Has the sun set on nightlife? How partying has moved into the daytime

allow’s go down the shot: Loud euphony bumping o'er the speakers. Dancing. And in some cases, a drink in hand (alcoholic or otherwise).

Only, it’s 2 in the afternoon — not 2 a.m.

This is the scene in several cities across Canada, where daytime parties have become the “thing” to do in the summer. 

And while nightclubs and bars are still popular options for those looking to have a good time, event promoters and entertainers say party habits have evolved — and many are adapting their business models to cater to the shifting demand.

Casey Greabeiel, vice president of operations for Greta Bar, a Canadian franchise with locations in Calgary, Toronto, Vancouver and Edmonton, says while young people are still going out, party culture has evolved in several ways, including more intentional money spending, less drinking, and a demand for more activity.

“If you looked at how few clubs exist now versus 10 years ago and how they're doing, you know, people had to adapt 10 years ago to not open true clubs anymore.

“They had to have good food now, they had to have good service,” Graebeiel said. “They had to have more than just a really loud sound system.”

Greabeiel said in his line of work, he’s seeing that people are “more intentional with their dollars, more intentional with where they're choosing to go, when they're choosing to go.”

Despite current economic challenges, he said, people still want to have a good time, but are more likely to put their hard-earned money towards enjoying an occasion or special night of some sort, rather than going out on any old Friday night, as used to be the custom.

That’s a reason why Greta Bar also offers arcade games and food options, Greabeiel said — the average nightlife consumer now is looking for something more than just a club.

To meet that new bar, the franchise has also added a role to its head office that focuses specifically on promoting special events, such as a recent Drake-themed night dedicated to celebrating the Toronto rapper’s three-album drop on May 15. 

“It's, like, truly defining trends, looking at what's coming up, what's coming down the pipe,” he said. 

“We try and be a little bit unique and edgy sometimes with it and almost find some of those microtrends as well and appeal to smaller demographics, again, to really focus on, hey, we're giving you guys something different for your experience.”

Greta Bar also received a surprise mention in Drake’s new song “High-Five,” off his album Habibti, which Greabeiel said gave the business an added boost.

In Calgary, day parties have taken off with several scheduled from various promoters throughout the summer.

As a local DJ and music promoter with over 20 years under his belt, Mikey Da Roza noticed the consumer shift toward daytime parties last year, and decided his company, Beehive Presents, needed to get on trend.

In response, he created the Brunch Club, dedicated to offering daytime parties, mostly at Rooftop YYC.

“The demographic has expanded beyond traditional nightlife, you know. And I think that we attract people who might never even attend a nightclub at 11 or 12,” he said, with the core demographic being made up of 25 to 45 year olds.

“It's really been surprising because it is one of our events where people are really committed from the beginning where there's just a dedicated group of goers that are looking for that specific experience.”

Health and wellness, Da Roza added, is also a major driver for people looking for alternative partying options.

According to Statistics Canada, Canadians are buying less alcohol. This year has seen the largest annual drop in beer, wine and spirits sales in the 20 years Statistics Canada has tracked the data.

For Greta Bar, declining alcohol sales have meant it had to adapt, offering a wider variety of non-alcoholic drinks and expanding the food menu, Greabeiel said.

“It's really those late night drinking establishments and the places that are really known only for drinking that are especially hard hit right now,” he said. “I don't even know if there's anything on the horizon that would change that.”

Da Roza added that day parties also satisfy people’s itch to connect with others — something that’s harder to do in a loud nightclub.

“During the daytime, there are a whole different subsection of people that come and don't drink and are just looking for a place to socialize,” he said.

“Our events are also all-ages, so you know you'll come to a Brunch Club event and you'll find kids there and … it's like, where else can you bring your kids on a Saturday afternoon if it's not the zoo or the mall?”

The local music collective known as Dos Leches was born out of the perception that there isn’t much to do in Calgary that’s both vibrant and not at nighttime.

Andrei Banu, also known by his artist name Bamboozu, and Sebastian Lopez, also known as Slow Fish, began the collective last year, with the goal of creating free family-friendly all-ages events in the city that would help foster community through music. 

“We believe that music is for everyone to participate in and it's not only, like, late nights or in pubs or clubs but … it's something that connects us all,” Banu said.

“We wanted to create a space where you can just have a good time on a beautiful Saturday or Sunday in a park, enjoy the sun, enjoy the company of your friends, your kids, your dog, your grandparents, and just generally just have a good time.”

The group said it saw participation jump exponentially after its first few events, climbing from 100 people at their first day party in February 2025 to about 1,200 by the end of the season in September.

This year, their events are reaching 2,000 attendees and have meant they’ve quickly outgrown their original venues like Rotary Park, and are now working with the City of Calgary and local community associations to host events in larger spaces like Peace Park in Eau Claire.

“That was always our goal was to show people that one … there is a lot to do in Calgary and two, I think was to just show people that our city has so many beautiful spaces that can be enjoyed,” Lopez said.

“Something that you can bring your friends, your family to. I think music is the baseline for that because everybody enjoys good vibes and good music.”

Journalist

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