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The Guardian
02-08-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
What? They're doing raves in the morning now? With coffee? At a cafe?
The only ways I know to rave are festival-style or in the buzzed wee hours – the time between pubs shutting and trains starting. This means I've never walked into a cafe, fresh-faced and sober at 9am, with the intention of raving. But this is 2025, not the late 1990s, and people are possibly more questioning of the cost of partying on their bodies than they once were. So, coffee raves have become a thing. They're all over the world and come in many shapes and sizes, tending towards the bijou. Inevitably, they're big in Los Angeles and on social media, and are often the territory of young people, athleisurewear and brand collaborations. They're so popular, they've also become fair game. In a TikTok rant last week, musician Keli Holiday said what I might have been thinking: 'Call me old, call me jaded, but enough is enough, no more coffee raves … If you want to get your rave on … go to a rave or go to a club.' But on a rainy Saturday morning in central Sydney, I try one out – dubbed Maple Social Club – approaching with caution. I'm not a leisurewear wearer or an Instagrammer or indeed a coffee drinker. My young adult life was, rightly or wrongly, given to maximum nights out and minimum responsibility – and my weekends now are generally about children and sleep. If there's a cafe involved, it's usually peaceful. Organiser Taylor Gwyther, 25, tells me morning raves are an add-on to the night-time variety, not instead of. 'But, there's definitely a trend away from alcohol that I think encourages events like this to be popular,' she says as the first arrivals begin to enter the warehouse space behind Wilson cafe in Surry Hills. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Maple Social Club, which Gwyther founded with Connor Cameron, 23, is less than a year old and was inspired by run clubs and LA's AM radio morning DJ sets. Their free events provide an alibi, Gwyther says, in the same way a run club is a little bit about running and a lot about meeting people. 'Covid shut down a lot of social life and created lonely adjacent habits, and people are looking to revitalise how they spend their time,' she says. 'We spend so much time online for work and now play, I think people are looking for places and spaces to spend offline. We're trying to make it easier to find those things.' Morning raves also make sense on another, more local, level. Sydney residents are among the world's earliest to bed and earliest risers. In a city whose nightlife sits well below its beaches, wealth and wellness reputations, mornings are sacrosanct. Plus, it's expensive to party the normal way in a city with a famously stratospheric cost of living. A beer is about $12 in the pubs nearby. Here, a coffee is about $5 – and there's no need to buy a drink at all. Because, as Bronte, a 30-year-old nurse tells me later on the dancefloor, 'Who's got money these days, really?' Michael Pung, 39, a property valuer from Sydney, saw the event advertised on Instagram. 'I thought I'd check it out. I've been single for a while and I thought I might as well just come out and meet people,' he says, queueing in the long and slow-moving coffee line – which, handily for him, doubles as another opportunity to meet people. Like me, he's not normally a coffee drinker but, given he was out late last night Latin dancing, he says 'probably today's the day'. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion I order a tea and a croissant, which feels plain weird, and join the throng as DJs Catch25 and Haze near the end of the opening set. It's already busy and I feel too exposed, too daylit, too close to too many raised phones. But, everyone – and I really mean everyone – is smiling. By 10am, the dancefloor is heaving with what feels like a roughly 50/50 mix of men and women. There are some older people, but generally the crowd is aged 20 to 35 – and as Gwyther predicted, 'super diverse'. Some have made a morning of it and are wearing what I would consider proper going-out attire with high heels; others are grungy, and most are in baggy jeans. Bronte, who lives locally, is here with friends. She says her evening and night shifts as a nurse mean she is often socially 'removed from the night'. She's sweaty and happy and hard to hear above the music. 'I've done all my walking for the day,' she says, referring to another thing that didn't used to be a thing: step count. Like Pung, she also goes out at night-time, but having the option to dance her working week away come Saturday morning is, as she puts it, 'very nice'. The music's not quite loud enough, or bassy enough, to lose myself – but, by about 10.30am, I think I might be dancing. People near me are drinking iced matcha lattes, which I'll never condone, but as the DJ drops a relative banger, I admit to my colleague, who is photographing this road test, that I'm having quite an uplifting start to my weekend. The day is still young and there's an afterparty at a pub nearby and yet another planned for the afternoon. Before I leave (it's approaching 11am after all) I turn to talk to a man who is watching on from close to the DJ area. Liam, 25, is almost-but-not-quite dancing, and it turns out he works for Red Bull events. He's here professionally: might Maple's coffee raves be worth bringing into the energy drink's gargantuan sponsorship embrace? 'We see just as much relevance for Red Bull in an occasion like this [as] a music festival or the F1,' he says with no small amount of enthusiasm. Stepping around some spilt milk, it strikes me there is no alcohol-edged aggro, argy bargy at the bar or intimidating bouncers. Just music and broad daylight – plus caffeine, in hot, cold and increasingly corporatised modes.
