KARACHI:
Beneath neon lights at an indoor sports activities membership in Karachi, twenty-somethings drifted between glowing courts and a DJ sales space, dancing with espresso cups and iced tea in hand.
No alcohol. No medicine. And the music ended promptly at 10pm.
In Pakistan, a rising variety of Gen Z are choosing “sober socialising”, becoming a member of a worldwide pattern as younger individuals more and more go for more healthy life.
Right here, although, the shift carries an added enchantment: Consuming alcohol is prohibited for Muslims, who make up the overwhelming majority of Pakistan’s inhabitants.
Partying with out the pour
They’re more and more turning their backs on the occasion scene of the previous, which regularly concerned underground venues due to the presence of alcohol and medicines, and the danger of working afoul of authorities.
“In Karachi, we do not have many locations to simply exist socially,” stated Zia Malik, a software program entrepreneur attending the occasion. “This provides you that with out having to cover.”
“I’ve visited some underground events,” he added. “You can’t really feel safe.”
On the sports activities membership, crowd numbers had been capped. Between breaks in dancing, revellers performed padel, a cross between squash and tennis well-liked in Pakistan.
The occasion’s organiser, experiential platform 12xperience, had native authorities approval to host a public occasion with out alcohol.
Making a secure house
Cameras – each wall-mounted and on drones – monitored the group to implement the no-alcohol coverage and to discourage fights or harassment, organisers stated.
“With out guardrails, you are simply recreating the identical dangers persons are making an attempt to flee,” stated Mohammed Usman, founding father of 12xperience.
“That is about creating an area the place individuals really feel secure,” he stated. “With out alcohol, with out medicine, with out chaos.”
Occasions like this are popping up throughout the town of practically 19 million in rising numbers, primarily at sports activities amenities and occasional retailers, but additionally at venues equivalent to artwork galleries and co-working areas.
Euromonitor knowledge reveals Pakistan’s comfortable drinks market grew greater than 27% between 2020 and 2025, and scorching drinks – a class that features espresso – expanded by an analogous margin.
Whereas that mirrors a worldwide pattern in younger individuals consuming much less, Pakistan’s shift has outpaced mature markets equivalent to the US and Britain, the place non-alcoholic beverage volumes have grown solely modestly.
Partying inside Islamic boundaries
Sociologist Kausar Parveen stated the change reveals how younger Pakistanis have put a contemporary spin on adapting to the nation’s Islamic norms, moderately than being an indication they’re rejecting them.
“They aren’t going past faith, however reframing how social life occurs,” stated Parveen, an affiliate professor on the College of Karachi.
Girls-only occasions are additionally rising in recognition, in a rustic the place gender mixing carries cultural stigmas.
“For lots of ladies, nightlife comes with situations of who’s there, how late it runs, how seen it’s,” stated comic and influencer Amtul Bajwa, who was internet hosting the women-only desi music evening at her cafe in Karachi, Third Tradition Espresso.
“This was about creating an area the place girls may loosen up with out negotiating these issues.”
Choices open solely to girls
Pakistani and Indian music performed as girls danced with out reservations to desi tracks, and the occasion ended at 9pm sharp.
“You do not have to fret about who’s watching,” stated Fatima, who didn’t share her final identify as a result of her dad and mom didn’t know she was attending. “Ending early makes it simpler to get house.”
Bajwa has additionally hosted plenty of espresso raves for each genders, and lately held a silent disco at her cafe, however stated there’s specific demand for women-only occasions.
Value is one thing of a difficulty: Tickets usually price between Rs3,000 and Rs7,000 in a rustic the place entry-level month-to-month salaries are usually Rs30,000 to Rs40,000, making a single evening out a major expense.
Even so, sober raves have change into a major – and really seen – outlet for Pakistan’s youth.
On the sports activities membership, well-dressed way of life bloggers and social media influencers posted images and movies in actual time, one thing unlikely at events involving alcohol.
“It is extra accessible to the lots,” stated Shah Zaib, a 27-year-old knowledge analyst attending his third such occasion. “I really like the truth that it isn’t underground anymore.”
