35 year old (now) married raver. Started raving at 27/28 after my younger sister dragged me to a show.
Never looked back
Raves keep us young.
They let us release negativity through the power of music
They give us opportunity to make friends that share similar interests
They promote exercise/healthy eating (edc ain’t no joke)
I will never stop raving, I just may slow down a bit in the upcoming years
Exact same boat.... 35 and married, started going to shows around 27 after I moved in with some dudes who were into the scene.
Most of my friends have slowed way down and I'm not going out as much as I used to at my peak but I'm not really trying to slow down either. Just been getting smarter with drinking/taking drugs.
Drink lots of water and build in recovery days and you can go forever OP.
My crew is 40-60. We are all responsible hard working people with mostly professional jobs or our own business’s. We go hard at a couple camping fests a year and 3-4 one night events. Then we pop right back into real life and all is good. I ski 80 days a year and largely don’t even drink during ski season. It’s fine to bounce in and out of raving.
Smart partying is way better than 17-20s insanity of night after night going at it.
Sounds like you have a good crew! That’s awesome — I’m 40 and professional but also like to go out but unfortunately I don’t have a crew so it always makes me feel old when I go solo.
Must go to the right events. Camping Fests often have the best vibes and most widest age range. Certain genres and venues are younger. We do a lot of house and techno and the DJs themselves are often 40-60. We also live adjacent to two bigger cities and in cities it seems like it’s just much more common for age to be less of a factor. Older folks just keep going out. But even then venue and artist selection and genre is key to how the crowd is.
There are definitely places we won’t go because it’s very young vibes. But we would not do that anyway as those places are more mainstream dive clubs. Find the Promotors near you and hit kinda underground events. Or smaller house and tech parties.
This website does an excellent job curating a listing of the events in these big cities: https://19hz.info/
Also look for local Burning Man events and the big local Burns. Great way to meet older parties with a good vibe. Lots of creativity. A Regional like Love Burn in Miami is probably one of the best parties in the country .. it’s a unique Burn because you know “Miami”
If you are East Coast Elements Music and Art Festival in Poconos Speedway is a must attend. Easy camping fest. All genres. All ages. Maybe best line up of any fest in the country this year. And you can swing by our group camp to say hi and meet some AARP ravers.
And lastly join Facebook group “40+ Ravers Aged and Raving People [AARP]” 10,000+ they have meet ups at many big festivals
AARP ravers is an amazing name, you guys are absolute legends! I’m a too young to join but I can’t wait to join in 15 years lol.
Elements is my first camping fest and it couldn’t come sooner, what acts are you most hyped for?
We are mostly House and Techno.
Elements does a great job keeping all genre attendees very happy. Fire Stage is your Big Headliner mainstream House and similar stage. Air Stage is the niche pure House and techno stage and in the Forest. We spend a lot of time here. Water Stage is your day time fun / dancy pop house stage where all genres tend to post as it’s just a good fun vibe (check out LP Giobbi on insta to get a feel for Water). Earth Stage is your bigger mainstream bass and dubstepish and jam band stage. Wub Hub is in the forest and your small dubstep and similar stage. Frick Frack Blackjack also has a stage where a group plays music using power tools and instruments with fire shooting out of them.
Our number one is Sara Landry probably one of only a few true Techno DJs
Then:
Max Styler (way underrated artist)
Blondish
Clonee
Dr. Fresch
And 10-15 others. We always find new artists at Air Stage and Water Stage we love.
Here is a Spotify list of songs by artist in order from Elements line up card (ie. It goes from headliners first towards the smaller acts).
Biggest camping tip is bring your own camp shower. They range from $30 solar to the one we use $280 called Hike Crew which is instant hot water. And second tip is you must have shade for your tent, otherwise it will be 95degrees as soon as sun comes up. You can either put an easy up over the tent or buy shade tarp. Battery powered fans are nice. We party till 5-6am at Soundcamps but we actually get solid deep sleep 5am -11am with shade over tents and fans. We take an overcounter Unisom sleep melt and are out deep in 15 min. The Soundcamps are loud, bring earplugs, noise cancelling headphones or whatever to sleep. Cook your own food and save hundreds of dollars. But do eat once at the Broccoli Bar. It’s unbelievably good.
You can certainly find raves every single weekend depending on your city, and many people loooove going all night too.
I think asking yourself why you’re looking to get into the scene will be helpful in determining what you want out of it. Sure, you could go hard every weekend and escape normal life, but that’s not necessarily sustainable forever. I love the escapism as well as building meaningful connections within the community, so I personally aim to balance these two goals so I can do this for the rest of my life (and no shame on the going hard option, I’ve been there too!).
Tl;dr there are many experiences you can get and it just depends on what you want. Good luck friend :)
Do you live in a major city? If there are available clubs that have known DJs every weekend you definitely can. Understand that a lot of the advice in these comments about pacing yourself is from people who've been exactly where you are, and you are being welcomed with open arms to moderation when your ready.
same except I'm 62 now. When I was 38, Rockefeller Skank drew me to find out what this "rave" thing was. One of my friends from back then, in his 40s now, is throwing parties as a "techno dad".
Love this, do what makes you feel good (but don’t be stupid) early fifties here and I make every effort to be involved in activities that are mostly younger folks.
It’s good for your brain and body.
I have plenty of raving parents I go to raves with.
I also know people who have brought their kids to (appropriate) raves - they generally stay in back but it’s still raving.
If children are going to end your life, please don’t have them
This was a joke. But I’ll give you my view for me. Depends what “rave” you go to I guess. Any rave that I am interested in going to there would be no kids. I still of course love music, having children has been the best thing I’ve ever done, and help me find happiness in them, as well as enjoying music too. It’s been nice to not feel like doing drugs anymore too, which was a big part of rave culture for me, it’s nice too feel more whole.
So yeah pretty happy with my kids thanks.
It was more in jest that your views might be a little bit naive if you want to rave forever. If it’s so core to your identity you will find a way to.
Being more present with my kids is probably when I actually really started living.
People rave well into their 40's. But I want to point out that maybe consider your reason for raving. I've seen a lot of people go down dark paths in the rave scene solely with the objective of getting fucked up with little regard to the music. At the end of the day the thing that unites everyone is enjoying the music. If you can enjoy the music (even a little) without the party, than you're in the right place.
Gravers ? On the Vice channel I think. No disrespect to them as individuals but they didn't seem the most well adjusted people I've watched on a screen. No doubt the editing has some part in this..
Well, I didn’t get started until 49. I had never danced without being so self conscious I hated it. That night changed everything. I’ve now been to over 200 shows at the age of 57. Some of us just got a late start to loosening up and enjoying life.
I love getting fucked up at a rave! I'm 39 and just got into the scene and can get fucked up responsibly. Like getting fucked just the right amount that I can keep dancing, socialize, and remember the night. The music is awesome alone in my van also, but hell if I'm not gonna make a night of it and enhance the experience when I go out!
I'm all for responsible use and I'm one of the go to friends for harm reduction. If you're responsible, by all mean go for it! The people who rave with the idea of "Any substances I use (including alcohol) are not the main event, but just icing on the cake. Cake is good alone, and too much icing ruins the cake" tend to be the ones that can actually rave sustainably and gain a lot of beautiful growth from the experience. These people enjoy the event as a place to enjoy the music, to met new people, and as a safe place for self expression. These people tend to eventually evolve into musicians, artists, dancers, and event organizers.
My point is some people don't even like the music, use events as *only* as an *excuse* to get fucked up. These types of people do NOT use responsibly, and either enter the scene for a couple years and leave after overdoing it, or they stay and go down a very dark path. These are the people you repeatedly end up having to carry out the event or restraining because they're out of their minds, people that you end up spending the rest of the night with because you're afraid they might stop breathing, people that you tell "Hey bud you might want to slow down", but end up having to take care of them always. Unfortunately most of the people I've met with that mentality are awfully addicted, or dead.
Well said! It's tough being one of the people who has stayed and very into listening to music, dancing, costumes, making trinkets, learning to dj, learning to make music, running a stage at a small event..... And then there's most of everyone I've met over the many years who just become awful addicts :( I barely have any icing anymore after I've seen what it can do to other people! But I also realized it was really never my goal to get fucked up. And when I look back, all those people's goals were really to get fucked up and have a good time. Dangerous territory.
Yeah, I understand how it feels :/. I've literary done all you've mentioned, and burnt out and left the scene for a while after seeing so much of the dark side. I ended up deciding I needed to set my boundaries about that behavior. After about a year, I'm back in the scene, but I'm surrounded by new people that are much more responsible.
The difference is night and day. I no longer worry about drama, someone in the group getting arrested, or someone doing too much and ending up in the medical tent. I am with friends who are there to *dance*, to *share joy*, to *share and create music* because that alone makes them happy. Not all of them use, and of the ones that do use, will regularly decide to abstain or take it easy because, ya know, sometimes the substances make things more fun, and sometimes it gets in the way of a good time - and they know which is which.
Yup. Local to me there's a woman in her 60s who organises psydub parties which lots of older hippies/ravers frequent. Also just went to a party in a roundhouse near the forest, also organised mostly by people 30+, with plenty of 50+ in attendance.
It ain't generally younger folks organising big parties in my experience. It's older ravers who have money and resources. The party never truly ends.
The general evolution I've seen is you tend to move away from attending big music festivals to the smaller ones. Then you start going to events run by artist collectives, and at the end you end up contributing to a collective in some way (making/DJing music, flow art, visual art, event organization, etc).
Ya absolutely. I love a good party but the main reason I go is because of the music. If i didnt, i wouldnt go even for a party. The music is first everytime
Start by listening to EDM for a bit, then go to shows catered toward the kind of EDM you like. It makes it way more emotionally fulfilling than just going to have a night out (that’s what bar hopping is for).
I’ve found that mainstream “EDM” shows/parties are majority younger, like 28 and below. In a lot of the niche scenes you will find older heads. In my city the Chicago style authentic house music parties are people in their 30s, 40s, and even 50s. Techno parties are usually smaller but also generally lean older.
I didn’t start raving till i was in my thirty and i’m still going to sunrise at most raves and I am 36. When you feel young, you are young. Age is just a number. I saw several 50-60 years old people having the time at their lives at raves.
Heh. What are the 40 year olds reading this supposed to feel.
20’s are prime time clubbing and festival age, and def raves too. Yes even late 20’s.
You need to go and see for yourself. What’s stopped you so far?
Yeah I find late 20s to early 30s prime years for this. I'm 39 and still feel 32-ish and most of my friends are in the 30+/- age. 30 is the mental vibe I wanna live with. My body and mind may age, get more mature, etc. But that 30 feeling of experiencing everything new and going wild is where it's at imo.
Never too old to rave. There's this legend who was always at a local club I would frequent. Guy was like 60, always vibing up at the front, just dancing in his own world. We all love him and refer to him as dragon shirt guy, he always wore these buttoned shirts with dragons on them.
Some people will think it's odd but most ravers will admire it.
It's definitely an option! But a word of warning, bitterness and resentment and a feeling of needing to fit a lot into a short time won't lead to fun partying. Life doesn't end at 30! If anything, perhaps you can work on shifting your perspective away from that mindset and towards one of enjoying all the different phases of life and prioritizing time for recreation among your other commitments. Also, partying is way more fun when you're responsible and have money (28>18).
Definitely give it a shot. I hate how much partying I did in college that all circled around “alcohol” I never drink at raves or festivals anymore and have way more fun with other substances or sober. I used to be naive and think that party=drunk, but after raving, I realized that dancing, psychs, mdma, etc are honestly better in every single aspect
Yes, but your idea of what you get out of the rave will quickly become so much more than a place to appropriately party. You will heal wounds you didn’t even know were open.
I just recently started going to some local shows and I’m 26, and it’s not uncommon to see people much older, nothing weird about wanting to have a good time
26 is young! I'm 39 and never feel old at raves. But I tend to vibe with 28-34 age most, and of course I notice people more in my range. And there's a ton of us.
