22-05-2025
Forget the club, it's all about Gails! MOLLY CLAYTON tries out the astonishing new coffee shop rave trend and discovers why ravers are swapping vodka for matcha and lattes
As soon as I turned 18, the excitement of finally being allowed in a nightclub, ordering shots of vodka and dancing until the early hours of the morning was palpable.
But times seem to be changing, and nightclubs are becoming less and less popular- and so is drinking.
Stepping in as a replacement are coffee shop raves, where no dress code is required, no extortionate amount of money for entry is needed and instead of shots of vodka, shots of espresso and bites of banana bread are on offer.
The new Gen-Z trend is coming at a time when nightlife culture is on decline with more than 3,000 nightclubs, bars and pubs closing in London in the last three years.
Recent figures from the NTIA showed people in the UK aged between 18 and 30 are going out past 10pm less and less.
A huge factor for this was shown to be financial pressures, with many finding themselves priced out of live events.
Other factors that play a factor included safety concerns – with over a third sharing that they are prone to feel fear, anxiety, uneasiness or unsafe when going out at night.
On the other hand, a recent report by GWI found that people aged between 16 and 34, are looking to connect with people when they go out and most importantly, remember it the next day.
On top of all of this, more and more people are choosing not to drink with 43 per cent of 18 to 34-year-olds and 32 per cent of 35 to 54-year-olds giving up drinking entirely because of health concerns.
One of the first viral coffee shop raves was hosted at How Matcha in Marylebone, London.
Opening their first shop, they approached DJ Louis Bekk about hosting an opening event.
Eager to change the narrative around live music, Bekk, 26, was already on his way in trying to make the change nightclubs and live music sets being seen as exclusive and hard to get into.
'There are these big Mayfair clubs where you have to dress a certain way and pay a certain amount to get in,' he told me.
'The nights are centred around alcohol and looking good rather than the music and the art itself.'
Louis Bekk is a French DJ and music producer living in London who began his career in classical music and composing for other international artists.
Making the switch into DJing, he found himself faced with the problem of building a fan base, having always been behind other people's success.
It worked.
How Matcha's rave garnered hundreds of thousands and views and likes on TikTok, setting the trend that many more coffee shops are now following.
London based salad shop Farmer J followed suit and opened their Marylebone location with a Louis Bekk set.
With their healthy food and message of 'farm to fork', the idea suited their brand perfectly promoting clean eating and sustainability, all whilst enjoying what you eat.
Starting at 11am with iced coffee, cookies and marmite sandwiches, around 300 people gathered on a sunny Saturday morning to try and get a spot.
I managed to get in with a couple of friends and found my perspective on 'going out' completely changed.
Rather than feeling tired and full of brain fog the morning after, I felt rejuvenated and bright.
We ended up socialising with a lot more people, didn't have a hangover and didn't swing by a fast-food takeaway on the way home.
There was a complete mix of age groups, some people brought their children, some wore workout gear and others came dressed to the nines.
But the main point was that the space felt safe, everyone felt accepted and most of all, we had the best time.
'There are these music gigs where they've become just somewhere to be seen and to post on Instagram,' Bekk said.
'I wanted to create somewhere anyone, who looked a certain way, dressed a certain way and didn't have a load of money, could come.
London based salad shop Farmer J followed suit and opened their Marylebone location with a Louis Bekk set. With their healthy food and message of 'farm to fork', the idea suited their brand perfectly promoting clean eating and sustainability, all whilst enjoying what you eat
Free of hangovers and late-night regrets, the new phenomenon supports the generation's penchant for health-conscious choices and making it home in time for their skincare routines. And with celebrities and influencers pushing the message that eight hours sleep, eating five a day and oat milk lattes are the key to a healthy and happy life, it looks like we will all be swapping Ibiza for Pret in the near future
'You just need to be interested in the music.
'If you bring the music somewhere new, you can redefine the standards.
'I never smoke, never taken drugs in my life and I barely drink.
'So just not having the pressure to be on a certain level as everybody and also removing that exclusivity by the price.
'I just wanted to change the music culture a little bit.'
Gen-z trading late-night clubs for midday coffee shop raves is a trend no one is expecting to fade.
Free of hangovers and late-night regrets, the new phenomenon supports the generation's penchant for health-conscious choices and making it home in time for their skincare routines.
And with celebrities and influencers pushing the message that eight hours sleep, eating five a day and oat milk lattes are the key to a healthy and happy life, it looks like we will all be swapping Ibiza for Pret in the near future.
