Are you looking for fun things to do without alcohol? This post will provide 27 activity ideas, plus inspire you to remember your why, try new things and surround yourself with people who support you.
There are many things to do without alcohol such as sober events, ecstatic dance, sober festivals, joining the gym, mocktail parties, alfresco cooking, live music events and more! You simply need to find the right people and the right places to have alcohol-free fun.
27 Alcohol-Free Fun Activities to Try Instead of Drinking
- Sober Events
These are becoming increasingly popular as more people embrace an alcohol-free lifestyle. Try searching for sober events in your local area on Facebook or Eventbrite - you may be surprised by what sober activities you find!
- Ecstatic Dance
A type of sober dance event, held in locations all over the UK/world. You can expect to move your body to next-level, inspiring, live, electronic dance DJ sets amongst a community of vibrant people!
- Sober Festivals
There is a huge range of sober festivals all over the UK, ranging from hybrid low-alcohol festivals such as ‘All About Love’ to tee-total experiences such as ‘Buddhafield.’ Other sober festivals include 'LoveJam' and 'Medicine Festival.'
- Join the Gym
This can be a great place to meet new people, socialise and have fun. Ask your gym if they have any trial offers in which you can try out a variety of classes and find your tribe! Here you may also discover local sports groups, such as basketball teams, roller skating clubs and more.
- Host a Mocktail Party
Get dressed up, put some tunes on and invite your friends over for a mocktail party! Enjoy catching up with mates, whilst shaking and stirring your favourite mocktail mixes. If you want to simply relax, or maybe head out and about you can try our ready-to-drink mocktail mixes.
- Alfresco Cooking
Get yourself a simple BBQ/gas stove and get outdoors! Ask friends to bring one ingredient each, then get chopping and cooking in your favourite outdoor spots. Whether it’s grilling steaks on the beach, or flipping pancakes in the woods - go wild. Remember your tin opener ;)
- Live Music Events
Perfect to ‘get high on life’ as you soak up the electric atmosphere of your favourite artists, amongst the energy of a crowd. Consuming non-alcoholic drinks opens up your calendar for endless fun, as you realise that you’ll be up for work bright and early, easily.
- Plan a Holiday or a Road Trip
Remember how much you used to spend on alcohol in one night? Use this money to book a campsite, a last-minute hotel or an affordable Airbnb. Invite your friends for a mini getaway, even if it’s just a few miles from home!
- Set Yourself an Adventure Challenge
This could involve hiking the Yorkshire Three Peaks, the South West Coast Path or the Pennine Way. Or perhaps it involves wild swimming, cycling or running. Once you start, you’ll never stop.
- Go to a Sober Bar
Sober bars are popping up all over the UK. Check out our suggestions for ‘The Top 8 Alcohol-Free Bars in the UK - 2023’ for some great locations near you!
- Wild Camping
Grab a bivvy bag, wrap up warm and head out into the great outdoors. Build a fire, roast marshmallows, take a speaker and laugh all night long with friends. Watch the sunset and the break of dawn.
- Silent Disco Yoga
Immerse yourself in an ambient soundscape, whilst soaking up the benefits of yoga. Many classes are held in breathtaking, outdoor locations sometimes with live tropical house DJ sets!
- Sauna & Ice Bath
Instead of hitting the town, hit the sauna! Many gyms and hotels offer drop-in sessions for reasonable prices. Invite a friend along and melt your worries away. Switch between the sauna and ice bath for your ultimate dose of endorphins.
- Escape Room
Book an escape room experience for you and your friends. The perfect social activity for a Friday or Saturday night.
- Host a Potluck
Indoors or outdoors. Give it a theme or let people go wild; enjoy an epic feast surrounded by your closest friends.
- Go to an Arcade
Start with £1 each and see who can make the highest return?! Or who can win the most ridiculous prize with tickets?!
- Be a Tourist in Your Town
Book that boat trip, hop on an open-top bus, visit the open-air theatre; work your way through the treasures of your town!
- Organise a Games Night
This could involve indoor ‘circuits’ of quick-fire card games or outdoor antics such as Ultimate Frisbee.
