Spin, matcha, tunes: I try a sober rave and it made me a fan of partying

As much as I enjoy music and dancing, I'm not a fan of the clubbing scene.

The combination of intoxicated people in a densely packed space with flashing lights can get quite overwhelming, and I often find myself feeling anxious instead of having fun in such environments.

So when I heard about "sober raves" in Singapore, which take place in the daytime and do not involve drinking, my curiosity was piqued.

On a bright and sunny Saturday (Jan 24) morning, I went for Wake Up & Dance by The Breakfast Club to see if it would change my mind on partying.

Spoiler: It did.

My colleagues and I were among the first few attendees to arrive at Salt Fitness in Gillman Barracks at 9am sharp, and we were feeling a little shy.

We decided to visit the "Word of the Year" booth to make custom keychains to represent our wishes for 2026.

Although we were loitering at the side of the room for a bit, the DJ seemed to know just what would get us hyped up.

The moment he blasted Korean R&B hit Mommae by Jay Park, we ran up to the dance floor and started singing along — even busting out the song's iconic choreography.

The morning continued with more people arriving and joining us as the DJ played a mix of recent hits and timeless classics.

We also enjoyed handcrafted matcha-based drinks by local business Ma-Cha while grooving to the music.

This iteration of Wakeup & Dance was fitness-themed — in line with the "new year, new me" mentality many have at the beginning of the year.

Attendees were invited to join fitness classes held by Salt Fitness during the event, and I took the opportunity to attend my first-ever spin class.

While I do lead a pretty active lifestyle, endurance has never been my strong suit.

Despite this, I wanted to challenge myself to be open-minded and try something new, which is my new year's resolution for 2026.

And a challenge it was! The warmup set already had my blood pumping and by the end of the 45-minute-long class, I had worked up a sweat.

Although I struggled to keep up with the instructor half of the time, I gained a newfound appreciation for spinning.

The combination of upbeat music and varied movements on the stationary bicycle made for an engaging experience — I will definitely attend more spin classes in the future.

After burning all those calories, we headed to the Oatsome booth for some healthy overnight oats and got a second round of coffee-based drinks.

A new way to have fun

Wake Up & Dance by The Breakfast Club was started by Tricia Fok in November last year.

Speaking to AsiaOne, the 48-year-old said that she used to party and drink very often when she was younger.

"I'd black out and fall down the stairs. It was normal for me," she said.

When she reached her 40s, however, Tricia realised that she needed to put her health first and changed her lifestyle.

While she no longer drank as much and avoided clubbing, she missed going out and dancing with her friends.

So when Tricia, who is the founder of event management company The Live Group, heard about sober parties, she decided to organise her own in November last year. 

She pointed out that the main thing that sets Wake Up & Dance apart from other similar events is that it is held in the morning.

"This way, people can start their day on a high, energetic note — with good drinks and a healthy breakfast," she said.

And the attendees at the event seemed to agree. 

Jaxx Firrell and Larissa Seikowski told AsiaOne that it was "great to see like-minded people coming together" to have fun.

Jaxx, who has been living in Singapore for 11 years, added: "I can wake up and start the day with positive energy this way."

The two women, who are in their 30s, stated that they had been following The Breakfast Club on social media for quite some time and are looking forward to attending future sober raves.

Another thing that stood out about Wakeup & Dance was the fact that it combined fitness with the usual caffeinated drinks, music and dancing.

According to Tricia, the event — which is a monthly affair — has a different theme each time. 

In fact, the next event is set to take place on Feb 14 and will be Valentine's Day-themed.

Participants are encouraged to come dressed in pink to enjoy cold brew coffees and teas at The Arts House.

"I just want people like me — who enjoy music and dancing but don't drink — to still be able to have fun," Tricia said.

Tickets for the upcoming Wake Up & Dance can be bought on Eventbrite, with prices ranging from $22.05 to $37.78.

They include admission to the rave and a welcome drink. Other activities, specialty drinks, and food will cost extra.

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bhavya.rawat@asiaone.com