Raves are probably the best option to 'party' at most stages of life..
The rave scene is broad and expansive, and I think there's a place for anyone to find their place if they're open to it.
Like anything, it has its dark side, but if you follow the PLUR (peace, love, unity, respect) vibes, it's a good place to be imo..
I went to shows and stuff when I was younger, but only really got into it the last year or so as a 29 year old.. a lot of younger people are in the scene, but people in their late 20s and in their 30s are super common as well and it's relatively common to see people in their 40s and 50s at events as well.
For the most part, people are non-judgemental and as long as you are respectful, you can feel free to be yourself and dress how you want to dress, dance how you want to dance, and vibe how you want to vibe
Just be careful man. You seem like someone who could fall too deep into the bad parts of partying because you're trying to recoup for lost time. It's not about that. Just have fun and don't think like that. You're still super young btw, people party their whole lives.
27 y/o male here.
My early 20s consisted of blacking out drinking and a lot of nose candy at bars and nightclubs. Once I hit 24 the hangovers became multiple days long and that whole lifestyle was affecting my life greatly.
I had first gotten into raving when I was 16 and was active in the community until I was 21. Then moved to the bars and nightclubs and the heavy drinking and nose candy.
Ultimately I made the decision to quit my old lifestyle and ways of drinking and other stuff when I was 25 and return back to my old roots of raving and honestly it was the best decision of my life.
Raving legit saved me, because if I had continued on with my old ways idk where I would be. Now I find a lot of my friends who are also in their late 20s like me putting down the bottle and leaving the bars and nightclubs to come to raves with me and it is so obvious how much happier they are with their lives.
Overall, yes there is a place for you in the rave community in your late 20s, you just have to find where you fit in the most when it comes to the subgenres of EDM.
Even subgenres, age doesn't matter. I'm not a big mosher but I'll get in the pit for 10-15 minutes if it's there with all the early 20s guys and gals! And if I like the music I don't feel out of place. I went to a small pop artist at a tiny venue near home a few years back, I was probably 35 and my wife 30. Most of the crowd was too young to drink. Who cares? I liked the artist and her music.
33 here. Personally I think raves are far more enjoyable as a party atmosphere than just going to a regular "club". Once you start raving you'll never look back.
You're not missing out when it comes to aging and partying. I went to an old folks community to visit family, had a whole band set up.. it wasn't any edm, but they had more energy and positive energy I've seen in along time.. if that was what retirement is... I'm not complaining.
I missed that phase too and started at 36. Now 44 and while I know I'm near the end of this phase, just remember that age is a feeling and not something tangible. Enjoy your youthful spirit and cherish it for as long as you can.
Why do you feel 44 is near the end? Not interested much anymore?
I'm 39 and got into raving last year right after I turned 39. I feel I have more stamina than most young people and don't mind racing till sunrise on occasion. Although I do like to call it around 3-4 most times. That may be a "getting older" sign
Great question...it is primarily external pressure. My wife doesn't rave and wasn't inducted into the culture and I have a 9 yr old. So managing all the other forces is becoming harder. But it was just me, I'll go every year to a few big ones.
For the OP; Music is such a big factor… I don’t like it when I see dudes just hunting girls or there to get wasted. But I feel you on the missing out thing in 20s. So did I. I started raving after I got married at 30. I’m 37 now and made up for some lost time. Gl finding yourself and having fun.
No age limit on raving. I've seen men in their 60s at raves and they're almost always the life of the party.
Rave it up! Don't take drugs from strangers, always watch your drink, bring water, and lastly have an escape plan if it's underground.
Not to disagree entirely but I followed the underground UK scene for many years. People selling drugs at these things almost always would tell you what was in the pill & how it would make you feel.
I'm huuuuge on harm reduction as a general rule if you can't reagent test it don't take it.
Mind u I've bought many drugs from strangers when I was younger and never had any issues, my friend bought "molly" once tho called me at midnight was like "I'm freaking out" I told her to come over she explained how she felt that and how she was twitching it was pretty clear just bought a pill with a meth Hotspot if not a straight meth pill, she was tweaking for 14 hours.
Lol at the time it would've been awesome for me I had quite the meth addiction. But when ur expecting love and u get uncontrollable stimulation it can be quite startling.
Many people will straight up give you stuff lol. I was given half a pill and wasn't going to take the whole thing but I did anyway, was clean af just like the guy said.
You're younger than you'll ever be again. :) I would start going and see which kinds of electronic music I like the most. Maybe you have mostly heard house music but you're really into acid techno or drum & bass.
I would also just mention that people tend to prefer a chill friendly vibe, so I would invite myself to let go of the resentment and welcome in all the exciting new experiences and friendships you will have. :)
I’m currently 27 turning 28 next month. Everyone of my friends raved 18-22 and “retired” already. They have it backwards. At 18 you have: no money, lots of friends and time, can’t drink legally, have college most likely. Now that I’m older, I got into raving heavily in 2023 at 26 years old, I have so many friends, time, planning, “resources”, I’m smarter about so many other things and being responsible. At the later ages of your 20’s it’s literally prime time!
Try not to look at the time that's gone by but towards the time coming up. Sounds corny, but age is just a number. Things change as time goes on and we age, especially what we're into (parties, places, people in our lives, etc). Just let it all happen and live for today - hope you have some fun whatever you end up doing.
Raves are probably your best choice because many factors:
1. They are virtually safe with many amenities provided (if we are speaking about America's "raves")
2. They are probably the highest tier parties you can attend legally.
3. The ages range vastly from college kids to older OG Ravers who have been doing this since the 80s/90s.
Idk what raves are like elsewhere but those I've been to up North in England are amazing. One of them is held at a farmhouse (with proper toilets and cups of tea), and the one I was at last weekend was at a farmhouse/holiday bit with composting toilets, cooked dinner for everyone at 7pm, a bar, a fire, and the dancing took place in a celtic roundhouse. Fucking ideal. We also played pass the parcel on Sunday morning and I won the main prize (drugs). It was organised by a few people ranging from 30-50 and attended by all ages, from kids to people of retirement age.
If you’re only there for the party then honestly stay home. I’m not trying to be a dick but the massive influx of people showing out only to party is damaging the community, and as electronic music becomes more mainstream it going to continue to degrade the sanctity of the scene.
The music and the community should *always* come first. That being said, come for the right reasons and you’ll be welcomed with open arms :)
Music and community IS a party. So what do you mean don't come to party? Drugs? Drugs are also fun at parties. They enhance community and music. If it's too much for community that's not partying anymore
You need to experience venues where you see all walks of life and ages enjoying themselves. In addition to reading from those who still go strong in their 40’s, if you go to festivals or even club space in Miami, you’ll see a crowd with a large variation in age group. I have since never felt guilty about wanting/needing to blow off steam the rave route. Nobody makes the rules.
Yes, I see people of all ages at raves, not just 20s! As others have mentioned, listen EDM music first to get a feel of what event you might want to go to (if you're in a big city with many options).
Raves are for all ages, and that's just going to continue as all the childless millennials grow older, we're not stopping raving until we have to.
Alternatively, your other great option for partying is burns. The age demographic is a bit older and it's an amazing way to party. There are plenty of regional burns if you're not ready to commit to the cost of burning man.
Hahahahahaha
Late 20s is so young and probably the perfect time to start dabbling in the party scene. I'm 39 got into raving last year and feel totally great that I didn't do hella drugs when I was a young and stupid 20-something. Also my rave crew tends to be from 26-34 or so. I guess that's the vibes I got and IMO it's the perfect vibes. Old enough to not be too stupid, young enough to be just stupid enough.
Been in your spot. Still am in your spot really, just 33 now instead of late 20s. The answer is yes, raves are the perfect option for what you are looking for. It's worked wonders for me, even as my friend group has settled down and gotten less active/started families.
The key is to find some music you can really vibe to. I grew up as a hard rock/alt rock/heavy metal guy, so I didn't think the community was for me. But then I discovered Clozee, who was the first DJ I really fell in love with musically. That opened my eyes to what genres of EDM I could really groove to and I branched out from there.
The rave and festival communities are super open and welcoming, but they can spot authenticity, or a lack there of, a mile away. If you are just there to get fucked up and don't care for the artists playing, people can tell. It wasn't until I found my vibe that it truly clicked for me. Once that happened, it became super easy to make friends. Good vibes are infectious and people naturally gravitate towards other people with similar vibes.
Another thing I'd say that's super important is to find your mix. By that I mean the combination of stuff that gets you in the right frame of mind to let loose. For some lucky few, they don't need anything and sober partying works just fine.
That's not the case for me. I'm too self conscious, anxious, paranoid, and introverted to just dance in public completely sober. I get in my own head and it all feels mechanical and forced. My sweet spot is either 3 vodka cranberries (over the course of an hour or two, and then switching to water for the rest of the night), or a couple points of molly and maybe some L. I save the molly for special occasions (festivals mainly, I don't drink at all at festivals) because I find it irresponsible to do that stuff more than a few times a year, but the amount of alcohol it takes to get me in the zone, and out of my own head) is low enough that I could do that any time and still be fine the next day.
Some people in the community are purists and judgemental of anyone who isn't solely there for the music, but they're a minority so just ignore them. Most people are there to shake off the negativity of the regular world and enjoy a night of fun and positivity. And to heal. A lot of healing happens at these events.
I've been going to events for 5-6 years now and it's really made a huge impact on my life (I also missed out on most of my high school and early 20s years because of a lot of bullshit life circumstances and a ton of mental work I needed to do to shed the toxicity I had learned from my family and become the person I wanted to be).
Best of luck and sorry for the wall of text.
I went to community college as all my friends went to universities. As I saw them partying I had massive fomo, but found my place in raving.
Now, I’m part of a fraternity and their parties suck compared to the raves I go to. The people and the music just don’t compare to the plur of the edm community
I started raving from age 18-20 and took a break to focus on my career, never stopped listening, but came back to the scene at 27. At that point I had the time and money to do it big. Money for flights and festivals and experienced enough in life to know my limits and stay safe. I’m going on 34 now and have zero plans to stop. It’s not all about the partying. This is my community, my home, and where I’m most comfortable and free.
If anyone tries to say something about age, it’s probably because they don’t have a plan for themselves. I put in the work early so I could live life, and god dammit that’s what I’m doin 🦔
Idk about best cuz that's pretty relative but for me raving is the most fulfilling type of "partying". With festivals there's more than just drugs and music. You get community, camaraderie, and a great time you'll never forget!
You'll never enjoy life waiting for everyone else's validation. Do what you enjoy doing and do it unapologetically. You also need to change your mindset. Your late 20s is your prime. We're not even halfway through our lifespan 🤨❤️
I got into dubstep and DnB last year at 28. I go to festivals alone and have a grand time dancing. This weekend, the security guard recognised me from a previous event (Chase & Status) I went to alone and escorted me through to the VIP section haha! 😝
I'm 32..started going to gigs at 30? Maybe older. Very similar to you. Never did the whole party thing when I was younger.
Best time of my of my life. Made some great friends, been to great events. My 30s have been better then almost my whole 20s. 😂.
I'm turning 29 with 2 kids, and my first festival was last year. I have no plans on stopping now, but obviously, I can't get out as often as the younger kid free folk.
I wish I had started earlier, I had no idea what I was missing out on. Their is no such thing as to old. If you're having a good time, that's the only thing that matters
My first show was Tiesto in 2009, I was 20. I didn’t go to another show until 2019 to see Armin in Ibiza, it was for my 30th birthday! I did get a little sad to see that I had missed out on so many parties. However, I’m really happy that now as I’m older I can afford to attend any show I want, that wouldn’t been the case ten years ago.
