Beneath wild images of Splendour in the Grass, there is a surprising truth about Australia’s young people setting them apart from their predecessors.
While photos emerging from the country’s answer to Coachella might suggest Gen Z is cut from the same debaucherous cloth as Millennials, new research has actually revealed otherwise.
In fact, the two generations couldn’t be more opposite when it comes to letting loose, findings from Secret Sounds Connect’s Love Song survey revealed.
Gen Z came out of the pandemic with a set of priorities that shockingly contradicted the expectation of a renewed “roaring 20s” era – they’re not crazy about drinking and prefer to be in bed by 9pm.
Compared to Millennials, they have an entirely different approach to drinking alcohol.
“Millennials would go to the pub for going to the pub’s sake, whereas for the younger generation, they are going hard at big events and having a great time, but they’re far more intentional about having higher quality moments,” Live Nation Entertainment’s Strategy Lead Frances Deighton said.
“Drinking itself isn’t the occasion, they’re drinking around the occasion. They’re trying to have a meaningful experience, they’re trying to make amazing memories.”
Gen Z are far from prudes. They’re still cutting loose and going wild like those who came before them. They’re just doing it in different ways.
“They’re living in the moment but doing so with a lot of purpose and intent. They want to have their big moments with travel and festivals, but they’re doing it in a very mindful, considerate way,” Ms Deighton said.
The drinks both Gen Z and Millennials are reaching for have changed too.
“Gen Z used to go out and smash lots of RTDs (ready to drink) in one night, and now we’re seeing that them and Millennials are switching to a few higher quality drinks on their night out, and I think that popularity of cocktails is a really good reflection of this generation and how they’re viewing life,” she said.
“I call them the Margarita Generation, because that’s their ‘in’ cocktail now.”
A combination of “healthy hedonism” and consideration for what’s been billed the “perma crisis” has caused the dramatic shift, Ms Deighton added.
The change has sparked other trends, including lowering stigma surrounding low-alcohol drinks and not drinking at all.
“Gen Z is embracing the low alcohol lifestyle, there’s not the same peer pressure as there used to be,” she said.
“But it’s a nuanced story, because we’re selling a lot of alcohol at festivals and we’re seeing people going pretty hard in those spaces.”
She said survey results offered an explanation behind why, with 49 per cent of Gen Z respondents agreeing to the statement, “I don’t drink that often, but when I do I drink a lot”.
“Lots of people are drinking a lot less nowadays, and there’s a lot more value placed on mental and physical wellness, but they’re still young people and still drinking hard when it comes to different moments like Splendour.”