- Taste Test Non-Alcoholic Drinks
Invite a bunch of friends around to taste test delicious non-alcoholic drinks. Find your favourite, rate them, have some snacks and watch a film at the same time. The perfect evening in! Or, if you're still looking for the alcohol buzz, why not try a drink that gives you a buzz without alcohol? (Yes, they exist!)
- Ice-Skating
Check out your nearest ice-skating rink, often they have open evening skate sessions with feel-good soundtracks and funky disco lighting.
- Check Out Your Local Independent Cinema
Open your mind to watching something new. Perhaps, it’s a featured documentary or a wacky film - you never know what you might discover.
- Go to an Open Mic Night
Whether you’re performing or just listening, there’s something out there for everyone from stand-up comedy to live music, spoken word and poetry.
- Go On a Night Time Walk
As simple as this sounds, it can be breathtakingly beautiful. Invite a friend, take a head torch and a flask and go somewhere beautiful.
- Go On a Night Time Run
There are running groups such as ‘Midnight Runners’ who organise super fun socials such as Glow Parties.
- Book a Cooking Course
A perfect evening activity to do with a friend or partner, challenge yourself with a new cuisine.
- Hire an e-bike/e-scooter
Have fun whizzing around or visiting new places in your local area.
- Sober Book Clubs
Connect with others who are sober curious and share a love for literature. Sober Book Club is an inspiring group that hosts monthly online meetings.
Top Tips For Having Fun Without Alcohol
- Remember your why:
What are you moving away from? And what are you moving towards? Remember the ‘why’ behind your choice to start living a no/low alcohol lifestyle. It may help to list what old behaviours/consequences you are moving away from and what new experiences and benefits you are moving towards. Stick these somewhere you will see them often, or perhaps, create a phone wallpaper with the benefits listed.
- Try something new:
Be open to trying new things and allow new like-minded people to flood into your life. Embrace new experiences and watch as you are invited to more secret sober parties, gatherings and events.
- Surround yourself with people who support you:
Whether it’s friends, family, housemates or new connections; surround yourself with positive people who value true connection. Being sober invites authentic connections; stay true to your values and watch as old connections either become stronger or fall away.
- Remove yourself from environments with alcohol for a while if you need to:
If you are feeling uncomfortable in environments with alcohol, it’s okay to withdraw. Take a break from busy bars and try out some of the activities listed above. Just because you find it overwhelming now, doesn’t mean you will forever. Once you have built your sober curious confidence, invite friends to try a low/no alcohol night out with you!
- Shift the focus away from alcohol:
Often, people drink alcohol to change their state. Perhaps, to feel more relaxed, more confident or to lift their mood and celebrate. A study by Abbey A, Smith MJ, Scott RO showed that there is also a ‘significant interaction between drinking to cope with stress and perceived stress.’ You may be craving alcohol because you want to feel something different or to cope with stress. If this is the case, try activities that will recreate these effects! Want to feel more relaxed? Hit the Sauna. Want to feel more confident? Study something new. Want to celebrate? Go to an Ecstatic Dance.
- Find alcohol alternatives:
There are now huge ranges of non-alcoholic or alcohol-free alternatives available including 0.0% Gluten Free Beer, Low Alcohol Vegan Ciders, 0.0% Low Sugar Spirits and more! Other tasty concoctions include Lime & Tonic, Pineapple Juice & Soda and Kombucha!
You Can Have Fun Without Alcohol
Just because you are not drinking, doesn’t mean that you can’t have a good time! We hope this article has helped you realise that yes, you CAN have fun without alcohol. In fact, you may even have MORE FUN as you realise you have more energy, less hangovers and get to experience new things. Now you have your list of activity ideas, your ‘why’, the ability to shift your focus away from alcohol and a list of alternatives, you can find fun and social things to do without alcohol! Which activity are you most excited to try?! And which feeling are you going to seek to recreate?
We would love to hear your comments below. And hope this post has inspired you!
Remember, sober activities don’t have to mean you’re missing out. There are thousands of incredible non-alcoholic or alcohol-free drinks out there that are just as delicious (if not even better - but we may be biased) - so why not give them a go? You can even use code: ‘WELCOME’ for 10% off your first order with Dry Drinker!
Or if you simply want to keep in the loop, follow us on Instagram @drydrinker.
