A growing number of artists and collectives in cities like London and New York are hosting cathartic Grief Raves – daytime techno gatherings where mourners process grief through dance, song and shared ritual.
Non-traditional forms of grieving emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, when traditional grieving spaces were limited. Art and performance have since resurged as crucial platforms for communal mourning. As academic Guy Cools reflects on similar work, “through the [public health] restrictions … art can fill that function”. Now, these forms have taken on a life of their own.
In this article:
What is a Grief Rave?
Co-curated by artist Annie Frost Nicholson and The Loss Project in London, the original Grief Rave invited participants to bring a vinyl, CD or tape track connecting them to someone lost – whether personal, political or climate-related. The events have been happening since 2022, and are ongoing.
Nicholson explains: “We brought people together to play songs that connect us to people we have loved and lost … songs for political grief, music for any kind of loss.”
Her partner, The Fandangoe Kid, adds that some just want to express themselves physically without speaking: “Some people don’t want to verbalise it, they just want to dance it out.”
Events are inclusive: daytime, often free, open to all ages, and always with therapeutic practitioners on hand.
Grief Raves leverage the power of ritual, movement and release
Grief Raves acknowledge grief rituals as a form of therapeutic expression. Rituals are central to the process of grieving, helping to maintain a bond to what has been lost while providing an opportunity to reflect on moving forward. In the rave context, rhythmic beats, shared spaces and physical release become ritual in motion.
Nicholson shares a vivid anecdote: dancing before her father’s final days became “a cathartic, necessary shake out … like my body led me there”. The experience served as part inspiration for her founding of the Grief Raves.
Grief Raves are part of a global techno-spiritual wave
The Grief Rave trend sits within a broader movement that sees techno and underground music reconfigured as spiritual or ritual spaces. The movement is becoming known as techno-spirtiualism. Events like the Grief Rave become techno-mediated cathartic events – a mix between music, dance and immersive art installations.
Raves have traditions in underground, hidden spaces. Across the world, secret revival gatherings are melding deep emotion with collective beat states. In China, reports describe, “hidden raves … immerse themselves in pounding techno … creating rare spaces for self-expression”.
Read: Theatre review: St Kilda Tales: A Performance Rave: Explosives Factory
Grief Raves demonstrate how performance art is evolving to meet emotional and communal needs through movement. By repurposing rave culture as a healing modality, they offer a powerful example of how underground art can serve public wellbeing.
