I am not a morning person. In fact, I’m everything but a morning person. Mid-day, afternoon, evening or night. Anything works better than waking up before 8.30 a.m. But I definitely am a party person. Any form of disco dancing makes me as happy as a child in a sweet shop. So, when I heard about the idea of raving into the day with coffee and smoothies instead of cocktails, it’s safe to say I was intrigued.

Morning Gloryville is a project that started in May 2013, as an initiative of bringing back positivity and happiness into dance events. Founded by Samantha Moyo, the conscious, alcohol-free breakfast raves have now toured around 15 countries including Japan, Spain and Australia, spreading the love in collaboration with some established music names like Basement Jaxx and Fatboy Slim. But it isn’t just the thought of “healthy mind in healthy body” that’s meaningful. The event is actually fun.

Usually starting at 6.30am, the conscious party opens with a DJ set and provides its goers with four hours of coffees, smoothies, healthy snacks, a free massage area and an ongoing Yoga workshop, together with glitter face-painting stations, a dedicated hugging team (maybe sounds weird, but if you let go, it actually feels nice to hug a stranger this early in the morning) and multiple meditation breaks between disco DJ sets playing tunes by CHIC and Mousse T. The dress code? Morning Gloryville recommends all things neon, glitter, and faux fur – although it’s completely up to you what to wear as the idea is to represent yourself however you wish to. And with such an open brief, you get the most eclectic bunch of people out there. Party animals wearing zebra leggings and furry crop tops that swapped in their Saturday night for a Wednesday morning are dancing next to your regular Anne and James, dressed in a t-shirt and chinos, dropping by for a shimmy with a side of coffee before going to work.

The most recent event (and the one I attended) was in the Oval Space in London’s Hackney, serving as a perfect antithesis to the traditional raves of the area. It really doesn’t matter if you’re a morning person or not; a partygoer or a home-stayer – give Morning Gloryville a chance. The positive atmosphere and a bit of dancing will release the serotonin, cheer your day up and make you smile. Even the gloomy tube ride to work will suddenly seem less so.

Find out more about the Morning Gloryville Morning Raves via morninggloryville.com. The next London events are happening on Saturday, February 18 in Notting Hill and at http://morninggloryville.com/.

Text by Dino Bonacic