How Sober Curiosity is Shaping New Subcultures

As alcohol loses its grip on social life, new cultural experiences are taking its place. Fuelled by a rising wave of wellness and sober curiosity, we’re seeing a shift in how people connect, move, and celebrate. It’s changing not just what we consume, but how we gather.

From Coffee Raves to Cold Plunges

Australia has long embraced the early-morning coffee ritual – from Bondi to Brisbane, it’s not uncommon to see queues of people grabbing their fix before sunrise. But now, that culture has evolved. Early mornings are no longer just about caffeine – they’ve become cultural.

Cafe Raves + Matcha Mornings

Picture this: it’s 6:30am on a Wednesday. There’s a DJ belting out house bangers, a barista serving oat lattes and ceremonial-grade matcha, and a crowd moving like it’s 2am at a club – except they’re in activewear and it’s all over by 8. What used to be the walk of shame is now a warm-up jog. The sunrise still sets the scene, just with coffee, not comedowns.

Events like these are gaining traction across major cities, taking cues from international concepts like A.M. Radio (LA), Daybreaker (NYC). Locally, events like Onair Cremorne (Melbourne), Mix&Matcha:am (Melbourne), FBR café (Sydney), and Maple Social Club (Sydney) are building similar energy – blending music, movement, and morning light.

Run Clubs + Rituals

As writer Yusuf Ntahilaja puts it, “2024 was the year when running clubs became the new dating apps.” Beyond this, brands and communities are turning movement into a shared ritual. Think: post-run espresso shots, fashion-forward merch drops, all for connection before sunrise. Run clubs are continuing to pop up in suburbs and inner-city laneways, bringing people together through rhythm, routine, and high vibes.

In Sydney, think Furies, A.P. Bakery Run Club and 440 Run Club. In Melbourne, there’s Ate Miles, Melbourne Frontrunners, Hunter Athletics and Tempo Journal’s community runs. Brisbane’s Unfit Running is also making waves.

Modern Bathhouses + Wellness Hubs

Saunas, magnesium pools, ice baths, and infrared therapy – once reserved for elite athletes or health retreats – are now social experiences. Places like Soak Bathhouse (Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sydney), Slow House (Bondi), Saint Haven (Melbourne), Sense of Self (Melbourne) and The Banya (Mullumbimby) are reimagining recovery as ritual, creating spaces where people come to reset, reflect, and connect.

‘Soft Clubbing’ + Sonic Socialising

In the wake of nightlife’s slow fade, how we experience music – and each other – is shifting. “IRL is the new counterculture” Ntahilaja writes, and music is at the centre of it. From listening bars to curated sonic spaces, sound is no longer background noise – it’s a magnetic force for community.

What Ntahilaja terms ‘soft clubbing’ captures this new approach: a desire to feel the energy of music and socialise meaningfully without being confined to the intensity of a nightclub. Aside from the early morning coffee raves, this is also showing up through curated vinyl bars, daytime DJ sets, and hybrid spaces where sound and setting are equally considered.

Take for example, vinyl bars, an evolution of Japan’s music cafés (ongaku kissa) that first appeared in the 1920s, are popping up everywhere. Like Ginza Music Bar (Tokyo); side project of DJ Shinichi Osawa and coffee producer, Nobuhiro Toriba, Spiritland (London, Lisbon), Public Records (NYC), and loads more have inspired a slew taking shape in Melbourne over the past few years (take Waxflower, Music Room, for example), and in Sydney – with the likes of  JAM Record Bar and Ante. 

Then there’s the more HiFi listening ‘rooms’, by OJAS at 180 Studios (London) and USM Furniture (NYC) or the Silence Please Listening Room & Teahouse (NYC), which haven’t really hit our shores yet. 

The same cultural current that fuels run clubs and breathwork ceremonies is influencing how we gather around music. We’re seeing more DJs popping up at wellness events, fashion activations, and even infrared sauna experiences – proof that music is still central, but the context is being redefined.