News.com.au
19-07-2025
- Entertainment
- News.com.au
9am dance party shows where Sydney's night life has gone
Sydney night life can be a little lacklustre with dining establishments closing early and few options outside of getting a drink — but a viral video has shown exactly where clubbers have gone. The video, shows a jam-packed room full of revellers, but while you might think it was filmed on a Saturday night, it's actually 9am. Connor Cameron and Tay Gwyther set out in November 2024 on one mission — to get people socialising in person again. 'We'd seen how well run clubs were doing, but that's for a very specific subset of society that wants to get up and run at five in the morning,' Mr Cameron told 'We figured there was a pretty natural extension into social events.' It started off with a single dinner, inviting 10 friends and asking them all to bring another person. Now, it's swelled into weekly events where anywhere up to 1000 people attend and meet new people. The Maple Social Club hosts events such as Affogato Hour at Blooms in Potts Point, tennis events, Messina in a car park and wine tastings at the Winery. But, one of their most popular events is Maple Social Club's Coffee and DJ sets that take place every other Saturday morning. 'It seems to be quite a global trend, this concept of dancing with a coffee in hand so that event has done really well,' he said. 'Our biggest event was the one with Messina.' It's important to have variety, as some are diehard supporters and go to every Maple Social Club event while others might just attend an event or two that interest them. Mr Cameron told the idea of the events is that they are supposed to add to your social life, meaning they often take place during the day on a Saturday or Sunday — or occasionally a Thursday night. As a rule events aren't planned on Friday or Saturday evenings where possible. 'I think there are probably very few places in the world that are as busy at sunrise than Sydney is — particularly if you go to Bondi at 6am. It's just as busy as it is at 6pm, so I think there is a particular interest in that,' he said. 'I think we are an early rising city — potentially as a result of the fact that we don't have much in terms of late night options. 'There's a societal trend here and around the world that socialising doesn't need to be going and getting a drink at a bar at night. People are exploring different ways that they can meet others. 'The novelty of being at a big party on a Saturday morning is astounding and I think if you came to one of those events, you'll find that the dancefloor has a lot more energy than a club at midnight.' Social media users have had a huge reaction to the warehouse raves. One said: 'Forget Saturday sleep ins. I want to maple Saturday sesh.' 'This is hectic,' another added. Mr Cameron said the key of their events is that everyone is there to socialise — and the activity of choice isn't so niche that people feel excluded. He said it feels easier to meet people through these events than somewhere like a bar. He said he wouldn't say that Sydney is harder to meet people than any other major city, but Sydney is driven to do more socially. He said coming out of Covid, for a lot of cities, there was pent up frustration from not being able to meet people. It's resulted in a big push for events such as the ones Maple Social Club runs. For those interested, the events are listed on the group's Instagram and all people have to do is RSVP.