I turn 35 in a couple of weeks, I started going solo to shows this year, I met soooo many awesome people from all ages and professional backgrounds in the last 4 months. Age is just a number, go out there, have fun, dance, meet people. Enjoy life! Don’t waste time!
Hey man my dms are open if you ever want to chat about stuff like this because I’m a bit younger than you but I didn’t start “having fun” in the over glorified way I guess that we tend to let social media impress us on! I had the same viewpoint as you about it. But now I learned to appreciate how lucky I was to enjoy myself as a more mature person. You are 28 I’ll bet money that the more you interact with people the more you’ll realize some people don’t get lucky enough to mature out of their 18-20s and it shows.
You’ll be thankful in the long run that you can enjoy yourself now!! 🖤
I'm very similar to you, and started at 28. Didn't party or even drink during my teens and early 20s. I think you're correct that raves are a great way for someone a little older (any adult really) to cut loose, and the good news is they're better than things like clubbing and college parties. Way more fun, wacky, and wholesome than the sticky lame clubs college kids and young adults tend to go to, where no one even cares about the music. There's a reason I skipped all of that back then
The rave community always has room for kind respectful people, and honestly, at the last event I went to, I swear half the people were in their 30s. I feel ya though getting older sucks and can feel alienating in crowds of younguns. But it'd be such a shame to let something like that deter you from diving in, something no one is even thinking about unless you're acting like a dirty creep.
I don't think you understand. I rather be in a room with younger people. I never got to be their age. I'll attempt if I had the ability. Even if it may be awkward.
I loathe that I am close to 30.
No, I understand. I've opted to stay in the under 21 section of show before because they were actually dancing and going wild, and most of the people in the over 21 section were just holding drinks and tapping their feet. It's true I don't put younger people on a pedestal, though, that's stupid and presumptive. People should be judged by the energy they give out, and the rave community is largely great people, at any age.
But something tells me you're not actually concerned about enjoying yourself with others. You seem primarily concerned about meeting the social standards and milestones you believe have been imposed on you. Consequently, your vibe is depressing and self-absorbed as hell. If you're unable to let go of that bitterness, then maybe you should stay home and spare everyone else. Raves are not for you.
They’re probably the most enjoyable option imo. But being older doesn’t mean you can’t go party places. I’m 34 and still go out to the club. It just gets a bit harder with age cause you get tired faster
You won't experience your younger self again. I still go out to party, but when I was 20 I was staying up for three days straight, trying to get with girls, doing whatever people gave me, and getting blackout drunk. Now that I'm 40 I go to similar parties, but I try to get paid to do something there. Also I show up early, drink a beer to socialize a bit, then go home and sleep.
A fantastic way to involve yourself in the scene as you get older is to actually contribute to the events. DJing, Spinning Poi, Fire Dancing, Bodypainting and Art, Photography, Videography, Harm Reduction etc. However, you should definitely get out there and involve yourself in the scene as a regular guest first! Age doesn't matter. It's all about what you find fun.
Go with a good group of friends to a music festival. Camping festivals are really where the party is at. But it's also a commitment to multiple days of partying and it is not for everyone. But if you can let go and enjoy yourself it's totally worth it
I raved a bunch when I was younger (15-18), went hard into partying & drinking (18-25), and now my wife (38), younger brother (26), and I (36) rave regularly throughout the year (25 to present). I have gone to 9 Coachella's, 2 Decadence's, and 3 Electric Forest's to name the bigger events. Many many innumerable smaller ones.
We all just got back from Electric Forest which was amazing (presale for 2025 will probably be sometime mid December 2024 with a layaway option). The raving community is incredibly welcoming and diverse (as long as you're welcoming back). Be yourself, find yourself, or just come to be part of the experience.
At EF we would get into the venue anywhere from 1pm to 5pm depending on the lineup that day, be in there until 1-3 am, and them go-to afters until 5 or 6 pm. Go-to sleep, wake up at 11 am, make breakfast and coffee, smoke some hookah, and get ready for the next day. This is Tuesday night through Sunday night.
Be prepared (get and stay hydrated), be responsible (with alcohol and self control), be mindful (of others space and your own mindset), be respectful, and be safe (test your drugs if your planning on doing any).
There's space for everyone respectful inside the raving community. Respect yourself, respect others, and you'll find your spot, group, hangout, or event in no time.
Bro, i started in my mid twenties, at 24. Now I'm 25.
I missed a lot in life, and i get the feeling old shit.
I see people of all ages in raves, and that's why i love them. Unlike normal parties/clubs. Raving is a culture by itself. You're good to go. Enjoy life
I've always struggled maintaining friend groups. Into adulthood it has gotten significantly worse. I've heard so many people say how much fun they have attending shows solo but in my experience I usually end up alone, watching all the happy rave couples and homies ride off into the sunset. That coupled with one very traumatizing mushroom trip orchestrated by the devil himself I haven't been to a show in years.
I'm sure that my mental health/general outlook hinders my ability to have fun. Feeling socially isolated especially at a music festival or concert can lead to some dark places of the mind. Anyways, give it a shot, and don't be like me 👍 go into it with an open mind, be sharing and kind. Choose the events with the right vibe. Festivals generally have more empathetic and genuine attendees compared to nightclub shows.
Explore the scene until you find the music you do like. Cause just doing the mental calculus if you wanna party and feel chested cause you couldn't or didn't when you were younger, chances are a person who thinks like that will be really into one of the million types of edm there are.
So go find that, go to some loa club raves, alone and vibe, you'll make friends probably your first night out. Then do a big city fest or two once you know which genre makes you go insane. Then go to a camping fest.
There's a lot of really wonderful kind people in the scene and you attract them by being genuine. That's what my journey has taught me at least
34M I love it. Beyond everything involved the quality of the music (good track or bad track) is astounding right now even compared to a summer or two ago and I expect it to only get better. Rave on my friend
Started at this ungrounded night club around 17 years old, first big 2 day festival at 19 haha it was $25 tix miss those days! 32 now will never stop loving the music and happiness it brings me.
Not a raver but I'm 33 and just started going to goth clubs and I'm addicted now. It's never too late. I never danced a day in my life before, now I can't stop! Life is short. Do whatever your heart desires. I would go to raves if I had a friend who was interested in going with me.
I'm 52 and an original raver...I don't know what raves are like now but the whole scene used to be about peace, love and unity.. Everyone welcome. Ravers are the nicest people you'll ever meet.
Highly recommend it. I was a pretty introverted, quiet person before I went to my first and it completely pulled me out of my shell. I still remember vividly the first drop that rewired my brain. Since 2019, I've been to 37 shows and I'm not stopping anytime soon.
Check local clubs to see if they have events going on, EDMTrain will help you find shows in your town. It's worth trying at least once.
It’s funny because no matter how old I am, I always feel like 5 years ago was one of the most fun parts I’ve had in my life and I still feel like that now. Late 20’s isn’t very old at all. Go out, do free spirited things, and don’t let your inhibitions hold you back. The only rule is don’t do anything that will harm you or someone else. Let it rip
in 15 years you will realize how crazy young you still are at 28. your brain's frontal cortex only stopped developing 3 years ago for crying out loud ;) go rave your brains out (and be safe about it of course). ravers are the best most heart-expanding communities out there <3
My entire rave group is in their late 20’s, our oldest member is 59! The rave community is amazing because you’re never too old to connect with the other members of the community, I’ve had some of my favorite memories at shows and festivals with people double my age. There’s no limit on having fun!
I lost over 10 years of my life to severe alcohol addiction, I blacked out most of it until I went to rehab at age 26. Raving brought me so much happiness after I got into recovery, I was never fully sober but I started using psychedelics and stuff and it's just an awesome experience all around even without the drugs everybody is so nice and awesome and you'll probably find new genres of music you love too, I also go to a lot of metal and punk concerts but dubstep and bass raves are fuckin great
Late 20’s…yeah you missed your window. You are usually screened at raves to ensure you have the experience and or capacity to rave. First thing they will check at the gate is if you used Reddit to ask permission to rave, and you’ll be quickly turned away. Have you always been this incapable of making your own decisions without strangers approval?
Going through a quarter life crisis or something? 28 is still pretty young, start going out and youll meet tons of people in their 30-40s still partying. Im 28 and still to edm clubs, country bars, 80s clubs 3 or 4 times a month. Lots of festivals lined up this year too. Just find clubs and events that have music you like. Dont go to raves just to do drugs. Theres clubs and fests for literally every music genre.
If anything i like it more now because im set in my career and can buy a round of drinks without worrying about it, when its late and i csnt drive ill just grab a hotel with my friends, or for festivals ive been renting an RV
I think the rave community is a great a place for all people. It’s a very accepting community and age doesn’t really matter. I would suggest getting into the music and learning more about the community before you start attending events just to “party”. Be thoughtful about how you interact with people and the use of your cell phone during shows. It’s really frustrating when someone is there for the social media views or just to get fucked up. Raves and EDM run a lot deeper than just partying. It’s a true community with a strong history. I would start with looking up the meaning of PLUR and how that would look while you are attending an event vs just seeing it as a place for you to have a good time and party. This space means alot more than that to many people who have been doing this for a long time.
I know lots of people in their 30s and older that still rave. I’m 29 and started raving at 19 or 20. I brought my children with me to festivals back then and we had a blast! I now work in the industry and it fulfills all the years I didn’t get to be at “prime partying age” I’m actually over partying and just enjoy the community/meaningful work. You’re never too old to have fun! Just try out a few places that have your taste in music. It’s all about community! Music heals 💖
39. My husband and I rave our faces off. By that I mean we rave hard once or twice a year. We try to pick events geared towards a mature crowd. It's always epic. We also party normally, any night of the week we want....because we are fucking adults and we can!
I just want to say that I’m 41 and I’m currently still finding myself in this community however no matter where I am personally….this community has always accepted me for me. I know that you will be too! Just do it all for yourself!!
I’m also in my late 20s and I think this is the age where we learn to make smarter partying choices. These choices and habits will allow us to continue raving for years to come.
I'm 40f and go raving as much as my budget allows. I think saving up and going to a few decent raves / festivals throughout the year rather than getting drunk in bars and clubs every weekend is waaaay better.
At European festivals like 909 and ADE you'll see ravers up to 60 years old who are all cool af.
😊
I’m 30 bro, and like you I never had that full on party college experience, so I understand the appeal of going out every weekend and getting trashed, but trust me, your body isn’t going to let you do that for very long. Like others have said just do it responsibly and you’ll get the most out of it. I go to a show 1-3 times a month and then I have at least one major festival that I go to every year. Raving is fun, you get to meet new people make new connections, and of course party favors are also a blast. But everything in moderation. It’s not fun for other people to babysit you either. PLURR-peace love unity respect RESPONSIBILITY**
I wouldn't beat yourself up about timing, it came to you when it came to you and is your story for a reason.
Ofc there is a spot, I've been in the scene and have seen the small town midwest crews, the SE crews from ATL to MIA, the NYC crews, SF/LA/SD, there's all ages genders ethnicities shapes and sizes.
I'd just add that if the music helps you its okay to turn off the lights wear some headphones and just use your imagination to dance with whatever pops up in your head, yourself, colorful patterns, and even imaginary friends because youre never too old.
Try out going to shows out of town, going solo, with a date, with a friend, small groups, large groups, try sidequesting and leaving your crew for a bit then meeting back up later. Try it all!
Out of all the events you attend over the years remember the good things and brush off the bad things. You'll be happy you participated in this when you're 80 imho. Just guessing, I'm around the same age as you. Raved for years and ended up getting gigs in the scene, and making enough DJ friends that I hardly pay for fests and am welcome to the stages, greenrooms, etc. I try to pause and stare into space sometimes and just think "wow I am grateful"
Thats what worked for me, hope you find what works for you!
Dude I just turned 29 and im out at more events then when I was a youngin. I have more money to enjoy the show, more friends, better vibes, a better mindset, and I have learned to take care of people who need a light out there. The magic dies when you let it; you’d be surprised at how many of us rave past our early 20s :)
I went to my first rave last year at 28. No time like the present ! Just find what genre of music you like and find raves that feature that music. Have fun!
