New Zealand's leading alcohol-free beverage brand, Free AF, made its Coachella debut this month through an exciting partnership with LA-based non-alcoholic retailer The New Bar.
Boasting headline acts including Lady Gaga, Green Day, Post Malone, and Travis Scott, over 250,000 festival-goers will now be able to sip on Free AF's premium range of alcohol-free cocktails at The New Bar, Coachella’s exclusively non-alc bars on site.
While festivals have traditionally been synonymous with alcohol, the non-alcoholic landscape has been rapidly gaining momentum, with festivals like Coachella responding.
According to NielsenIQ, the non-alcoholic (NA) category continued to surge, growing 30 percent year-over-year and projected to reach a billion in sales by year-end. Gen Z has been leading this movement, with over 45 percent reporting they have never had an alcoholic drink.
"We're thrilled to bring a taste of New Zealand's vibrant alcohol-free culture to one of the world's most iconic festivals together with The New Bar. Collaborating with The New Bar at Coachella is an incredible opportunity to showcase our non-alcohol cocktails to a global audience,” said Lisa King, Founder of Free AF.
“The non-alcoholic landscape is evolving massively, and more people around the world are choosing to drink less or abstain from alcohol altogether. The New Bar is helping lead this charge, transforming festival culture by offering immersive, premium non-alcoholic experiences."
Free AF’s presence in the US market has expanded significantly in the last two years, growing from an initial 400 stores to over 4,000 nationwide, including major retailers like Sprouts, Walmart, and Target.
The brand's visibility was further amplified through its successful Dry January collaboration with Khloé Kardashian and Kris Jenner this year, solidifying its leadership in the global alcohol-free space.
“It’s not only consumers making this shift. More than a dozen artists performing at Coachella this year have publicly stated they don’t drink, reinforcing the importance and relevance of The New Bar’s presence. Being at Coachella marks our biggest activation of the year, aligning perfectly with our mission - to make not drinking, cool AF.”
