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[title]Coffee Raves in Buenos Aires are now a reality. The specialty coffee culture, is merging alongside raves as they break out of their niches and combine into one. These parties can happen in the morning, but what’s beautiful about trends in Buenos Aires is that they keep reinventing themselves, with some of these coffee raves now starting in the afternoon.
A morning coffee or coffee-based cocktails, listening to great house electronic music, and being surrounded by friends. Could there be a better plan? In fact, many claim that Coffee Raves are strong contenders to replace nighttime parties.
What are Coffee Raves?
Music in coffee shops has always existed: whether it’s simple background music for the employees at work or Coffee Parties where genres like Hip Hop or Funk are played with well-known DJs from that scene, such as Tang Negro. But the phenomenon emerging as an alternative in electronic music, parties, and specialty coffee shops is Coffee Raves.
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The term "Rave" originated in the United Kingdom, where the Coffee Rave movement is also believed to have begun. "Raves" referred to underground or illegal parties in the UK, which eventually gained more attention and spread, becoming a name for informal electronic music parties.
Records of Coffee Raves date back to 2016 in London, and the movement has since been adopted by countries like Dubai, Mexico, and Peru. However, it was only between 2024 and this year that this new trend emerged in Buenos Aires, offering an alternative for those stepping away from structured nighttime outings, with expensive entry fees, artificial lights in dark rooms, or even VIP areas.
In Buenos Aires, the parties can begin at the opening hours of the coffee shops or at a more friendly afternoon time. You can find house/afro house music, depending on factors like the date and the DJ playing. With coffee-based food and drinks, the experience promises a different vibe from a traditional rave.
Where are Coffee Raves held in Buenos Aires?
Espresso Club Radio is one of the producers behind morning Coffee Raves. This “cultural producer,” as they define themselves, aims to create spaces where electronic music connects participants without phones, no personal recordings, but with audiovisual production curated by them. The first edition was held at Toy Coffee & Gallery with free entry, and featured art exhibitions by local artists.
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"Espresso Club Radio was born out of this search: we wanted to create a genuine space where artists, creators, producers, and creative minds could come together in a different environment. A place where you can have a specialty coffee, enjoy a work of art, listen to good music, and, above all, connect with great people. Our goal is for each session to be unique and happen at the right moment and place," says Lucas Othar, one of the creators of Espresso Club Radio.
"The coffee shop allows us to change the narrative of electronic music, bringing it into a more relaxed, intimate, and accessible environment, where people can truly connect with the sound without distractions. The art gallery, specialty coffee, and music form an ecosystem where everything has a purpose," he adds.
For Othar, "more than a party, Coffee Raves are a cultural and sensory experience, a new way to experience electronic music." He explains that they aim to break the paradigm that "electronic music only belongs to the night." "And what better way to do it than by combining three things we love: coffee, music, and art," he says.
"Coffee Raves are a cultural and sensory experience, a new way to experience electronic music"
A Coffee Rave in First Person
We had the chance to attend the unique Coffee Rave at Pampa Café, produced by Kraft Collective. Unlike the original idea of starting the day with a morning party, this version took place in the afternoon, starting at 6 PM.
Before the party began, there was already a group of girls drinking a bottle of wine, a family having tea, and groups of young people gathering for the upcoming event. In other words, there was a varied crowd waiting for the event to start.
Inside the venue, the DJ booths were set up at the coffee bar, giving a unique and different look for the DJs who exclusively brought a fine selection of house music on vinyl. Cameras were installed to capture the event and produce on-demand content.
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The Pampa menu was altered for cocktails and gastronomy. While many drinks were reinterpretations based on cold brew and tea, the espresso machine was turned off, and the kitchen, for the first time, served food in the afternoon and evening.
This led to the start of this distinct Coffee Rave experience in Buenos Aires. Around 370 people attended Pampa Café, with free entry.
“We knew Coffee Raves were starting to happen in the city. We’ve been following them for a while and were waiting for the right moment to do it our way. We didn’t want to do it in the morning, we wanted to do it in the afternoon. We didn’t want coffee to be the main feature. We wanted to offer something extra: we found an excuse to launch our new cocktail menu, which is 100% based on coffee-inspired drinks,” says Tomás Couriel, owner of Pampa Café.
Couriel also explains that, since they dislike copying concepts, they wanted to give the party its own unique twist. “We like how this idea fits within our coffee shop. I don’t know if it’s something that will always be consistent, but it’s important to find this identity we’re looking for,” he says.
Speaking about the venue where this “different” Coffee Rave took place, we also share who produced it. It was Kraft Collective, an emerging production company led by Manuel Wahnon, Matias Novoa, Camila Bolado, and Federico Sanfeliú, who chose the Panorama cycle as their first project, debuting with this Coffee Rave.
“We’re trying to give a twist to the Coffee Rave concept so it can blend better with real gastronomy. The morning is limited to coffee; here we’re trying to expand that proposal,” says Manuel Wahnon.
A.M. Coffee Party, Pioneers of Coffee Raves
One of the organizations at the forefront of this movement is A.M. Coffee Party, led by Camila Sen. They’ve done two editions, following the original idea adopted from abroad: starting the rave in the morning with music and coffee, under the slogan “start the day with energy and stimulation.”
They vary the specialty coffee shops they hold the raves at: they began with Air Coffee and then continued with Roland Coffee and Canillita. For the winter season, they’re heading south, aiming to expand across the country.
Tallarica’s Coffee Sunset
Another unique alternative to the original coffee raves is the Coffee Sunset held at Tallarica. The proposal was to break up the week with music on the coffee shop’s sidewalk on Av. Libertador during Thursday afternoons in April. The best part? Entry was free.
“It’s great to reinterpret something from abroad. We have a different audience. Holding a Coffee Sunset on Thursday afternoons is a more fun after-work event, and it allows us to join the coffee rave movement,” says Daniela Tallarico, owner of Tallarica.
For these Coffee Sunsets, Tallarica, in collaboration with Indigo Café, designed a menu of three “Cofftails,” two of which contained alcohol. The kitchen didn’t change: the full menu remained available.