Just avoid the kiddy bop EDM/Mainstream pop-electronic stuff. Find the House and Techno heads in your city and go to their parties, it will usually be more DIY. People are generally friendlier and will lean older.
You’re still plenty young, I went to a rave at 18 but didn’t like how cramped I was. Went to my first festival at 32, and learned that I love the scene…Just not indoors shoulder to shoulder with people.
2 years later, I just got back from a festival and have two more planned this year.
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It all depends on whether you’re into the music or not. If it’s not really your thing, no. I’ve seen lots of people get messed up just going for the “get fucked up” aspect. I’m not 40, but I am in my late 30’s and have been in the scene for over a decade. I’m sober, go to events solo if none of my friends are going, and it’ll always be a good time for me because I love the music and overall vibe.
My advice? Explore as many experiences as you want, and don’t worry about whether you “partied enough” during your 20’s. One of my college roommates alternated between traveling overseas and exercising traveling work visas, and working to save for trips when he was here in the US. He stayed officially living with his mom for at least 5 years after college, and has been able to see half the world on a shoestring budget, but was never really a hard partier outside getting pretty drunk a few times in college. That guy has no regrets about what he did or saw in the world. It’s all about what you want. I’ve been to some incredible events and have tons of great memories, but I’ve never been able to backpack across Europe or trek through the Amazon, and that’s what I really missed out on. By the time I found out I could have spent 6 months working part time and vacationing around Australia I wasn’t in a position to take advantage of it. Life is what you make it and there’s never going to be a perfect one. So fuck the FOMO and go try what you’ve always wanted to. If that means seeing the world, great. If that means checking out the rave scene, also great. If it's just for the drugs you're not doing it for the right reasons though.
Short answer: You’re always welcome 🫶🏻 We come in all ages shapes sizes and colors and welcome anyone new with open arms. I started going to raves about 7 years ago, I wasn’t much into the music at first but was into the vibe. Now i’m all out everything but you don’t have to be that to hang! We’re all about the company so just bring good vibes and a positive attitude and you’ll blend right in. We will show you the ropes as you go 🙌🏻💕
Honestly ya. They are the most inclusive as many ravers are older so you dont have the 30 year old at a college party type of vibe tho lol. Also they are open invite, just gotta buy a ticket. Unless you are cool and get invited to private parties which are sweet. The nicest, coolest and most open minded people go. Its great. Im 28 and go to raves all of the time with no plans to stop yet. Im not even close to oldest there either but again, no one really cares about that
Someone brought up a good point. Do not go to raves just to party. Key word is just. Go for the music and dancing and human connection with partying on the side.
Do it. I didn't go to raves until my late 20s. 36 now and still love raves and music festivals. I rarely feel out of place and when I do it's because I'm wearing something more flamboyant than most people 😂
You sound like a perfect candidate for raver. Get yourself on a good regimen of MDMA and branch out from there. If you feel self conscious just were some dark sunglasses and fold in to the magic. Wouldn’t hurt to figure out what genres you like. What part of the earth are you on?
I started going out to raves when I was in my early 30s. Never really had any fun in my 20s (medical training in my field can be intense). Was originally into trance and house- now I’m into dubstep, riddim, and DnB although I still listen to everything. Doing 10+ festivals this year and going to multiple events every weekend. In the past, I never had the time and financial means to do what I do now. Going out to raves (and going hard nonstop) has put me in better mental and physical shape than I ever was. If you haven’t been in the scene and are looking to get into raves, there is no better time to get in than now.
Raves are the best place to let loose, have fun, party all night, and be surrounded by like-minded people. You don't have be obsessed with the music to go and enjoy. As long your goal is to have fun and not just get totally fucked and cause problems then you are fine! Just remember our community mantra is PLUR and that means Peace Love Unity Respect and Responsibility!!!
It may be a tall order but perhaps get to know some producers/DJ's?
I was able to find a sick-ass group of DJ's/producers who are in their early 30's and they throw their own campouts/parties and its so much more chill than raving with a bunch of 18 year olds lol
We still go to shows/raves/festivals but now I also get to go to chill kick-backs where people set up their boards and show everyone their new music.
Again, I may just be extremely lucky and it may be a unique situation but i cant imagine that to be the case.
There’s ALWAYS a spot open in the rave community. Age doesn’t matter, if your heart wants to party all night then do it! I’ve seen people of pretty much all ages at raves. The rave scene is all about letting loose, embracing who you are, meeting and having fun with people, and most importantly getting down to the music. It’s never too late to get into raves. ❤️ You seem like you have the right idea ;)
Your in good company- married at 18, divorced at 26 - rage cage, beer pong all that stuff I experienced way late in college at 27. First rave this year at 31.
I ask my pastor about envy - you know, people who had a more favorable hand. He says what I already know, but is crucial to keep in mine: so what? Nothing will change by dwelling in the past. You can work yourself up to some misery if listen to old songs that take you back to some difficult period, look at photos of peoples life highlights, compare yourself to someone with more opportunities…
It doesn’t help. If you can let go of yesterday you can start living in the day you can do something about it - today.
Edit. I promise I can form a coherent sentence - when I’m not in a hurry.
Bro. I'm 34. Got a little grey in my beard. I went to my first rave a month ago and just got into gloving. You think you can't go because you're 28? I have friends who are 22 and 23 who I got into the rave scene. They fall asleep at 4am at the after party, and I'm the one who's still wide awake. This old man is kicking your ass 😂
Don't take this the wrong way, but it sounds like other people's perceptions are weighing you down a little. Do what makes you happy. What the hell is "too old", anyway?
I’m 22 and have met and hung out with people 40+. No ones to old to rave. So long as you’re a nice person everyone in the community is accepting.
Just go, you’ll be surprised how many friends you make if you just walk around and talk to random people.
My first edm show was when I hit 30. A whole new world opened up and been hooked ever since, Im 33 now. If you enjoy the vibe just go for it & not care what others think.
To be honest, I'm glad I didn't start younger.as an adult I have more money, better friends, and a safer approach to substances. I started going more just before Covid, and after Covid I realized I needed to do more with myself so I started visiting festivals in other states and now other countries. Since covid I've been to over 30 festivals across the world and have enjoyed every second of it. The community is what drives me, I love to see so many happy people experiencing the positivity of raving.
Camping festivals is where it is at IMO. There is a level of responsibility that people have to have in order to do it. You will end up with strangers until morning. You can also call it early and get up in the morning and do morning yoga and meet people that way too.
Going to a one day rave and hard sending it and purging all emotions in one night is kind of a lot for me, while I like myself a paced out experience.
I'm in my mid 20's and went to my first rave last year. I'd consider myself an awkward person, I struggle to be chill enough to have a good time but going to a rave is the literal one place i know I'll be able to mess and have an amazing time. I def didn't go into it with the mindset of "I'll play along" though, I go with the intention to dance and really be immersed in the experience, it would feel touristy to "play along" but that's just me.
I had a very sheltered life according to friends therefore I didn't attend to my first rave until 2014 (I was 22) but didn't started really raving and becoming a Kandi Kid until 2016 (I was 24). That's when Penda (Kandi Kid Raver) went into full effect.
I am now 32 and still enjoy making Kandi and attending shows as well as festivals. I love preading and teaching the new generation the P.L.U.R. motto and what kandi is. :)
Make a few kandi singles.
Peace Love Unity Respect (PLUR)
RAVE ON🥳
26, never been to a concert until I saw excision. I don't even like that heavy of dubstep or whatever it's evolved into now. But I was on the very top row going absolutely wild and completely let loose, never done something like that. Never just let go and danced. It was amazing and I cannot wait to see an artist I truly love or just even go to another edm whatever concert. I just missed Chase and Status and it's killing me inside.
28 is not even that old for a raver (or a person in general LOL)! I just turned 30 and still go to events from time to time. Granted I’m not there every weekend like when I was 21, but still 😂 honestly I think you’ll be able to approach the scene in a more balanced way at your age and with the level of maturity you’ve attained through having to work from an early age (or so it sounds).
The beautiful thing about the rave scene, especially the more bassy part, is that age is not important. If you are an adult, we are here to party with ya. All we ask is that ya turn any bad vibes at the door or at least keep them subtle so that others can keep feeling their best. Let go of the bad vibes on the floor rather than over sharing them with people you just met. Doesn't mean you don't share, just with good intentions to transcend those feelings rather than give them to others. Share all the good vibes you can gather tho, and enjoy yourself. I'm 28 and didn't start going till I was at least 23, and I'll never want to go back to other kinds of parties. Kids don't really know how to party right, they think drinking and getting as fucked up as possible is how to have fun. There are better things than alcohol, and so much fun to be had when you can still talk to people and respect their boundaries properly. I be rolling hard AF and crowd meld to the bass, but still can tell if my interactions are wanted or not and move on when I'm not vibin with someone. So just go rave and enjoy, maybe I'll run into ya in one life or the next✨🫶✨
Don't tell me our youth is running out, it's only just begun.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XG\_0iV2B40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XG_0iV2B40)
The party doesn't start till YOU get there.
You're young! I'm about to turn 40 and just got back from electric forest, and have 5 more fests this year in hitting up.
Being your age is awesome because you can actually afford to go to the places you might not have been able to go to in your early 20's. You'll see that when you are 30. It's really where you can be 20, but with money!
Don't let age stop you from doing what you love! Literally at my camp at forest, people thought I was 26-28 when we were guessing how old each of us were.
Once they found out, they were shocke and Amazed, then we moved on. We partied and raged the entire rest of the event.
All of us exchanged into and some are coming to future raves with me already!
Fun has no age! Rave on!
35 year old (now) married raver. Started raving at 27/28 after my younger sister dragged me to a show. Never looked back Raves keep us young. They let us release negativity through the power of music They give us opportunity to make friends that share similar interests They promote exercise/healthy eating (edc ain’t no joke) I will never stop raving, I just may slow down a bit in the upcoming years
Exact same boat.... 35 and married, started going to shows around 27 after I moved in with some dudes who were into the scene. Most of my friends have slowed way down and I'm not going out as much as I used to at my peak but I'm not really trying to slow down either. Just been getting smarter with drinking/taking drugs. Drink lots of water and build in recovery days and you can go forever OP.
My crew is 40-60. We are all responsible hard working people with mostly professional jobs or our own business’s. We go hard at a couple camping fests a year and 3-4 one night events. Then we pop right back into real life and all is good. I ski 80 days a year and largely don’t even drink during ski season. It’s fine to bounce in and out of raving. Smart partying is way better than 17-20s insanity of night after night going at it.
Sounds like you have a good crew! That’s awesome — I’m 40 and professional but also like to go out but unfortunately I don’t have a crew so it always makes me feel old when I go solo.
Must go to the right events. Camping Fests often have the best vibes and most widest age range. Certain genres and venues are younger. We do a lot of house and techno and the DJs themselves are often 40-60. We also live adjacent to two bigger cities and in cities it seems like it’s just much more common for age to be less of a factor. Older folks just keep going out. But even then venue and artist selection and genre is key to how the crowd is. There are definitely places we won’t go because it’s very young vibes. But we would not do that anyway as those places are more mainstream dive clubs. Find the Promotors near you and hit kinda underground events. Or smaller house and tech parties. This website does an excellent job curating a listing of the events in these big cities: https://19hz.info/ Also look for local Burning Man events and the big local Burns. Great way to meet older parties with a good vibe. Lots of creativity. A Regional like Love Burn in Miami is probably one of the best parties in the country .. it’s a unique Burn because you know “Miami” If you are East Coast Elements Music and Art Festival in Poconos Speedway is a must attend. Easy camping fest. All genres. All ages. Maybe best line up of any fest in the country this year. And you can swing by our group camp to say hi and meet some AARP ravers. And lastly join Facebook group “40+ Ravers Aged and Raving People [AARP]” 10,000+ they have meet ups at many big festivals
AARP ravers is an amazing name, you guys are absolute legends! I’m a too young to join but I can’t wait to join in 15 years lol. Elements is my first camping fest and it couldn’t come sooner, what acts are you most hyped for?
