Dubai’s night out is changing. From caffeine-fuelled coffee raves to white-tablecloth pairings built around premium 0.0 drinks, alcohol-free experiences are moving from niche to mainstream as venues court a younger crowd that wants craft and community without the hangover.
Paul Beavis, chief executive of alcohol-free sparkling brand Wild Idol, says the shift is no longer confined to one age group.
“People are realising you do not need alcohol to have a good time,” he told Arabian Business.
“The market is demanding more natural, better-made products. We are not a de-alcoholised brand. We prevent alcoholic fermentation and focus on purity.” He said Wild Idol produces single-vintage bottles with no added sugar at roughly 21 calories a glass.
Beavis, who spent decades in the champagne industry, believes that technique is the dividing line between a premium 0.0 serve and something that feels like a compromise.
“If you de-alcoholise you strip character then rebuild with additives. We start with vineyard fruit, stop fermentation and protect flavour. Sommeliers respond to that.”
He said demand in the UAE has widened from early curiosity to clear expectation.
“Hotels, restaurants and sommeliers are now being asked what they offer in alcohol free. Three years ago it was a hard sell. Today guests ask for a high-quality sparkling option and they want it to be naturally alcohol free.” Wild Idol has begun gaining traction in Saudi Arabia, including work with Red Sea Global, and sees opportunities in Riyadh, Doha and Bahrain, he said.
On the ground, promoters are redesigning the night around that mindset. “We wanted to create a space for people who love music and good energy but not the alcohol hangover,” said Shannon Soans, co-founder of No Filter, a coffee-driven party series launched in January. The group runs one or two events a month with about 150 to 200 attendees on average. Entry is usually free and specialty coffees cost about AED20-30.
“About 70 per cent of our audience is Gen Z,” Soans said. “They want wellness, community and great music. They are choosing non-alcoholic drinks and asking where the coffee is sourced. At first people were intrigued. Now we turn people away at capacity,” Soans added.
The economics look different from a conventional night. He said spends at alcohol venues can run to several hundred dirhams per person, while coffee-based gatherings keep costs lower for guests yet still draw steady crowds. That aligns with a broader shift in how younger customers plan a night out.
“Gen Z is not just going out for the sake of going out,” he said. “They want experiences that align with values. They do not want to escape reality. They want to celebrate it consciously.”
Major drinks companies have noticed. Nick Rees, marketing director at Diageo MENA, said Gen Z is putting choice and control at the centre of socialising. “They expect credible alcohol-free options,” he said.
He cited IWSR data that shows the global no-alcohol segment growing by about 7 per cent a year by volume from 2024 to 2028, compared with roughly 1 per cent for total beverage alcohol.
“What began with barista craft is converging with bartender technique,” Rees said. “Dubai’s new nightlife often starts in daylight. Think single-origin coffee flights at 4 p.m. then signature 0.0 highballs later, with culture woven throughout.”
Cafés are responding by stretching hours and programming. Operators speak about menus where a barista’s attention to origin and grind meets a bartender’s approach to balance and garnish. The aim is a great glass regardless of ABV, with 0.0 placed on the front page and priced with confidence rather than relegated to a token line at the back. Rees said the company’s role is to equip venues with training and menu development so that alcohol-free is seen as a core part of the guest experience.
The data behind the cultural shift is nuanced. Earlier studies and consumer surveys found Gen Z drank less per capita than Millennials on average, with a higher interest in low and no-alcohol alternatives. Industry trackers also report a recent rebound in legal-age Gen Z drinking since 2023 as incomes recovered and social life normalised.
IWSR’s Bevtrac survey across major markets found the share of Gen Z who drank alcohol in the past six months increased between 2023 and 2025, while analysts stressed that the cohort remains more experimental and more likely to moderate than older groups.
For venues in Dubai, the operational takeaway is simple. Build both offerings, keep quality consistent and let guests switch lanes across a single evening.
For restaurants, the test is whether 0.0 can hold up at the table. Beavis argues it can if the product is built for food.
“Chefs want freshness, acidity, tannin and fruit to work with food,” he said. “We have more pressure in the bottle which works with gastronomy. The feedback from sommeliers has been strong.” He said the brand’s focus on natural ingredients and minimal manipulation resonates with fine-dining teams that want transparency and repeatability.
Outside the dining room, daytime culture is doing more of the heavy lifting. Coffee-led gatherings and matcha-focused dance events have added a wellness spin to social calendars and appeal to guests who want an energetic mood without a late finish.
Promoters say the format travels well across rooftops, galleries and community spaces, with DJs, pop-ups and collaborations with specialty roasters. The combination of lower average spend, shorter runs and strong social content has helped promoters seed a community that returns.
That community element is where Soans sees the strongest pull. “There is something powerful when people come together with no pretences, no alcohol, just music and movement,” he said. “It is refreshing, honest and fun. We are growing the scene cup by cup, beat by beat.”
He said his team also runs events in conventional clubs and bars under a separate brand called OFF THE RECORD, which gives a direct comparison. Guests spend far more where alcohol is the core of the offer. The coffee nights bring a broader mix of ages and more repeat attendance.
For operators, the business case is starting to stack up. A credible alcohol-free list has widened the customer base to designated drivers, athletes, pregnant guests and faith-based consumers, while earlier starts and lower ABV reduce staffing stress at closing time. Rees frames it as inclusion with commercial upside.
“Positive drinking is about choice and great experiences,” Rees said. “Everyone should feel part of the moment, whether they choose alcohol or 0.0.”
Back at the top end, Beavis says the category has grown up. “Alcohol free has to be sensible and grown up,” he said. “We are creating a brand with desirability and authenticity. People who do not drink deserve a premium experience.”
He pointed to rising demand from hotels and restaurants that now specify naturally alcohol-free on lists. “Customers are becoming more aware of how things are made. They want natural and transparent.”
Day-to-night cafés, barista-meets-mixology menus and premium 0.0 pairings are increasingly becoming part of Dubai’s standard. For consumers, the pay-off is more choice at lower average spend and fewer rough mornings after. What began as a curiosity is settling into the city’s rhythm, where a night out can start with a coffee flight at dusk and end with a well-built 0.0 highball before a clear-headed morning run on Kite Beach.
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