Thirty five years after rave culture swept the UK, the original ravers are back – with their kids.

The number of raves on Eventbrite UK has more than doubled since last year, and searches for them have also increased by 71% on the platform, suggesting reports on the death of raves might have been greatly exaggerated.

Yet this time around, many of the raves in the UK look decidedly different:

A fast growing number of baby raves, family raves and teeny bopper raves on Eventbrite, the marketplace for unique and local events, suggests the original 90s ravers are getting their kicks from sharing their love of thumping beats with their children. 

While parents get to reminisce their hardcore days dancing to old-school bangers, their kids are equally amused with snow and bubble machines, glow sticks, giant balloons, face painting, glitter cannons – and optional ear defenders!

Man and young girl raving
A man and a little girl raving at a Big Fish Little Fish rave in Sheffield

“We’re big fans of inclusivity at Eventbrite, but I’ll be honest, we were surprised to find it at raves for children. And we’ve spotted a good number of other new forms of raves for adults on Eventbrite, too: Shrek raves, queer raves, summer raves, Trainspotting raves, and Bollywood raves are now a thing. And this one might be controversial: you’ll find all kinds of tunes at today’s raves, from happy house to techno, bhangra and hip hop,” said Eventbrite’s Sebastian Boppert.

The Innovators Behind Family Friendly Raves

One of the new breeds of raves is Fly-Kid Family Rave. The event series was launched in 2019 when founder Emily Rawson wanted to give her son the chance to appreciate the music and dancing that she has enjoyed as a raver.

Emily said: “The data comes as no surprise to us. At our busiest we’ve had 500 children and adults dancing to the tunes that we loved but with newer artists, like Lizzo, thrown in. Our parties have always been popular because we have confetti, bubbles, dress up and dance lessons and competitions for the children, while parents who want a break from the dance floor can visit the pop up stalls to enjoy top quality food with champagne or cocktails.”

Then there’s Big Fish Little Fish, the original family rave which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary. It currently brings the freedom and excitement of mini festivals to towns and cities in the UK and Australia. Such is its success, it will soon be launching parties in North America and Europe.

Hannah Saunders, founder and CEO of Big Fish Little Fish said: “We’ve played to over one million people over the last 10 years and our events just keep growing in popularity. There’s always another generation ready to dance together and enjoy that sense of freedom and community. We’re now welcoming the toddlers that were born in the pandemic! It’s the best feeling ever to see children and parents letting loose and smiling at each other on the dance floor. The joy and euphoria the original ravers experienced is now being passed on to the younger generation and they love it.”