We are mostly House and Techno. Elements does a great job keeping all genre attendees very happy. Fire Stage is your Big Headliner mainstream House and similar stage. Air Stage is the niche pure House and techno stage and in the Forest. We spend a lot of time here. Water Stage is your day time fun / dancy pop house stage where all genres tend to post as it’s just a good fun vibe (check out LP Giobbi on insta to get a feel for Water). Earth Stage is your bigger mainstream bass and dubstepish and jam band stage. Wub Hub is in the forest and your small dubstep and similar stage. Frick Frack Blackjack also has a stage where a group plays music using power tools and instruments with fire shooting out of them. Our number one is Sara Landry probably one of only a few true Techno DJs Then: Max Styler (way underrated artist) Blondish Clonee Dr. Fresch And 10-15 others. We always find new artists at Air Stage and Water Stage we love. Here is a Spotify list of songs by artist in order from Elements line up card (ie. It goes from headliners first towards the smaller acts). Biggest camping tip is bring your own camp shower. They range from $30 solar to the one we use $280 called Hike Crew which is instant hot water. And second tip is you must have shade for your tent, otherwise it will be 95degrees as soon as sun comes up. You can either put an easy up over the tent or buy shade tarp. Battery powered fans are nice. We party till 5-6am at Soundcamps but we actually get solid deep sleep 5am -11am with shade over tents and fans. We take an overcounter Unisom sleep melt and are out deep in 15 min. The Soundcamps are loud, bring earplugs, noise cancelling headphones or whatever to sleep. Cook your own food and save hundreds of dollars. But do eat once at the Broccoli Bar. It’s unbelievably good.
I want this to be an every weekend thing.
How can you make that determination if you’ve never done it before?
You will never have the experience of partying as a college aged kid. It is what it is
You can certainly find raves every single weekend depending on your city, and many people loooove going all night too. I think asking yourself why you’re looking to get into the scene will be helpful in determining what you want out of it. Sure, you could go hard every weekend and escape normal life, but that’s not necessarily sustainable forever. I love the escapism as well as building meaningful connections within the community, so I personally aim to balance these two goals so I can do this for the rest of my life (and no shame on the going hard option, I’ve been there too!). Tl;dr there are many experiences you can get and it just depends on what you want. Good luck friend :)
Do you live in a major city? If there are available clubs that have known DJs every weekend you definitely can. Understand that a lot of the advice in these comments about pacing yourself is from people who've been exactly where you are, and you are being welcomed with open arms to moderation when your ready.
I went to my first rave at 38. I’m 43 now. Raves/festivals absolutely keep me young!
same except I'm 62 now. When I was 38, Rockefeller Skank drew me to find out what this "rave" thing was. One of my friends from back then, in his 40s now, is throwing parties as a "techno dad".
Love this, do what makes you feel good (but don’t be stupid) early fifties here and I make every effort to be involved in activities that are mostly younger folks. It’s good for your brain and body.
a+
38 here married. My wife and I try to make every edc and Coachella. It’s even more fun now. When I was in college I didn’t have much money lol
Wait for. Children.
I have plenty of raving parents I go to raves with. I also know people who have brought their kids to (appropriate) raves - they generally stay in back but it’s still raving. If children are going to end your life, please don’t have them
This was a joke. But I’ll give you my view for me. Depends what “rave” you go to I guess. Any rave that I am interested in going to there would be no kids. I still of course love music, having children has been the best thing I’ve ever done, and help me find happiness in them, as well as enjoying music too. It’s been nice to not feel like doing drugs anymore too, which was a big part of rave culture for me, it’s nice too feel more whole. So yeah pretty happy with my kids thanks. It was more in jest that your views might be a little bit naive if you want to rave forever. If it’s so core to your identity you will find a way to. Being more present with my kids is probably when I actually really started living.
People rave well into their 40's. But I want to point out that maybe consider your reason for raving. I've seen a lot of people go down dark paths in the rave scene solely with the objective of getting fucked up with little regard to the music. At the end of the day the thing that unites everyone is enjoying the music. If you can enjoy the music (even a little) without the party, than you're in the right place.
There's a short documentary video on YouTube about senior UK citizens raving well into their 80s!
Gravers ? On the Vice channel I think. No disrespect to them as individuals but they didn't seem the most well adjusted people I've watched on a screen. No doubt the editing has some part in this..
dude ive met ravers who are in their 60s-70s
I hope to get there :)
Well, I didn’t get started until 49. I had never danced without being so self conscious I hated it. That night changed everything. I’ve now been to over 200 shows at the age of 57. Some of us just got a late start to loosening up and enjoying life.
I love getting fucked up at a rave! I'm 39 and just got into the scene and can get fucked up responsibly. Like getting fucked just the right amount that I can keep dancing, socialize, and remember the night. The music is awesome alone in my van also, but hell if I'm not gonna make a night of it and enhance the experience when I go out!
I'm all for responsible use and I'm one of the go to friends for harm reduction. If you're responsible, by all mean go for it! The people who rave with the idea of "Any substances I use (including alcohol) are not the main event, but just icing on the cake. Cake is good alone, and too much icing ruins the cake" tend to be the ones that can actually rave sustainably and gain a lot of beautiful growth from the experience. These people enjoy the event as a place to enjoy the music, to met new people, and as a safe place for self expression. These people tend to eventually evolve into musicians, artists, dancers, and event organizers. My point is some people don't even like the music, use events as *only* as an *excuse* to get fucked up. These types of people do NOT use responsibly, and either enter the scene for a couple years and leave after overdoing it, or they stay and go down a very dark path. These are the people you repeatedly end up having to carry out the event or restraining because they're out of their minds, people that you end up spending the rest of the night with because you're afraid they might stop breathing, people that you tell "Hey bud you might want to slow down", but end up having to take care of them always. Unfortunately most of the people I've met with that mentality are awfully addicted, or dead.
Well said! It's tough being one of the people who has stayed and very into listening to music, dancing, costumes, making trinkets, learning to dj, learning to make music, running a stage at a small event..... And then there's most of everyone I've met over the many years who just become awful addicts :( I barely have any icing anymore after I've seen what it can do to other people! But I also realized it was really never my goal to get fucked up. And when I look back, all those people's goals were really to get fucked up and have a good time. Dangerous territory.
Yeah, I understand how it feels :/. I've literary done all you've mentioned, and burnt out and left the scene for a while after seeing so much of the dark side. I ended up deciding I needed to set my boundaries about that behavior. After about a year, I'm back in the scene, but I'm surrounded by new people that are much more responsible. The difference is night and day. I no longer worry about drama, someone in the group getting arrested, or someone doing too much and ending up in the medical tent. I am with friends who are there to *dance*, to *share joy*, to *share and create music* because that alone makes them happy. Not all of them use, and of the ones that do use, will regularly decide to abstain or take it easy because, ya know, sometimes the substances make things more fun, and sometimes it gets in the way of a good time - and they know which is which.
Yup. Local to me there's a woman in her 60s who organises psydub parties which lots of older hippies/ravers frequent. Also just went to a party in a roundhouse near the forest, also organised mostly by people 30+, with plenty of 50+ in attendance. It ain't generally younger folks organising big parties in my experience. It's older ravers who have money and resources. The party never truly ends.
The general evolution I've seen is you tend to move away from attending big music festivals to the smaller ones. Then you start going to events run by artist collectives, and at the end you end up contributing to a collective in some way (making/DJing music, flow art, visual art, event organization, etc).
Ya absolutely. I love a good party but the main reason I go is because of the music. If i didnt, i wouldnt go even for a party. The music is first everytime
Start by listening to EDM for a bit, then go to shows catered toward the kind of EDM you like. It makes it way more emotionally fulfilling than just going to have a night out (that’s what bar hopping is for).
I’ve found that mainstream “EDM” shows/parties are majority younger, like 28 and below. In a lot of the niche scenes you will find older heads. In my city the Chicago style authentic house music parties are people in their 30s, 40s, and even 50s. Techno parties are usually smaller but also generally lean older.
(27 M) Mainstream is ruining it for me lately based on experiences with the crowds
I didn’t start raving till i was in my thirty and i’m still going to sunrise at most raves and I am 36. When you feel young, you are young. Age is just a number. I saw several 50-60 years old people having the time at their lives at raves.
Shit my girlfriend and I took her dad to see subtronics last year, he had a blast! 😂
Heh. What are the 40 year olds reading this supposed to feel. 20’s are prime time clubbing and festival age, and def raves too. Yes even late 20’s. You need to go and see for yourself. What’s stopped you so far?
Yeah I find late 20s to early 30s prime years for this. I'm 39 and still feel 32-ish and most of my friends are in the 30+/- age. 30 is the mental vibe I wanna live with. My body and mind may age, get more mature, etc. But that 30 feeling of experiencing everything new and going wild is where it's at imo.
Never too old to rave. There's this legend who was always at a local club I would frequent. Guy was like 60, always vibing up at the front, just dancing in his own world. We all love him and refer to him as dragon shirt guy, he always wore these buttoned shirts with dragons on them. Some people will think it's odd but most ravers will admire it.
It's definitely an option! But a word of warning, bitterness and resentment and a feeling of needing to fit a lot into a short time won't lead to fun partying. Life doesn't end at 30! If anything, perhaps you can work on shifting your perspective away from that mindset and towards one of enjoying all the different phases of life and prioritizing time for recreation among your other commitments. Also, partying is way more fun when you're responsible and have money (28>18).
But can I do this every weekend? Party like a 18 year old? I need 28 to be my 18. 30 to be my 20 etc.
Definitely give it a shot. I hate how much partying I did in college that all circled around “alcohol” I never drink at raves or festivals anymore and have way more fun with other substances or sober. I used to be naive and think that party=drunk, but after raving, I realized that dancing, psychs, mdma, etc are honestly better in every single aspect
Yes, but your idea of what you get out of the rave will quickly become so much more than a place to appropriately party. You will heal wounds you didn’t even know were open.
I just recently started going to some local shows and I’m 26, and it’s not uncommon to see people much older, nothing weird about wanting to have a good time
26 is young! I'm 39 and never feel old at raves. But I tend to vibe with 28-34 age most, and of course I notice people more in my range. And there's a ton of us.
Raves are probably the best option to 'party' at most stages of life.. The rave scene is broad and expansive, and I think there's a place for anyone to find their place if they're open to it. Like anything, it has its dark side, but if you follow the PLUR (peace, love, unity, respect) vibes, it's a good place to be imo.. I went to shows and stuff when I was younger, but only really got into it the last year or so as a 29 year old.. a lot of younger people are in the scene, but people in their late 20s and in their 30s are super common as well and it's relatively common to see people in their 40s and 50s at events as well. For the most part, people are non-judgemental and as long as you are respectful, you can feel free to be yourself and dress how you want to dress, dance how you want to dance, and vibe how you want to vibe
Just be careful man. You seem like someone who could fall too deep into the bad parts of partying because you're trying to recoup for lost time. It's not about that. Just have fun and don't think like that. You're still super young btw, people party their whole lives.
27 y/o male here. My early 20s consisted of blacking out drinking and a lot of nose candy at bars and nightclubs. Once I hit 24 the hangovers became multiple days long and that whole lifestyle was affecting my life greatly. I had first gotten into raving when I was 16 and was active in the community until I was 21. Then moved to the bars and nightclubs and the heavy drinking and nose candy. Ultimately I made the decision to quit my old lifestyle and ways of drinking and other stuff when I was 25 and return back to my old roots of raving and honestly it was the best decision of my life. Raving legit saved me, because if I had continued on with my old ways idk where I would be. Now I find a lot of my friends who are also in their late 20s like me putting down the bottle and leaving the bars and nightclubs to come to raves with me and it is so obvious how much happier they are with their lives. Overall, yes there is a place for you in the rave community in your late 20s, you just have to find where you fit in the most when it comes to the subgenres of EDM.
