A new series of sober raves are coming to one of London’s most iconic nightclubs.
Ministry of Sound is set to hold a series of raves that will champion sober enjoyment over the typical hedonistic intoxication associated with clubbing.
Opening on 11 May, the sober rave series will run every quarter through to November. Ministry of Sound has previously hosted similar sober events Ecstatic Disco and Dry Disco, but this is the first time that the club has created an in-house brand for sober raves.
Producer and DJ DRIIA will host the day parties with Skepsis taking over for the night section. “I’d love to be a part of creating a fresh space in London for people to experience a (largely) sober day of music,” DRIIA said.
“For me, the focus would be demonstrating that sobriety doesn’t impinge on enjoyment – if anything it can enhance it,” she added. “By working with Ministry of Sound nightclub, we can demonstrate that you can still love underground genres like UKG, DnB, Dubstep, Jungle, and be sober/sober-curious.”
“Dancing isn’t something that should be mutually exclusive with drinking, and to offer a space where music and community takes priority would be important in this ever-growing sober-curious society we live in,” DRIIA said.
Alongside the sober rave events, Ministry of Sound has also unveiled a new mocktail menu. No and low-alcohol drinks have been added to the club’s offering, led by bar manager Laura Andrijauskaitė.
“I’ve put together a great lineup of options for sober ravers, we wanted an offering that tastes amazing like CBD-infused Trip, a delicious alternative to wine drinks from Real.co, low-alcohol functional spirits from Smiling Wolf (perfect in cocktails or with mixers), and 0% beer options from Lucky Saint” Andrijauskaitė said.
Research has shown that younger people are now more conscious of alcohol’s negative effects on physical and mental wellbeing and are bucking the boozy behaviours of past generations.
A new survey published in The Times found that nearly half of 18-34-year-olds have completely given up drinking alcohol, while a 2024 YouGov study shared that 44 per cent of British people aged 18-24 are now choosing low or non-alcoholic alternatives instead.
The no to low-alcohol market was worth £221 (€258) million in 2021 and has continued to rise since then, according to a report by the University of Sheffield.
Across the EU, from 2022 to 2023, non-traditional beer production rose by over 13% while traditional brew production went down by 5%.
“At Ministry of Sound, our egalitarian roots have always led to positive change, for the growing number of us that are ‘sober curious’ we know what our patrons want, more inclusive nightlife experiences,” Matt Long, club director said.
“Our daytime raves and ‘No and Low’ alcohol range cater for a growing community, like us, who believe that clubbing should be about connection, energy and making memories whether you’re sipping a zero-proof mocktail or a low-alcohol beer.”
