Culture: 16 years of Soberchella

Traditionally hard-fuelled events packed with heavy boozing, festivals are notorious for overindulgence. However, in recent years, sobriety at festivals has become increasingly popular among Gen Z, suggesting a shift in attitudes from consumers, who are now placing greater value on their mental health and wellbeing.

Since 2009, the iconic Californian music festival Coachella has grown its “Soberchella” movement from humble AA meetings into a popular community event that sober drinks brands can capitalise on - gathering media traction and attention from both sober and sober-curious consumers.
Since the pandemic, we have seen the general population become more interested in wellness consumption, which in turn has bolstered the demand for spirit-free drinks, cocktail alternatives, 0.0% craft beers and non-alcoholic wines.

This year, Coachella’s official non-alcoholic partner The New Bar offered a curated mix of relaxing areas, interactive elements and playful activations from a variety of non-alcoholic drinks brands. All of it was designed to appeal to younger festival-goers and turn sober-curious samplers into loyal customers.

New for 2025 was Free AF, a New Zealand-based company dedicated to elevating and normalising sobriety with RTD non-alcoholic cocktails, including Apero Spritz and Pink Grapefruit G&T.

The overwhelmingly positive response to Soberchella highlights that social drinking norms are evolving. Elevated alcohol-free options and creative 0.0% offerings have officially entered the mainstream as prime beverage choices at major cultural events with global audiences.