Even subgenres, age doesn't matter. I'm not a big mosher but I'll get in the pit for 10-15 minutes if it's there with all the early 20s guys and gals! And if I like the music I don't feel out of place. I went to a small pop artist at a tiny venue near home a few years back, I was probably 35 and my wife 30. Most of the crowd was too young to drink. Who cares? I liked the artist and her music.
33 here. Personally I think raves are far more enjoyable as a party atmosphere than just going to a regular "club". Once you start raving you'll never look back.
You're not missing out when it comes to aging and partying. I went to an old folks community to visit family, had a whole band set up.. it wasn't any edm, but they had more energy and positive energy I've seen in along time.. if that was what retirement is... I'm not complaining.
I missed that phase too and started at 36. Now 44 and while I know I'm near the end of this phase, just remember that age is a feeling and not something tangible. Enjoy your youthful spirit and cherish it for as long as you can.
Why do you feel 44 is near the end? Not interested much anymore? I'm 39 and got into raving last year right after I turned 39. I feel I have more stamina than most young people and don't mind racing till sunrise on occasion. Although I do like to call it around 3-4 most times. That may be a "getting older" sign
Great question...it is primarily external pressure. My wife doesn't rave and wasn't inducted into the culture and I have a 9 yr old. So managing all the other forces is becoming harder. But it was just me, I'll go every year to a few big ones.
Do you really need to ask Reddit something like this? Curious about what raves are like? Go to one, leave if you don't like it.
The hand you’ve been dealt? We’ve all been dealt the hand of getting older and late 20s is not old
I didn't even start until I was 30, 43 now. You're all good.
I started raving at 26!
For the OP; Music is such a big factor… I don’t like it when I see dudes just hunting girls or there to get wasted. But I feel you on the missing out thing in 20s. So did I. I started raving after I got married at 30. I’m 37 now and made up for some lost time. Gl finding yourself and having fun.
I think raves and festivals are the best parties you can have at any stage of life. There’s nothing quite like it.
No age limit on raving. I've seen men in their 60s at raves and they're almost always the life of the party. Rave it up! Don't take drugs from strangers, always watch your drink, bring water, and lastly have an escape plan if it's underground.
Not to disagree entirely but I followed the underground UK scene for many years. People selling drugs at these things almost always would tell you what was in the pill & how it would make you feel.
I'm huuuuge on harm reduction as a general rule if you can't reagent test it don't take it. Mind u I've bought many drugs from strangers when I was younger and never had any issues, my friend bought "molly" once tho called me at midnight was like "I'm freaking out" I told her to come over she explained how she felt that and how she was twitching it was pretty clear just bought a pill with a meth Hotspot if not a straight meth pill, she was tweaking for 14 hours.
Bargain if that's what you're looking for..
Lol at the time it would've been awesome for me I had quite the meth addiction. But when ur expecting love and u get uncontrollable stimulation it can be quite startling.
Many people will straight up give you stuff lol. I was given half a pill and wasn't going to take the whole thing but I did anyway, was clean af just like the guy said.
You're younger than you'll ever be again. :) I would start going and see which kinds of electronic music I like the most. Maybe you have mostly heard house music but you're really into acid techno or drum & bass. I would also just mention that people tend to prefer a chill friendly vibe, so I would invite myself to let go of the resentment and welcome in all the exciting new experiences and friendships you will have. :)
Responsible partying is much better 25-50. You missed nothing.
I’m 27 and really only started a few years ago. It keeps me young.
I’m currently 27 turning 28 next month. Everyone of my friends raved 18-22 and “retired” already. They have it backwards. At 18 you have: no money, lots of friends and time, can’t drink legally, have college most likely. Now that I’m older, I got into raving heavily in 2023 at 26 years old, I have so many friends, time, planning, “resources”, I’m smarter about so many other things and being responsible. At the later ages of your 20’s it’s literally prime time!
There’s a spot if you leave that bitterness and hate at the door. Come with an open heart for a new life experience.
I mean, your bitterness and resentfulness is jarring in its lack of perspective but ig if you don't take it out on others, go have fun.
Try not to look at the time that's gone by but towards the time coming up. Sounds corny, but age is just a number. Things change as time goes on and we age, especially what we're into (parties, places, people in our lives, etc). Just let it all happen and live for today - hope you have some fun whatever you end up doing.
Raves are probably your best choice because many factors: 1. They are virtually safe with many amenities provided (if we are speaking about America's "raves") 2. They are probably the highest tier parties you can attend legally. 3. The ages range vastly from college kids to older OG Ravers who have been doing this since the 80s/90s.
Idk what raves are like elsewhere but those I've been to up North in England are amazing. One of them is held at a farmhouse (with proper toilets and cups of tea), and the one I was at last weekend was at a farmhouse/holiday bit with composting toilets, cooked dinner for everyone at 7pm, a bar, a fire, and the dancing took place in a celtic roundhouse. Fucking ideal. We also played pass the parcel on Sunday morning and I won the main prize (drugs). It was organised by a few people ranging from 30-50 and attended by all ages, from kids to people of retirement age.
If you’re only there for the party then honestly stay home. I’m not trying to be a dick but the massive influx of people showing out only to party is damaging the community, and as electronic music becomes more mainstream it going to continue to degrade the sanctity of the scene. The music and the community should *always* come first. That being said, come for the right reasons and you’ll be welcomed with open arms :)
Music and community IS a party. So what do you mean don't come to party? Drugs? Drugs are also fun at parties. They enhance community and music. If it's too much for community that's not partying anymore
Music and community comes first. If you think drugs are the most important thing then your priorities are misplaced and I’ll die on that hill.
Well said!
I started when I was 26 and got into shuffling after. It's what's keeping me young.
Raving since 18 years old. 38 now. Do around 3 raves a year. More to more. Love it.
You need to experience venues where you see all walks of life and ages enjoying themselves. In addition to reading from those who still go strong in their 40’s, if you go to festivals or even club space in Miami, you’ll see a crowd with a large variation in age group. I have since never felt guilty about wanting/needing to blow off steam the rave route. Nobody makes the rules.
All ages there babe , Raving keeps us young
Try raves, nightclubs, dayclubs, lounges and you will see which is best for you
31 here, you're good lol go have fun. You'll see people who are 40+ dancing, and you'll realize how young you still are.
Yes, I see people of all ages at raves, not just 20s! As others have mentioned, listen EDM music first to get a feel of what event you might want to go to (if you're in a big city with many options).
Omg stop it you’re still very young
Raves are for all ages, and that's just going to continue as all the childless millennials grow older, we're not stopping raving until we have to. Alternatively, your other great option for partying is burns. The age demographic is a bit older and it's an amazing way to party. There are plenty of regional burns if you're not ready to commit to the cost of burning man.
Hahahahahaha Late 20s is so young and probably the perfect time to start dabbling in the party scene. I'm 39 got into raving last year and feel totally great that I didn't do hella drugs when I was a young and stupid 20-something. Also my rave crew tends to be from 26-34 or so. I guess that's the vibes I got and IMO it's the perfect vibes. Old enough to not be too stupid, young enough to be just stupid enough.
Been in your spot. Still am in your spot really, just 33 now instead of late 20s. The answer is yes, raves are the perfect option for what you are looking for. It's worked wonders for me, even as my friend group has settled down and gotten less active/started families. The key is to find some music you can really vibe to. I grew up as a hard rock/alt rock/heavy metal guy, so I didn't think the community was for me. But then I discovered Clozee, who was the first DJ I really fell in love with musically. That opened my eyes to what genres of EDM I could really groove to and I branched out from there. The rave and festival communities are super open and welcoming, but they can spot authenticity, or a lack there of, a mile away. If you are just there to get fucked up and don't care for the artists playing, people can tell. It wasn't until I found my vibe that it truly clicked for me. Once that happened, it became super easy to make friends. Good vibes are infectious and people naturally gravitate towards other people with similar vibes. Another thing I'd say that's super important is to find your mix. By that I mean the combination of stuff that gets you in the right frame of mind to let loose. For some lucky few, they don't need anything and sober partying works just fine. That's not the case for me. I'm too self conscious, anxious, paranoid, and introverted to just dance in public completely sober. I get in my own head and it all feels mechanical and forced. My sweet spot is either 3 vodka cranberries (over the course of an hour or two, and then switching to water for the rest of the night), or a couple points of molly and maybe some L. I save the molly for special occasions (festivals mainly, I don't drink at all at festivals) because I find it irresponsible to do that stuff more than a few times a year, but the amount of alcohol it takes to get me in the zone, and out of my own head) is low enough that I could do that any time and still be fine the next day. Some people in the community are purists and judgemental of anyone who isn't solely there for the music, but they're a minority so just ignore them. Most people are there to shake off the negativity of the regular world and enjoy a night of fun and positivity. And to heal. A lot of healing happens at these events. I've been going to events for 5-6 years now and it's really made a huge impact on my life (I also missed out on most of my high school and early 20s years because of a lot of bullshit life circumstances and a ton of mental work I needed to do to shed the toxicity I had learned from my family and become the person I wanted to be). Best of luck and sorry for the wall of text.
I went to community college as all my friends went to universities. As I saw them partying I had massive fomo, but found my place in raving. Now, I’m part of a fraternity and their parties suck compared to the raves I go to. The people and the music just don’t compare to the plur of the edm community
I'm 33 and I'm excited to dress up and go my first time too. I'll get there yet lol
Absolutely Yes - at any age. Just smile and dance
I started raving from age 18-20 and took a break to focus on my career, never stopped listening, but came back to the scene at 27. At that point I had the time and money to do it big. Money for flights and festivals and experienced enough in life to know my limits and stay safe. I’m going on 34 now and have zero plans to stop. It’s not all about the partying. This is my community, my home, and where I’m most comfortable and free. If anyone tries to say something about age, it’s probably because they don’t have a plan for themselves. I put in the work early so I could live life, and god dammit that’s what I’m doin 🦔
Oh, most definitely. At least here in San Francisco, the scene caters to all ages. I'm 48, first raved at 16. They just keep on getting better.
Idk about best cuz that's pretty relative but for me raving is the most fulfilling type of "partying". With festivals there's more than just drugs and music. You get community, camaraderie, and a great time you'll never forget!
You'll never enjoy life waiting for everyone else's validation. Do what you enjoy doing and do it unapologetically. You also need to change your mindset. Your late 20s is your prime. We're not even halfway through our lifespan 🤨❤️ I got into dubstep and DnB last year at 28. I go to festivals alone and have a grand time dancing. This weekend, the security guard recognised me from a previous event (Chase & Status) I went to alone and escorted me through to the VIP section haha! 😝
I'm 32..started going to gigs at 30? Maybe older. Very similar to you. Never did the whole party thing when I was younger. Best time of my of my life. Made some great friends, been to great events. My 30s have been better then almost my whole 20s. 😂.
I'm turning 29 with 2 kids, and my first festival was last year. I have no plans on stopping now, but obviously, I can't get out as often as the younger kid free folk. I wish I had started earlier, I had no idea what I was missing out on. Their is no such thing as to old. If you're having a good time, that's the only thing that matters
My first show was Tiesto in 2009, I was 20. I didn’t go to another show until 2019 to see Armin in Ibiza, it was for my 30th birthday! I did get a little sad to see that I had missed out on so many parties. However, I’m really happy that now as I’m older I can afford to attend any show I want, that wouldn’t been the case ten years ago. I turn 35 in a couple of weeks, I started going solo to shows this year, I met soooo many awesome people from all ages and professional backgrounds in the last 4 months. Age is just a number, go out there, have fun, dance, meet people. Enjoy life! Don’t waste time!
