In 2022, I did what any young Donegal man with notions would do, and went on a journey of self discovery to Berlin. I found myself, alright; found myself at hardcore punk shows, WWII bunkers and in a hostel run by nuns overlooking the Berlin Wall.
I also found myself in a variety of clubs across the city, dancing to techno music on my own until the wee small hours of the morning.
Despite the obvious connotations with the scene I jumped headfirst into, I was completely sober, as I always am. I'm not a pioneer, per se; I just never had the urge to join in with cans and naggins while I was partying with my mates. There was something very liberating about dancing like no one was watching, all with the knowledge that a kebab and a lie-in is all I’d need to be back to 100% the following day.
I was obviously not the first person to say "no, thank you" to intoxicants while at a rave, but the idea seems to be catching on in Ireland in 2025.
The temperance movement is making a comeback post-lockdown, with 'sober curious' the by-word on the street in dating apps recently. More and more young people are putting the bottle down, with sales in non-alcoholic beer skyrocketing since 2020.
Some businesses are in the teething process of creating sober late-night spaces, with varying degrees of success; non-alcoholic cocktail bar The Virgin Mary closed its doors in 2023, while the previously sober bar Board Dublin recently added low-alcohol items to its menu. Others are thriving, with the providing study spaces, escape rooms, and social areas for young people in Dublin, all without selling alcohol on their premises.
The sober rave is the latest in an ongoing series of events attempting to induce an out-of-body experience while maintaining all faculties. Scottish festival main-eventer Barry Can't Swim woke revellers up in a sold-out Guinness Storehouse last March with a sunrise DJ set at 6.30am, while Club Loosen has been throwing events across Dublin City since last April, providing dancefloors to conscientious partiers on a regular basis.
The latest addition to the scene is A Rave To Remember, who sold out a D1 coffee shop for a rave during Sunday Service hours last month, and are set to host another this month. The real capital has seen its fair share of similar boogies in recent months, with Cork's Lotus Yoga hosting a Primal Dance event in September providing ritual tea paired with a DJ. Namaste, indeed...
There is a legitimate nightclub crisis in Ireland at the minute. Late-night activists Give Us The Night counted only 83 nightclubs in the Republic, with 23 of them centralised in Dublin. 27 clubs shuttered their doors since the pandemic, and other businesses are starting to feel the pressure now. Despite falling figures, there is a clear demand for unique experiences for people who enjoy the witching hour, whether there's alcohol involved or not.
As the tides continue to change into 2025, don’t be surprised if you see your own favourite club closing the bar for the night, but keeping the dancefloor open.
