The hot keywords for the coffee world in 2025 clearly include "coffee rave" and "coffee run." A coffee rave is a daytime party held in a cafe, featuring live DJs spinning tracks; it marks a complete departure from traditional nightlife and has become a new way for young people to celebrate. Meanwhile, a coffee run is a cultural activity that combines running with visiting coffee shops. Both trends originated outside the U.S. and have already become popular across Europe, America, and Asia. Reflecting this global excitement, the annual industry event, PMQ Coffee Agenda, even organized a "Coffee Run & Relay" as this year's kickoff. But how do local coffee enthusiasts and industry insiders see these emerging trends?

Isaac, the mastermind behind the "Social Club Series" of daytime parties, comes from a background in advertising and music video directing. "Last year, I noticed the 'coffee rave' and 'sober rave' craze in Europe and the US, which made me want to try it out in Hong Kong," he explains. "Coincidentally, a Canadian DJ I admire was visiting, so I invited him to collaborate on a coffee rave. That became the first Social Club Series event in March of this year." It started as just a small experiment, but he didn't expect the clips of the electric atmosphere to go viral online. To this day, the Social Club Series has hosted over a dozen parties, expanding from cafes to venues like pizza parlors and ice cream shops.

Many media outlets, such as Time magazine, have reported that Gen Z is drinking less alcohol and prefers socializing in a "sober state." Isaac, however, feels that the rise of daytime partying is also linked to the pandemic. "Restaurants used to stay open very late, but the pandemic got us used to going home earlier. I think because our lifestyle habits have changed, people now feel that partying during the day is actually quite nice."

The Social Club Series parties usually run from 3:00 PM until sunset and are not entirely alcohol-free. "Sometimes we do a coffee rave, and other times we provide alcoholic drinks," Isaac says. However, the crowd never gets intoxicated like they might on a typical night out. "Participants can really focus on listening to the music. Some come for a specific DJ or genre they love, while others just want to enjoy the daytime party trend."

Jasper, the owner of Sipper in Wan Chai, balances stillness with activity. He is both a professional barista—having won First Runner-up in the 2025 Hong Kong Brewers Cup—and an avid runner. Recently, he has started organizing "Run & Brew" events, where he runs with participants for an hour, beginning at Sipper, heading to Central, and then back. "Then I brew coffee for everyone, and we chat," he says. He laughs, noting that launching Run & Brew just happened to coincide perfectly with the coffee run trend. "Since I have the space at Sipper, I just combined the coffee and running I love within the shop. A lot of people have similar ideas right now."

Years ago, Jasper already recognized coffee runs in the UK and felt the combination was naturally fitting. "Many people drink coffee before exercising because they believe it wakes them up and boosts performance." He has the same habit. "After doing Run & Brew, I realized that drinking coffee after running also works; it can help soothe muscle soreness." Sipper hosts "morning runs," with participants starting before 8:00 AM. After the run, they can begin their workday as usual, making it a very healthy routine. "After the pandemic, everyone is paying more attention to a healthy life. Since cafes agree that coffee runs are worth promoting, and the market is very accepting of the activity, it’s growing in popularity."/p>

Jasper initially just invited friends for a Run & Brew, but it drew attention from Sipper’s regular customers and eventually became an official shop activity. "I chat with customers while running, which is great interaction. I believe many coffee shops want to build their own community, and coffee runs are a natural way to create a long-lasting one." Another aspect of its sustainability is simplicity: as long as there is a road, you can run. "The coffee shop doesn't need to arrange any special equipment, which makes the coffee run much easier to implement."

Sophie is deeply involved in coffee-related activities, such as serving as the head judge for the Hong Kong Coffee in Good Spirits Championship. She also manages the "Coffee Daily" Facebook and Instagram accounts, where she shares insights on coffee culture. "The page grew from FB to IG and has been running for over ten years," she notes. Calling Sophie a "veteran of the coffee scene" is no exaggeration. "At the beginning of this year, I noticed on social media that coffee raves and coffee runs were gaining popularity abroad. Hong Kong caught up with this trend around the middle of the year."

To explore new trends, it is important to first examine the history of local cafes. It is a common phrase to describe a cafe as a "third option" outside of home and work, where different social interactions can happen. "Over a decade ago, specialty coffee shops emerged in Hong Kong and began serving as a third option where people would gather. Then, as Instagram fueled the 'check-in' culture, many enjoyed visiting cafes just to take photos."

Looking at our current AI and internet era in a broader view, Sophie notes, "Everyone has online communities, but they may not have many offline ones. To some extent, coffee raves and coffee runs are about seeking a sense of community belonging, allowing shop owners and customers to come together and connect." There are many ways for a cafe to build a community, so why have these two trends become so popular? "After all, sports and music are very neutral activities loved by the general public, and they work well for group participation. As a third option, it wouldn't be surprising if cafes develop even more diverse activities in the future."

Coffee Run & Relay

Date：27/9

Time：8:30am - 11:00am

Route ：PMQ → commaa → Sun Yat Sen Memorial Park → KACTUS KOFFEE → The Station → PMQ（Around 3.5K）

PMQ Coffee Agenda 2025

Date：31/10 - 2/11

Time：11am - 7pm

Venue：PMQ 元創方地面廣場 (中環鴨巴甸街35號)

Details：https://www.pmq.org.hk/event/pmq-coffee-agenda-2025/?lang=en