Ceremonial Culture & Digital Wellness

Intentional Experiences Over Impulse Escapes 

Sound baths, breathwork nights, cacao ceremonies and moon rituals, heavily influenced by eastern wellness practices and ancient rituals, are fast replacing boozy dinners and bottomless brunches. Community-driven, sensory-focused, and deeply rooted in presence, these ceremonies offer something alcohol rarely can: connection with self and others.

Wellness Retreats are the New Festivals 

From beachside escapes to remote bushland immersions, Australians are signing up to sweat, stretch and unplug. These retreats aren’t just yoga and green smoothies – they’re curated to be equal parts rest and revelation.

Digital Wellness, Reimagined 

Online platforms like Open and Forme Paradis are bringing workouts, sound healing, meditation and nervous system regulation into homes. Paired with beautiful design and brand-first thinking, wellness is no longer a niche – it’s a new cultural pillar.

Why This Matters

This shift isn’t just about not drinking. It’s about rethinking.

We’re in a moment of recalibration – driven by:

• Growing awareness of alcohol’s toll on mental and physical health
• Post-pandemic reevaluation of priorities
• A collective craving for genuine connection in real life, as counterculture and currency
• Australia’s early-morning, outdoorsy DNA
• Fatigue and anxiety from over-digitised, overstimulated living
• A redefinition of nightlife and music culture, where sound and presence matter more than escapism

People want spaces that energise, not deplete. Experiences that linger, not just entertain. And more than ever, they’re seeking shared meaning – not just shared drinks.

For brands, that means building cultural value beyond the product. IRL experiences, brand-led rituals, and multi-sensory moments are no longer nice-to-haves — they’re central to how communities form, and how affinity grows. It’s not just about presence, but presence with purpose.

What Can We Learn?

For brands, creatives, and cultural leaders, the lesson is clear: the future of experience is multi-sensory, values-led, and deeply intentional.

It’s not enough to offer a product or a party. You need:

• Purposeful rituals
• Real-world connection
• Sensory immersion (and balance)
• A break from the numbing autopilot
• A recontextualisation of music, space, and energy – soft power over spectacle

And most importantly: a strong narrative and authentic connection back to brand. The most enduring brands aren’t just seen — they’re felt. They build ecosystems of meaning, where identity, community, and values converge through every experience they create.

Sound is no longer an afterthought. Atmosphere is strategy. And subtlety is a strength in a world that’s learning to feel again.

What’s Next?

Functional Beverages Go Mainstream

Adaptogens, nootropics, and gut-health elixirs are making their way from niche wellness aisles to mainstream menus.

Kava & Cacao-adjacent Experiences

Expect these to emerge more strongly in Australia’s coastal towns. Offering mild, legal highs through plant-based alternatives, these spaces foster heart-led conversation and relaxed connection.

CBD Culture on the Horizon

While Australia still lags behind the US and Europe on CBD regulation, the tides are turning. As stigma softens and demand grows, we’re likely to see CBD beverages and supplements enter the cultural chat – bringing calm, focus, and a fresh layer to wellness socialising.

Sober curiosity isn’t about subtraction. It’s about expansion and exploration.

And as Australian culture continues to evolve, these trends point to something deeper: a collective reimagining of joy, ritual, and what it means to truly feel good and live presently in the moment.

This isn’t a trend, it’s a values shift.

And the brands that build with clarity, care and cultural resonance?

They’re the ones shaping what comes next.

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Sources:

Yusuf Ntahilaja, “2025: The Year of Soft Clubbing”, Substack

Lauren Ironmonger, ‘Soft clubbing’: Gen Z swap alcohol for coffee as new dance venues emerge, Sydney Morning Herald

Images:

@fbr.cafe
@dybrkr
@sanctuaryexperience
@silenceplease
@slowhousebondi
@furiesrunning
@kineuphorics