Alcohol is often swapped with non-alcoholic beverages, shifting the activities toward joy, connection, and well-being rather than excess.
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In Montreal, an event called Croissound brings that energy to local cafés, hosting pop-up dance parties at a different spot each time. With DJ sets from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., it blends coffee culture, house music and daytime dancing into one lively experience.
And at the end of May, inspired by this viral trend, organizers in Nova Scotia brought the alcohol-free daytime dance scene to downtown Halifax with a community coffee party at a local restaurant.
For attendees like Geraldine Hinojosa, a partygoer at Toronto's Tech-Noon event, the change is refreshing.
"Since I became 30 a few months ago ... I am trying to do more daytime activities because I feel partying at night, it's more like drunk people, drugs — [the] kind of things that I don't feel aligned right now with," said Hinojosa.
"I feel this type of event inspired me more to really enjoy what I like, [which] is dancing and networking."
Aspiring DJ Luis Diaz, who also attended the event, echoed the sentiment.
"A day party is a pretty cool idea because not everyone wants to be [out] on nights. The vibe inside is pretty cool, all the people [are] nice," he said.
Promoting a healthier lifestyle
Aziz, who once identified as a "big party guy," said he used to love going out until 3 a.m. But that all changed during a personal fitness journey that helped him shed over 40 pounds and re-evaluate how nightlife fit into his routine.
"I want to be up early in the morning, go to the gym, get my workout in and be in bed by nine, 10 p.m.," he said.
But stepping away from the traditional club scene also meant losing a key way to meet new people.
"That was one thing I was noticing by not being in the club scene because that is where I met a lot of my friends," said Aziz. "I think it's so important to still meet new people and just get yourself out there [to] talk to strangers."
Inspired by that need, Aziz and four of his friends launched The Coffee Party in November 2024. The goal was to address what he describes as a "lack of spaces for people that still want to go out and party and enjoy a sober day out."
The Coffee Party events, according to Aziz, bring a unique style — he calls it a "farmer's market mixed with a party."
Guests are greeted by coffee stations, live art and food vendors offering cookies and pastries, with the option to have an espresso martini. From there, they head to the main floor, where local Toronto DJs keep the party going all day.
Aziz and his team are using the platform to promote health and wellness too. Many events begin with fitness activities like pilates, yoga, or interval training workouts.
They've also partnered with Toronto's Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) to support the Sunrise Challenge, a national initiative raising funds for mental health research and care.
Giving the joy of partying to everyone
In Vancouver, Home By Midnight has a similar mission. The early-evening dance party was created in 2018 by Rachel Morris and her co-founder Mikael Bingham. Their events run from 8 p.m. to 11:45 p.m., designed to give people a full club experience while still getting home at a reasonable hour.
The idea came to the two friends after they became parents and began missing the dance floors of their twenties, but the late nights that once came easily were no longer sustainable while raising children.
"The idea that that kind of connection over music wouldn't be available to me anymore as a parent or in this new phase of life — I mean, it's devastating if you're a fan of music, and if you are a fan of collective experiences and bonding over something like that," said Morris, who is also the managing director of Home By Midnight.
"[What] all of these movements are about, is still making space for people, no matter their circumstances, and encouraging people that this connection over music does not need to just exist in that one particular format that we were used to."
Aziz has seen that demand first-hand, and as he sees it, the momentum shows no signs of slowing. He says about 4,000 people showed up to a recent The Coffee Party event in Toronto.
"Our community [has] grown so big … the demand is there," he said. "Let's see — sky's the limit — how big we can take this."