Sydney Morning Herald
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘Soft clubbing': Gen Z swap alcohol for coffee as new dance venues emerge
It's not unusual to hear that nightlife is dying, as bars and clubs across Australia shut down. Gen Z and Millennials often bear the brunt of the blame for this. But perhaps, as Ntahilaja writes, today's youth (the loneliest generation) desire connection and fun just as much as their predecessors. The environments in which this happens just look a little different. Last month, Fatboy Slim played an impromptu show to a packed crowd in a Melbourne fish and chip shop and many gyms and fitness studios now resemble nightclubs, with neon lights and the kind of music you'd expect to hear at a music festival. Everywhere, it seems, is a club – except the club. Gwyther's cafe raves are just one of many events on Maple Social Club's calendar, including dinner parties and pickleball, but all have the same ethos: social connection, fun and accessibility. She says one of the most common questions she is asked is whether it's okay to come alone to an event. 'I reckon we probably are about 50/50 of people coming solo versus people coming with friends, but I found that a lot of people who come solo to one will come together to the next event,' she says. Loading Romantic connection is part of it too – Gwyther and Connor are developing a dating app. 'They're not singles events, they're free community events. But really we see it as finding the right people that we would want on our platform,' says Gwyther. In the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Cremorne, a different kind of experience marrying coffee and music has emerged. On Air, founded by Deyon Murphy, 33, and Francesca Poci, 26, is a permanent cafe where you can grab a morning latte alongside live DJ sets and radio shows. 'We thought, what could be the most Melbourne idea we could do? And we thought coffee and DJs,' says Murphy, who previously worked in the music industry. 'So remove the alcohol element, remove the club element and make it something that people can come and enjoy every weekend and leave feeling full and not hungover.' Murphy is careful to differentiate On Air from the heaving, caffeine-fuelled dance floors that have become popular on social media platforms like TikTok – although he acknowledges the trend has helped propel the business into the zeitgeist. 'We never wanted it to be a rave. We wanted it to be like a listening lounge or an experience, so people can come and discover different sounds and different artists in Melbourne.' Loading They chose Cremorne, which has been referred to as the 'Silicone Valley of Melbourne' for its proximity to young professionals. 'Our key demographic are young creative entrepreneurs really, and that's why we run the fashion series [a video series of interviews with Australian fashion designers they post on social media], and we're going to run a series on health entrepreneurs. That's the sort of people that we're trying to tie in to what we're doing,' says Murphy. Indeed, Murphy' hopes for On Air is for it to become bigger than just a café. Their artists are featured on a YouTube channel, while Murphy hopes to eventually develop a record label as part of the business. 'It's about finding our community,' he says. Tanya Mohan, 26, co-founded Mix&Matcha:AM earlier this year after witnessing the explosion of coffee clubs overseas. 'At the time when we were planning this, no one had done it in Melbourne and Australia, and so we decided to bring it down here.' Mohan, alongside friends Winzwen Tan, DJ Shwads and Isabelle Tan held their first 'Coffee Meets Matcha Party', in collaboration with Singapore-based coffee club beans&beats, at the end of April. 'I've got a passion for music and my co-founder's [Tan] got a passion for making coffees and matchas, and so he specialises in that,' she says. Loading The response, Mohan says, has been huge. 'We've grown really quickly since launching and it hasn't even been a month, but it's been overwhelmingly positive,' she says. Like Gwyther and Murphy, she thinks people her age are tired of traditional nightclub spaces.
The Age
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Do you want a rave with that? How cafes became the new hotspot for clubbing
It's not unusual to hear that nightlife is dying, as bars and clubs across Australia shut down. Gen Z and Millennials often bear the brunt of the blame for this. But perhaps, as Ntahilaja writes, today's youth (the loneliest generation) desire connection and fun just as much as their predecessors. The environments in which this happens just look a little different. Last month, Fatboy Slim played an impromptu show to a packed crowd in a Melbourne fish and chip shop and many gyms and fitness studios now resemble nightclubs, with neon lights and the kind of music you'd expect to hear at a music festival. Everywhere, it seems, is a club – except the club. Gwyther's cafe raves are just one of many events on Maple Social Club's calendar, including dinner parties and pickleball, but all have the same ethos: social connection, fun and accessibility. She says one of the most common questions she is asked is whether it's okay to come alone to an event. 'I reckon we probably are about 50/50 of people coming solo versus people coming with friends, but I found that a lot of people who come solo to one will come together to the next event,' she says. Loading Romantic connection is part of it too – Gwyther and Connor are developing a dating app. 'They're not singles events, they're free community events. But really we see it as finding the right people that we would want on our platform,' says Gwyther. In the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Cremorne, a different kind of experience marrying coffee and music has emerged. On Air, founded by Deyon Murphy, 33, and Francesca Poci, 26, is a permanent cafe where you can grab a morning latte alongside live DJ sets and radio shows. 'We thought, what could be the most Melbourne idea we could do? And we thought coffee and DJs,' says Murphy, who previously worked in the music industry. 'So remove the alcohol element, remove the club element and make it something that people can come and enjoy every weekend and leave feeling full and not hungover.' Murphy is careful to differentiate On Air from the heaving, caffeine-fuelled dance floors that have become popular on social media platforms like TikTok – although he acknowledges the trend has helped propel the business into the zeitgeist. 'We never wanted it to be a rave. We wanted it to be like a listening lounge or an experience, so people can come and discover different sounds and different artists in Melbourne.' Loading They chose Cremorne, which has been referred to as the 'Silicone Valley of Melbourne' for its proximity to young professionals. 'Our key demographic are young creative entrepreneurs really, and that's why we run the fashion series [a video series of interviews with Australian fashion designers they post on social media], and we're going to run a series on health entrepreneurs. That's the sort of people that we're trying to tie in to what we're doing,' says Morris. Indeed, Morris' hopes for On Air is for it to become bigger than just a café. Their artists are featured on a YouTube channel, while Morris hopes to eventually develop a record label as part of the business. 'It's about finding our community,' he says. Tanya Mohan, 26, co-founded Mix&Matcha:AM earlier this year after witnessing the explosion of coffee clubs overseas. 'At the time when we were planning this, no one had done it in Melbourne and Australia, and so we decided to bring it down here.' Mohan, alongside friends Winzwen Tan, DJ Shwads and Isabelle Tan held their first 'Coffee Meets Matcha Party', in collaboration with Singapore-based coffee club beans&beats, at the end of April. 'I've got a passion for music and my co-founder's [Tan] got a passion for making coffees and matchas, and so he specialises in that,' she says. Loading The response, Mohan says, has been huge. 'We've grown really quickly since launching and it hasn't even been a month, but it's been overwhelmingly positive,' she says. Like Gwyther and Murphy, she thinks people her age are tired of traditional nightclub spaces.