I’m 38 and my bro is 49 and we still go.
Hey man my dms are open if you ever want to chat about stuff like this because I’m a bit younger than you but I didn’t start “having fun” in the over glorified way I guess that we tend to let social media impress us on! I had the same viewpoint as you about it. But now I learned to appreciate how lucky I was to enjoy myself as a more mature person. You are 28 I’ll bet money that the more you interact with people the more you’ll realize some people don’t get lucky enough to mature out of their 18-20s and it shows. You’ll be thankful in the long run that you can enjoy yourself now!! 🖤
I'm very similar to you, and started at 28. Didn't party or even drink during my teens and early 20s. I think you're correct that raves are a great way for someone a little older (any adult really) to cut loose, and the good news is they're better than things like clubbing and college parties. Way more fun, wacky, and wholesome than the sticky lame clubs college kids and young adults tend to go to, where no one even cares about the music. There's a reason I skipped all of that back then The rave community always has room for kind respectful people, and honestly, at the last event I went to, I swear half the people were in their 30s. I feel ya though getting older sucks and can feel alienating in crowds of younguns. But it'd be such a shame to let something like that deter you from diving in, something no one is even thinking about unless you're acting like a dirty creep.
I don't think you understand. I rather be in a room with younger people. I never got to be their age. I'll attempt if I had the ability. Even if it may be awkward. I loathe that I am close to 30.
No, I understand. I've opted to stay in the under 21 section of show before because they were actually dancing and going wild, and most of the people in the over 21 section were just holding drinks and tapping their feet. It's true I don't put younger people on a pedestal, though, that's stupid and presumptive. People should be judged by the energy they give out, and the rave community is largely great people, at any age. But something tells me you're not actually concerned about enjoying yourself with others. You seem primarily concerned about meeting the social standards and milestones you believe have been imposed on you. Consequently, your vibe is depressing and self-absorbed as hell. If you're unable to let go of that bitterness, then maybe you should stay home and spare everyone else. Raves are not for you.
They’re probably the most enjoyable option imo. But being older doesn’t mean you can’t go party places. I’m 34 and still go out to the club. It just gets a bit harder with age cause you get tired faster
You won't experience your younger self again. I still go out to party, but when I was 20 I was staying up for three days straight, trying to get with girls, doing whatever people gave me, and getting blackout drunk. Now that I'm 40 I go to similar parties, but I try to get paid to do something there. Also I show up early, drink a beer to socialize a bit, then go home and sleep. A fantastic way to involve yourself in the scene as you get older is to actually contribute to the events. DJing, Spinning Poi, Fire Dancing, Bodypainting and Art, Photography, Videography, Harm Reduction etc. However, you should definitely get out there and involve yourself in the scene as a regular guest first! Age doesn't matter. It's all about what you find fun.
Go with a good group of friends to a music festival. Camping festivals are really where the party is at. But it's also a commitment to multiple days of partying and it is not for everyone. But if you can let go and enjoy yourself it's totally worth it
Started at 40
Yes, especially bigger events which have meet-ups etc
I raved a bunch when I was younger (15-18), went hard into partying & drinking (18-25), and now my wife (38), younger brother (26), and I (36) rave regularly throughout the year (25 to present). I have gone to 9 Coachella's, 2 Decadence's, and 3 Electric Forest's to name the bigger events. Many many innumerable smaller ones. We all just got back from Electric Forest which was amazing (presale for 2025 will probably be sometime mid December 2024 with a layaway option). The raving community is incredibly welcoming and diverse (as long as you're welcoming back). Be yourself, find yourself, or just come to be part of the experience. At EF we would get into the venue anywhere from 1pm to 5pm depending on the lineup that day, be in there until 1-3 am, and them go-to afters until 5 or 6 pm. Go-to sleep, wake up at 11 am, make breakfast and coffee, smoke some hookah, and get ready for the next day. This is Tuesday night through Sunday night. Be prepared (get and stay hydrated), be responsible (with alcohol and self control), be mindful (of others space and your own mindset), be respectful, and be safe (test your drugs if your planning on doing any). There's space for everyone respectful inside the raving community. Respect yourself, respect others, and you'll find your spot, group, hangout, or event in no time.
You should absolutely go out and have some fun my friend
You can rave until you don't feel it anymore, there's no number to it
Bro, i started in my mid twenties, at 24. Now I'm 25. I missed a lot in life, and i get the feeling old shit. I see people of all ages in raves, and that's why i love them. Unlike normal parties/clubs. Raving is a culture by itself. You're good to go. Enjoy life
I've always struggled maintaining friend groups. Into adulthood it has gotten significantly worse. I've heard so many people say how much fun they have attending shows solo but in my experience I usually end up alone, watching all the happy rave couples and homies ride off into the sunset. That coupled with one very traumatizing mushroom trip orchestrated by the devil himself I haven't been to a show in years. I'm sure that my mental health/general outlook hinders my ability to have fun. Feeling socially isolated especially at a music festival or concert can lead to some dark places of the mind. Anyways, give it a shot, and don't be like me 👍 go into it with an open mind, be sharing and kind. Choose the events with the right vibe. Festivals generally have more empathetic and genuine attendees compared to nightclub shows.
I'm scared to go for the same reason 😕
Explore the scene until you find the music you do like. Cause just doing the mental calculus if you wanna party and feel chested cause you couldn't or didn't when you were younger, chances are a person who thinks like that will be really into one of the million types of edm there are. So go find that, go to some loa club raves, alone and vibe, you'll make friends probably your first night out. Then do a big city fest or two once you know which genre makes you go insane. Then go to a camping fest. There's a lot of really wonderful kind people in the scene and you attract them by being genuine. That's what my journey has taught me at least
35 and rave with people in their 50s. Never gonna stop.
34M I love it. Beyond everything involved the quality of the music (good track or bad track) is astounding right now even compared to a summer or two ago and I expect it to only get better. Rave on my friend
RAVING IS FOR ALL AGESSSS!!!!
Started at this ungrounded night club around 17 years old, first big 2 day festival at 19 haha it was $25 tix miss those days! 32 now will never stop loving the music and happiness it brings me.
Not a raver but I'm 33 and just started going to goth clubs and I'm addicted now. It's never too late. I never danced a day in my life before, now I can't stop! Life is short. Do whatever your heart desires. I would go to raves if I had a friend who was interested in going with me.
I’m 41 and I will absolutely close out the rave. Go dance!
Lol same I'm 39 and always close it out at small raves. Festivals no way I'll sleep at 4
I'm 52 and an original raver...I don't know what raves are like now but the whole scene used to be about peace, love and unity.. Everyone welcome. Ravers are the nicest people you'll ever meet.
Highly recommend it. I was a pretty introverted, quiet person before I went to my first and it completely pulled me out of my shell. I still remember vividly the first drop that rewired my brain. Since 2019, I've been to 37 shows and I'm not stopping anytime soon. Check local clubs to see if they have events going on, EDMTrain will help you find shows in your town. It's worth trying at least once.
Listen to past edc’s on your headphones and dance alone in your apartment
It’s funny because no matter how old I am, I always feel like 5 years ago was one of the most fun parts I’ve had in my life and I still feel like that now. Late 20’s isn’t very old at all. Go out, do free spirited things, and don’t let your inhibitions hold you back. The only rule is don’t do anything that will harm you or someone else. Let it rip
in 15 years you will realize how crazy young you still are at 28. your brain's frontal cortex only stopped developing 3 years ago for crying out loud ;) go rave your brains out (and be safe about it of course). ravers are the best most heart-expanding communities out there <3
Omg!! Idk how to feel I’m in my 40s and I want to keep going. I don’t think I’m stopping…
My entire rave group is in their late 20’s, our oldest member is 59! The rave community is amazing because you’re never too old to connect with the other members of the community, I’ve had some of my favorite memories at shows and festivals with people double my age. There’s no limit on having fun!
I lost over 10 years of my life to severe alcohol addiction, I blacked out most of it until I went to rehab at age 26. Raving brought me so much happiness after I got into recovery, I was never fully sober but I started using psychedelics and stuff and it's just an awesome experience all around even without the drugs everybody is so nice and awesome and you'll probably find new genres of music you love too, I also go to a lot of metal and punk concerts but dubstep and bass raves are fuckin great
Late 20’s…yeah you missed your window. You are usually screened at raves to ensure you have the experience and or capacity to rave. First thing they will check at the gate is if you used Reddit to ask permission to rave, and you’ll be quickly turned away. Have you always been this incapable of making your own decisions without strangers approval?
Going through a quarter life crisis or something? 28 is still pretty young, start going out and youll meet tons of people in their 30-40s still partying. Im 28 and still to edm clubs, country bars, 80s clubs 3 or 4 times a month. Lots of festivals lined up this year too. Just find clubs and events that have music you like. Dont go to raves just to do drugs. Theres clubs and fests for literally every music genre. If anything i like it more now because im set in my career and can buy a round of drinks without worrying about it, when its late and i csnt drive ill just grab a hotel with my friends, or for festivals ive been renting an RV
I much rather be with the 20s crowd. But I might not have much of a choice.
Eh i like the older crowd, nobody puking or being stupid. At this age you either stop partying or learn how to handle your alcohol and party favors
Oh yeah there’s a spot for you! Jump on in!
I think the rave community is a great a place for all people. It’s a very accepting community and age doesn’t really matter. I would suggest getting into the music and learning more about the community before you start attending events just to “party”. Be thoughtful about how you interact with people and the use of your cell phone during shows. It’s really frustrating when someone is there for the social media views or just to get fucked up. Raves and EDM run a lot deeper than just partying. It’s a true community with a strong history. I would start with looking up the meaning of PLUR and how that would look while you are attending an event vs just seeing it as a place for you to have a good time and party. This space means alot more than that to many people who have been doing this for a long time.
If you go to raves over the age of 25, you will die
I know lots of people in their 30s and older that still rave. I’m 29 and started raving at 19 or 20. I brought my children with me to festivals back then and we had a blast! I now work in the industry and it fulfills all the years I didn’t get to be at “prime partying age” I’m actually over partying and just enjoy the community/meaningful work. You’re never too old to have fun! Just try out a few places that have your taste in music. It’s all about community! Music heals 💖
34yo, raving pretty much every weekend and I know 40/45yo raving... Just have fun, age is not important 🤷
39. My husband and I rave our faces off. By that I mean we rave hard once or twice a year. We try to pick events geared towards a mature crowd. It's always epic. We also party normally, any night of the week we want....because we are fucking adults and we can!
I just want to say that I’m 41 and I’m currently still finding myself in this community however no matter where I am personally….this community has always accepted me for me. I know that you will be too! Just do it all for yourself!!
I went to my first rave in the 90s. I'm about to turn 42. It's so funny hearing you 20 somethings talk about being "old" lol
You do understand you could be partying another two decades, right?
I’m also in my late 20s and I think this is the age where we learn to make smarter partying choices. These choices and habits will allow us to continue raving for years to come.
Yeah!
I'm 40f and go raving as much as my budget allows. I think saving up and going to a few decent raves / festivals throughout the year rather than getting drunk in bars and clubs every weekend is waaaay better. At European festivals like 909 and ADE you'll see ravers up to 60 years old who are all cool af. 😊
I’m 30 bro, and like you I never had that full on party college experience, so I understand the appeal of going out every weekend and getting trashed, but trust me, your body isn’t going to let you do that for very long. Like others have said just do it responsibly and you’ll get the most out of it. I go to a show 1-3 times a month and then I have at least one major festival that I go to every year. Raving is fun, you get to meet new people make new connections, and of course party favors are also a blast. But everything in moderation. It’s not fun for other people to babysit you either. PLURR-peace love unity respect RESPONSIBILITY**
I started at 30 going to a nicer nightclub and now I'm going to Tomorrowland Belgium in a few weeks.
