Adult Ravers Drive Explosive Growth in Childhood Nostalgia-Themed Nightlife

The same generation that survived dial-up internet and Blockbuster late fees is now fueling massive growth on dancefloors nationwide, creating a booming market for nostalgia-driven raves that celebrate everything from Pokémon to The Powerpuff Girls.

EDM.com worked with Eventbrite to compile data on this phenomenon amid a thriving pop-up rave movement that has effectively replaced traditional bottle-service club culture in many U.S. cities. The numbers suggest that our childhood memories have much more value and utility than we think.

“There’s something powerful about moving from the isolation of a screen to the collective energy of a dancefloor, especially for a generation that came of age online,” says Eventbrite CEO and co-founder Julia Hartz. “It speaks to the deeper hunger for authentic, in-person connection that we’re seeing across all types of events on our platform.”

According to Eventbrite analytics comparing July 2023-June 2024 to July 2024-June 2025, “90s Kids” raves have soared in popularity, doubling event listings (+100%) while attendance skyrocketed at a rate of 162%. These events tap into millennials’ childhood memories with DJ sets spinning alongside clips from iconic Cartoon Network and Nickelodeon shows as well as characters like Shrek, SpongeBob SquarePants, CatDog, Rugrats and even Bratz dolls.

Retro gaming raves showed solid growth with 53% more events and 71% higher attendance, proving that Mortal Kombat, Donkey Kong, Super Mario Bros and The Legend of Zelda remain the only boss fights we were ever truly prepared for, unlike rent and taxes. Y2K-themed raves also posted solid gains of 35% in events and 44% in attendance as low-rise jeans, frosted tips and butterfly clips have returned from the grave like zombie Tamagotchis we all forgot to feed.

“What we’re seeing is really fascinating from both a cultural and business perspective,” Hartz added. “The data shows incredible growth in Y2K and 90s-themed gatherings, but it’s not just about looking back—it’s about how people are reimagining shared cultural touchstones as communal experiences. Event organizers are taking the digital culture that defined their formative years and transforming it into something visceral and immediate.”

Eventbrite’s data additionally illuminated a surge in anime raves, which have emerged as a breakout success, nearly doubling both events (+97%) and attendance (+94%). For peak throwback energy, one upcoming rave in Dallas has an “Emo vs. Anime” theme, finally settling the debate over who cried harder: Shinji Ikari or the kid scribbling Dashboard Confessional lyrics in homeroom.

The message for venue operators and event organizers is clear: sometimes the future of nightlife lies in the past. Perhaps no one in the scene knows this more than Ka5sh, the founder of the viral “Shrek Rave.”

If you’re looking for the origin of this explosive growth, the proof is in the green pudding. Driven by the nostalgic charm of everyone’s favorite crotchety ogre, Ka5sh’s brand has furiously ascended from grassroots underground party to national touring sensation.

“There’s always been throwback parties, but they’re usually just specific to music, like a 2000s night,” explains Ka5sh, patching in from Colorado the morning after his biggest event yet at the iconic Red Rocks Amphitheatre. “When we popped out with ‘Shrek Rave’ and our SpongeBob party ‘Big Bubble Rave,’ people were like, ‘I can dance with people dressed like my favorite characters from my favorite movies and TV shows? I want that!'”

“I think there were a lot of communities that never had a chance to gather and bond over the things they love outside of conventions or online, and we kinda created a blueprint for it.”

Ka5sh says he’s attended pop-up raves everywhere from the woodlands of Oregon to an abandoned school in Amsterdam. Now, their swelling popularity has positioned them as a stealth weapon in today’s nightlife scene, where many are increasingly fatigued by the archaic customs of traditional nightclubs.

Legacy nightclubs often build walls of exclusivity with velvet rope, while pop-up nostalgia raves tear them down with absurdity and unfiltered joy. Ka5sh’s biggest takeaway? It’s plastered on every “Shrek Rave” flyer: It’s dumb, just come have fun.

“One of the reasons I think our method was so successful,” he explains, “is from the beginning I wanted it to be not about the DJs playing or even the genre of music, but the overall experience of gathering together with people who all love Shrek and just dancing the night away. We don’t have the DJs’ names on the flyers on purpose… I don’t want you to even think about anything but having a good time.”

That open-armed ethos not only attracts bigger crowds, but also reshapes what sustainable nightlife can look like for both artists and venue operators.

“I think what we are doing is also super radical with regard to nightlife, because touring as a regular human artist is taxing—physically, emotionally and financially. And unless you’re a huge artist, the system is set up for you to barely make any money,” Ka5sh continues. “But with ‘Shrek Rave,’ we can keep the party going all year around, and we have for three years straight. We have seen other parties do the same, which helps keep venue doors open and money in the pockets for the people who work in nightlife.”

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