Events

The Dry guide to alcohol-free activities this summer

From mindful drinking festivals in Brighton to sober comedy nights in London, here’s our top ten events for a guilt-free good time

1. Club Soda’s Mindful Drinking Festival, July 9th – 10th 2022, 10am-5pm, Brighton Open Market, BN1 4JU, price: free. Visit Brighton’s Open Market for Club Soda’s yearly Mindful Drinking Festival. The two-day event will provide access to all the best low and no alcoholic drinks with over 40 brands to be tried, along with talks from expert panellists about drinking habits and cocktail masterclasses. The festival is free to attend. Book your place here. 

2. Sober Girl Society’s ‘Wake Up Club’, Saturday 25th June, 9:30-10:30am, online, price: £0-16. Join this virtual breakfast meet-up for sober and sober-curious women. The event runs every other Saturday, providing a peer-supported space for conversation around sobriety. It is led by Laurie McAllister, sober coach and founder of Girl & Tonic. Tickets prices vary and can be found here.

3. Comedy night at The London Alcohol-Free Comedy Club, Sunday 11th September, 3:30-5:30pm, 231-237 Cambridge Heath Road, London, price: £15-20. Visit the UK’s only alcohol-free comedy club, where a wide range of alcohol-free drinks are offered to enjoy the show with. The line-up includes John Ryan, Elliot Steel, Juliet Myers and Rich Wilson. Tickets can be bought here. 

4. Love Trails Festival, 30th June-3rd July 2022, Gower Peninsula, Wales, price: £0-179. This festival combines trail running, outdoor activities and music. At this one-of-a-kind event, you can paraglide, surf and kayak, then check out a wide range of live music acts. Food and non-alcoholic drinks are available throughout the five-day event. Prices vary from £0-179, depending on the type of ticket and the age category. They can be bought here.

5. Café Sobar’s ‘Sobar Social’, Nottingham, NG1 6DQ, price: free. Sobar Social is the first alcohol-free bar, restaurant and venue in the East Midlands. Every last Friday of the month, they put on live entertainment, such as music, poetry, comedy and open mics nights. Entry is free, with food served between 6-7pm. 

6. Sober October. Take part in Sober October and go alcohol-free for an entire month to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. 

7. Flight Club, London, any time between 11:30am and midnight (store dependent), price: £10. Visit this social darts venue, where interactive screens put a twist on the real game. With locations in Bloomsbury, Islington, Shoreditch and Victoria, Flight Club is a great place to visit in big groups – you can book up to 12 people per game. Food and drink is available, including a range of non-alcoholic cocktails. Tickets cost £10 for a 90 minute session, which can be booked on their website. 

8. Warner’s Gin Pop-up in Covent Garden, Site A North Piazza, WC2 E8R. Between June 1st – July 1st, visit Warner’s pop-up gin stall in Covent Garden, where there is a wide range of drinks to try – including alcohol-free cocktails. Bookings are not required.

9. Imbibe live drinks event, 4th-5th July, Grand Hall, Olympia London, Hammersmith, W14 8UX. price: £15. Visit the leading event for the UK drink’s industry, where you can buy, try and explore all kinds of drink, whether alcoholic or non-alcoholic. This event aims to help businesses grow within the drinks industry. Definitely not one to miss.

10. Tate Modern Lates, 24th June (last Friday of the month), 6pm-10pm, Tate Modern, Bankside, SE1 9TG, price: free. Visit the Tate Modern at night and view the artwork, listen to live music, participate in workshops and enjoy some alcohol-free beverages.