This take on "soft clubbing" nails the shift happening in nightlife—it’s not that people are partying less, they’re just redefining how they party. The rise of curated, intentional music experiences shows that Gen Z and Millennials aren’t ditching nightlife; they’re making it fit their lifestyles—less about excess, more about experience.
It’s wild how music is now integrated into everyday spaces—bakeries, gyms, chess clubs—turning routine moments into cultural touchpoints. And the rise of daytime events? That’s a response to shifting social habits (and, let’s be real, the hangxiety that comes with all-nighters).
Soft clubbing isn’t the end of nightlife—it’s its next evolution. The brands, curators, and spaces that embrace this shift will thrive, while those clinging to the old model risk fading out.
as a younger millennial (‘94) I totally agree with wanting a social life that is more about experience than excess. my early to mid 20s were centered around frat parties, dingy bars and dance clubs, and while they were definitely fun in their own ways, I find myself wanting to immerse myself in more uniquely curated environments.
considering the high cost of living nowadays, I don’t want to spend money on a rideshare and overpriced drinks just to listen to the same 2010s hits in the same local setting I’ve gone to a thousand times. nowadays I tend to spend this social and monetary effort towards concerts and music festivals (my idea of soft clubbing lol) but I hope to see this nightlife shift more pervasively.
It's a catchy one, soft clubbing! Also, what I'm starting to realise, having read your post, is that we've entered a decentralised era for clubbing. It's no longer about the 'where' and more about the 'why'. Any space can be a club now. A living room. A bakery. Whatever. We're seeing this with raves being organised at airports. In Germany they do techno parties on moving trains. It's an exciting time for real!
ah yes great perspective! We’re certainly in that era now and exciting to see how that will continue to widen the way we experience music. Been loving the clips from the airports in Germany, think it was Frankfurt the one I saw.
this hits to close to home as one of the founders of the Beat Social (Producer Open Mics) in the uk, it definitely went viral after 2020 because the first wave of artists needed a real space to express themselves without that classic clubbing pressure
Interesting. Nightlife used to be for the counter-culture and now the Mayor is getting involed, which means it's been coopted. This is good news, most people are awake during the day, it's a more efficient time to make the counter culture the dominant mainstream culture. Soft clubbing is on its way to change the world!
Could not agree more! I thought my 20s would be like a 2000s music video but instead I find myself in more intimate settings listening to a curated playlist and to be honest I kind of prefer it! I had no idea about the 'Night-life task force', really interesting post
The internet kills me with these things. Wtf is soft dancing? Does my great grandmother get on the front here and say she hearts soft dancing tho that’s all she has done since being 80. And it doesn’t even encompass the whole of whoever wears and says this. Sure you like soft dancing but to what song? to what time of the day? Surely u just don’t only soft dance? Surely you have a martini before you get up and do your 2 steps soft dancing? Soft dance as the sunset? Soft dance as you’re blacked out drunk out of your senses? Yes I to love soft dancing, especially to hard gabber.
This made me laugh because I was soft clubbing before it had a name. I used to be out like “anyone else on a deadline and have to wake up in 4 hours?” The idea of early parties with good music and no pressure is dream behavior. Sign me up! How do you find out? (And not these last minute announcements…. I need like 3 weeks notice lol)
This take on "soft clubbing" nails the shift happening in nightlife—it’s not that people are partying less, they’re just redefining how they party. The rise of curated, intentional music experiences shows that Gen Z and Millennials aren’t ditching nightlife; they’re making it fit their lifestyles—less about excess, more about experience.
It’s wild how music is now integrated into everyday spaces—bakeries, gyms, chess clubs—turning routine moments into cultural touchpoints. And the rise of daytime events? That’s a response to shifting social habits (and, let’s be real, the hangxiety that comes with all-nighters).
Soft clubbing isn’t the end of nightlife—it’s its next evolution. The brands, curators, and spaces that embrace this shift will thrive, while those clinging to the old model risk fading out.
as a younger millennial (‘94) I totally agree with wanting a social life that is more about experience than excess. my early to mid 20s were centered around frat parties, dingy bars and dance clubs, and while they were definitely fun in their own ways, I find myself wanting to immerse myself in more uniquely curated environments.
considering the high cost of living nowadays, I don’t want to spend money on a rideshare and overpriced drinks just to listen to the same 2010s hits in the same local setting I’ve gone to a thousand times. nowadays I tend to spend this social and monetary effort towards concerts and music festivals (my idea of soft clubbing lol) but I hope to see this nightlife shift more pervasively.
It's a catchy one, soft clubbing! Also, what I'm starting to realise, having read your post, is that we've entered a decentralised era for clubbing. It's no longer about the 'where' and more about the 'why'. Any space can be a club now. A living room. A bakery. Whatever. We're seeing this with raves being organised at airports. In Germany they do techno parties on moving trains. It's an exciting time for real!
ah yes great perspective! We’re certainly in that era now and exciting to see how that will continue to widen the way we experience music. Been loving the clips from the airports in Germany, think it was Frankfurt the one I saw.
nice one Yus!
This is really cool! Thanks for sharing
Really enjoyed this read Yus! Hope you’re good! X
Thanks Rosie! I’m well, hope you are too!
Great read!
this hits to close to home as one of the founders of the Beat Social (Producer Open Mics) in the uk, it definitely went viral after 2020 because the first wave of artists needed a real space to express themselves without that classic clubbing pressure
Interesting. Nightlife used to be for the counter-culture and now the Mayor is getting involed, which means it's been coopted. This is good news, most people are awake during the day, it's a more efficient time to make the counter culture the dominant mainstream culture. Soft clubbing is on its way to change the world!
Could not agree more! I thought my 20s would be like a 2000s music video but instead I find myself in more intimate settings listening to a curated playlist and to be honest I kind of prefer it! I had no idea about the 'Night-life task force', really interesting post
The internet kills me with these things. Wtf is soft dancing? Does my great grandmother get on the front here and say she hearts soft dancing tho that’s all she has done since being 80. And it doesn’t even encompass the whole of whoever wears and says this. Sure you like soft dancing but to what song? to what time of the day? Surely u just don’t only soft dance? Surely you have a martini before you get up and do your 2 steps soft dancing? Soft dance as the sunset? Soft dance as you’re blacked out drunk out of your senses? Yes I to love soft dancing, especially to hard gabber.
This made me laugh because I was soft clubbing before it had a name. I used to be out like “anyone else on a deadline and have to wake up in 4 hours?” The idea of early parties with good music and no pressure is dream behavior. Sign me up! How do you find out? (And not these last minute announcements…. I need like 3 weeks notice lol)
Smashed it. What a word
Nespresso 7am happy hour: https://www.instagram.com/share/BAIPsox18M
just making up stuff at this point
This is a nice article and something to look out for.