Sydney Morning Herald
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Do you want a rave with that? How cafes became the new hotspot for clubbing
It's not unusual to hear that nightlife is dying, as bars and clubs across Australia shut down. Gen Z and Millennials often bear the brunt of the blame for this. But perhaps, as Ntahilaja writes, today's youth (the loneliest generation) desire connection and fun just as much as their predecessors. The environments in which this happens just look a little different. Last month, Fatboy Slim played an impromptu show to a packed crowd in a Melbourne fish and chip shop and many gyms and fitness studios now resemble nightclubs, with neon lights and the kind of music you'd expect to hear at a music festival. Everywhere, it seems, is a club – except the club. Gwyther's cafe raves are just one of many events on Maple Social Club's calendar, including dinner parties and pickleball, but all have the same ethos: social connection, fun and accessibility. She says one of the most common questions she is asked is whether it's okay to come alone to an event. 'I reckon we probably are about 50/50 of people coming solo versus people coming with friends, but I found that a lot of people who come solo to one will come together to the next event,' she says. Loading Romantic connection is part of it too – Gwyther and Connor are developing a dating app. 'They're not singles events, they're free community events. But really we see it as finding the right people that we would want on our platform,' says Gwyther. In the inner-city Melbourne suburb of Cremorne, a different kind of experience marrying coffee and music has emerged. On Air, founded by Deyon Murphy, 33, and Francesca Poci, 26, is a permanent cafe where you can grab a morning latte alongside live DJ sets and radio shows. 'We thought, what could be the most Melbourne idea we could do? And we thought coffee and DJs,' says Murphy, who previously worked in the music industry. 'So remove the alcohol element, remove the club element and make it something that people can come and enjoy every weekend and leave feeling full and not hungover.' Murphy is careful to differentiate On Air from the heaving, caffeine-fuelled dance floors that have become popular on social media platforms like TikTok – although he acknowledges the trend has helped propel the business into the zeitgeist. 'We never wanted it to be a rave. We wanted it to be like a listening lounge or an experience, so people can come and discover different sounds and different artists in Melbourne.' Loading They chose Cremorne, which has been referred to as the 'Silicone Valley of Melbourne' for its proximity to young professionals. 'Our key demographic are young creative entrepreneurs really, and that's why we run the fashion series [a video series of interviews with Australian fashion designers they post on social media], and we're going to run a series on health entrepreneurs. That's the sort of people that we're trying to tie in to what we're doing,' says Morris. Indeed, Morris' hopes for On Air is for it to become bigger than just a café. Their artists are featured on a YouTube channel, while Morris hopes to eventually develop a record label as part of the business. 'It's about finding our community,' he says. Tanya Mohan, 26, co-founded Mix&Matcha:AM earlier this year after witnessing the explosion of coffee clubs overseas. 'At the time when we were planning this, no one had done it in Melbourne and Australia, and so we decided to bring it down here.' Mohan, alongside friends Winzwen Tan, DJ Shwads and Isabelle Tan held their first 'Coffee Meets Matcha Party', in collaboration with Singapore-based coffee club beans&beats, at the end of April. 'I've got a passion for music and my co-founder's [Tan] got a passion for making coffees and matchas, and so he specialises in that,' she says. Loading The response, Mohan says, has been huge. 'We've grown really quickly since launching and it hasn't even been a month, but it's been overwhelmingly positive,' she says. Like Gwyther and Murphy, she thinks people her age are tired of traditional nightclub spaces.