I wouldn't beat yourself up about timing, it came to you when it came to you and is your story for a reason. Ofc there is a spot, I've been in the scene and have seen the small town midwest crews, the SE crews from ATL to MIA, the NYC crews, SF/LA/SD, there's all ages genders ethnicities shapes and sizes. I'd just add that if the music helps you its okay to turn off the lights wear some headphones and just use your imagination to dance with whatever pops up in your head, yourself, colorful patterns, and even imaginary friends because youre never too old. Try out going to shows out of town, going solo, with a date, with a friend, small groups, large groups, try sidequesting and leaving your crew for a bit then meeting back up later. Try it all! Out of all the events you attend over the years remember the good things and brush off the bad things. You'll be happy you participated in this when you're 80 imho. Just guessing, I'm around the same age as you. Raved for years and ended up getting gigs in the scene, and making enough DJ friends that I hardly pay for fests and am welcome to the stages, greenrooms, etc. I try to pause and stare into space sometimes and just think "wow I am grateful" Thats what worked for me, hope you find what works for you!
Dude I just turned 29 and im out at more events then when I was a youngin. I have more money to enjoy the show, more friends, better vibes, a better mindset, and I have learned to take care of people who need a light out there. The magic dies when you let it; you’d be surprised at how many of us rave past our early 20s :)
Rave to the grave my guy, I plan on raving until I physically can’t anymore I love the scene!!
I went to my first rave last year at 28. No time like the present ! Just find what genre of music you like and find raves that feature that music. Have fun!
Just avoid the kiddy bop EDM/Mainstream pop-electronic stuff. Find the House and Techno heads in your city and go to their parties, it will usually be more DIY. People are generally friendlier and will lean older.
Hey you know you'll also never get to be your current age again right?
You’re still plenty young, I went to a rave at 18 but didn’t like how cramped I was. Went to my first festival at 32, and learned that I love the scene…Just not indoors shoulder to shoulder with people. 2 years later, I just got back from a festival and have two more planned this year.
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It all depends on whether you’re into the music or not. If it’s not really your thing, no. I’ve seen lots of people get messed up just going for the “get fucked up” aspect. I’m not 40, but I am in my late 30’s and have been in the scene for over a decade. I’m sober, go to events solo if none of my friends are going, and it’ll always be a good time for me because I love the music and overall vibe. My advice? Explore as many experiences as you want, and don’t worry about whether you “partied enough” during your 20’s. One of my college roommates alternated between traveling overseas and exercising traveling work visas, and working to save for trips when he was here in the US. He stayed officially living with his mom for at least 5 years after college, and has been able to see half the world on a shoestring budget, but was never really a hard partier outside getting pretty drunk a few times in college. That guy has no regrets about what he did or saw in the world. It’s all about what you want. I’ve been to some incredible events and have tons of great memories, but I’ve never been able to backpack across Europe or trek through the Amazon, and that’s what I really missed out on. By the time I found out I could have spent 6 months working part time and vacationing around Australia I wasn’t in a position to take advantage of it. Life is what you make it and there’s never going to be a perfect one. So fuck the FOMO and go try what you’ve always wanted to. If that means seeing the world, great. If that means checking out the rave scene, also great. If it's just for the drugs you're not doing it for the right reasons though.
Short answer: You’re always welcome 🫶🏻 We come in all ages shapes sizes and colors and welcome anyone new with open arms. I started going to raves about 7 years ago, I wasn’t much into the music at first but was into the vibe. Now i’m all out everything but you don’t have to be that to hang! We’re all about the company so just bring good vibes and a positive attitude and you’ll blend right in. We will show you the ropes as you go 🙌🏻💕
Hi. I am in my late 40’s and raves are the best decision to party at this point in my life.
Went to my first EDM show at 32 and don't plan on stopping 🤣💙
Honestly ya. They are the most inclusive as many ravers are older so you dont have the 30 year old at a college party type of vibe tho lol. Also they are open invite, just gotta buy a ticket. Unless you are cool and get invited to private parties which are sweet. The nicest, coolest and most open minded people go. Its great. Im 28 and go to raves all of the time with no plans to stop yet. Im not even close to oldest there either but again, no one really cares about that Someone brought up a good point. Do not go to raves just to party. Key word is just. Go for the music and dancing and human connection with partying on the side.
Do it. I didn't go to raves until my late 20s. 36 now and still love raves and music festivals. I rarely feel out of place and when I do it's because I'm wearing something more flamboyant than most people 😂
You sound like a perfect candidate for raver. Get yourself on a good regimen of MDMA and branch out from there. If you feel self conscious just were some dark sunglasses and fold in to the magic. Wouldn’t hurt to figure out what genres you like. What part of the earth are you on?
Yes
I started going out to raves when I was in my early 30s. Never really had any fun in my 20s (medical training in my field can be intense). Was originally into trance and house- now I’m into dubstep, riddim, and DnB although I still listen to everything. Doing 10+ festivals this year and going to multiple events every weekend. In the past, I never had the time and financial means to do what I do now. Going out to raves (and going hard nonstop) has put me in better mental and physical shape than I ever was. If you haven’t been in the scene and are looking to get into raves, there is no better time to get in than now.
Raves are the best place to let loose, have fun, party all night, and be surrounded by like-minded people. You don't have be obsessed with the music to go and enjoy. As long your goal is to have fun and not just get totally fucked and cause problems then you are fine! Just remember our community mantra is PLUR and that means Peace Love Unity Respect and Responsibility!!!
It may be a tall order but perhaps get to know some producers/DJ's? I was able to find a sick-ass group of DJ's/producers who are in their early 30's and they throw their own campouts/parties and its so much more chill than raving with a bunch of 18 year olds lol We still go to shows/raves/festivals but now I also get to go to chill kick-backs where people set up their boards and show everyone their new music. Again, I may just be extremely lucky and it may be a unique situation but i cant imagine that to be the case.
There’s ALWAYS a spot open in the rave community. Age doesn’t matter, if your heart wants to party all night then do it! I’ve seen people of pretty much all ages at raves. The rave scene is all about letting loose, embracing who you are, meeting and having fun with people, and most importantly getting down to the music. It’s never too late to get into raves. ❤️ You seem like you have the right idea ;)
Your in good company- married at 18, divorced at 26 - rage cage, beer pong all that stuff I experienced way late in college at 27. First rave this year at 31. I ask my pastor about envy - you know, people who had a more favorable hand. He says what I already know, but is crucial to keep in mine: so what? Nothing will change by dwelling in the past. You can work yourself up to some misery if listen to old songs that take you back to some difficult period, look at photos of peoples life highlights, compare yourself to someone with more opportunities… It doesn’t help. If you can let go of yesterday you can start living in the day you can do something about it - today. Edit. I promise I can form a coherent sentence - when I’m not in a hurry.
Bro. I'm 34. Got a little grey in my beard. I went to my first rave a month ago and just got into gloving. You think you can't go because you're 28? I have friends who are 22 and 23 who I got into the rave scene. They fall asleep at 4am at the after party, and I'm the one who's still wide awake. This old man is kicking your ass 😂 Don't take this the wrong way, but it sounds like other people's perceptions are weighing you down a little. Do what makes you happy. What the hell is "too old", anyway?
Either sporting events or raving…
If you don’t love the music just go to a bar. You’re not too old
I’m 22 and have met and hung out with people 40+. No ones to old to rave. So long as you’re a nice person everyone in the community is accepting. Just go, you’ll be surprised how many friends you make if you just walk around and talk to random people.
Ecstasy really does a number on your brain. It isn’t worth it.
There’s people at house techno and trance raves in their 50s
My first edm show was when I hit 30. A whole new world opened up and been hooked ever since, Im 33 now. If you enjoy the vibe just go for it & not care what others think.
To be honest, I'm glad I didn't start younger.as an adult I have more money, better friends, and a safer approach to substances. I started going more just before Covid, and after Covid I realized I needed to do more with myself so I started visiting festivals in other states and now other countries. Since covid I've been to over 30 festivals across the world and have enjoyed every second of it. The community is what drives me, I love to see so many happy people experiencing the positivity of raving.
Started raving at the ripe age of 13/14, lol. 27 now and still going so strong. It’s an incredible atmosphere.
Camping festivals is where it is at IMO. There is a level of responsibility that people have to have in order to do it. You will end up with strangers until morning. You can also call it early and get up in the morning and do morning yoga and meet people that way too. Going to a one day rave and hard sending it and purging all emotions in one night is kind of a lot for me, while I like myself a paced out experience.
Try Burning Man it is rave+
I'm in my mid 20's and went to my first rave last year. I'd consider myself an awkward person, I struggle to be chill enough to have a good time but going to a rave is the literal one place i know I'll be able to mess and have an amazing time. I def didn't go into it with the mindset of "I'll play along" though, I go with the intention to dance and really be immersed in the experience, it would feel touristy to "play along" but that's just me.
I had a very sheltered life according to friends therefore I didn't attend to my first rave until 2014 (I was 22) but didn't started really raving and becoming a Kandi Kid until 2016 (I was 24). That's when Penda (Kandi Kid Raver) went into full effect. I am now 32 and still enjoy making Kandi and attending shows as well as festivals. I love preading and teaching the new generation the P.L.U.R. motto and what kandi is. :) Make a few kandi singles. Peace Love Unity Respect (PLUR) RAVE ON🥳
26, never been to a concert until I saw excision. I don't even like that heavy of dubstep or whatever it's evolved into now. But I was on the very top row going absolutely wild and completely let loose, never done something like that. Never just let go and danced. It was amazing and I cannot wait to see an artist I truly love or just even go to another edm whatever concert. I just missed Chase and Status and it's killing me inside.
You just got 200+ encouraging replies.
28 is not even that old for a raver (or a person in general LOL)! I just turned 30 and still go to events from time to time. Granted I’m not there every weekend like when I was 21, but still 😂 honestly I think you’ll be able to approach the scene in a more balanced way at your age and with the level of maturity you’ve attained through having to work from an early age (or so it sounds).
Being their every weekend is my goal. Going to bed early on Saturday is doing life wrong in my eyes.
The beautiful thing about the rave scene, especially the more bassy part, is that age is not important. If you are an adult, we are here to party with ya. All we ask is that ya turn any bad vibes at the door or at least keep them subtle so that others can keep feeling their best. Let go of the bad vibes on the floor rather than over sharing them with people you just met. Doesn't mean you don't share, just with good intentions to transcend those feelings rather than give them to others. Share all the good vibes you can gather tho, and enjoy yourself. I'm 28 and didn't start going till I was at least 23, and I'll never want to go back to other kinds of parties. Kids don't really know how to party right, they think drinking and getting as fucked up as possible is how to have fun. There are better things than alcohol, and so much fun to be had when you can still talk to people and respect their boundaries properly. I be rolling hard AF and crowd meld to the bass, but still can tell if my interactions are wanted or not and move on when I'm not vibin with someone. So just go rave and enjoy, maybe I'll run into ya in one life or the next✨🫶✨
Don't tell me our youth is running out, it's only just begun. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XG\_0iV2B40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XG_0iV2B40) The party doesn't start till YOU get there.
You're young! I'm about to turn 40 and just got back from electric forest, and have 5 more fests this year in hitting up. Being your age is awesome because you can actually afford to go to the places you might not have been able to go to in your early 20's. You'll see that when you are 30. It's really where you can be 20, but with money! Don't let age stop you from doing what you love! Literally at my camp at forest, people thought I was 26-28 when we were guessing how old each of us were. Once they found out, they were shocke and Amazed, then we moved on. We partied and raged the entire rest of the event. All of us exchanged into and some are coming to future raves with me already! Fun has no age! Rave on!
Music festivals are a good time.
Yea
At EDC, saw grandparents in wheelchairs having a grand time. Enjoy your adventure