What Is Bengaluru's 'Grocery Rave'? Dance And Shopping For Rs 2,499 Leaves Internet Divided

Bengaluru has seen its fair share of events, but a supermarket rave might just take the cake. Foodstories Bangalore, a premium grocery store in the city, recently announced a "Grocery Rave" that promises a mix of shopping, food tasting and grooving, all within the aisles of its store.

The tickets are priced at Rs 2,499, though attendees receive Rs 2,000 back as in-store credit to offset their purchases. Organisers termed the event a community gathering, but the idea has divided users sharply on social media platforms.

As per the event description on District app, a person will get:

• Curated tastings: cheese, smoked salmon, avocado, rare waters and more

• All-night gourmet food from in-house cafe paired with a refined selection of non-alcoholic drinks

• Rs 2,000 cart value to spend in-store

• A dance floor full of people who know burrata from brie and beats from bass.

Many users questioned whether the concept was yet another attempt to monetise ordinary human interactions.

"No one who has a worthwhile life and has touched grass will pay to be at a grocery rave, lol, so if you’re there…you're gonna find people just like you. New to the city lonely overachievers, corporate mid-life-crisis-havers trying to fill their void and/or 'nice guys'," one user wrote.

Others wondered how the idea even worked in practice. "Are non-subscribers not allowed to enter the grocery store at this time? Why is this happening? Why do you want to dance next to heirloom tomatoes? Is the music playing on loudspeakers? Are people given headphones? How is this a rave?" another asked.

Some comments framed it as a symbol of elite social circles. "I find the grocery rave thing a bit cringe, but also funny to see people losing their minds over it. Rich people doing rich people things to socialise with other rich people, this is not new," one person posted.

Another added, "How is this productive or fun? Why would I pay money to attend a grocery rave and then have to fork out money to buy stuff I will need?"

Some compared the event to paid book clubs or social circles. "Standard socialising event, something like a book club. Except here, it's for grocery shopping. You get to make friends and all that," one user wrote.

Others weren't as generous. "I wonder what goes through the mind of a person who pays money and carves time out of their schedule to be someone who is seen attending a "grocery rave". (I will be the cringe police here. Sorry, not sorry) Just a gourmet food tasting event would’ve been so much cooler," one comment read.

Another lamented, "Coffee rave, run and rave, fake sangeet, fake weddings rave and now grocery rave!! Can anyone tell me what kind of virus is this that is spreading in our country?"

The nostalgia for what raves used to be also came through. "Remember when raves used to mean having a good time. Grocery rave is beyond embarrassing," one post said.

Whether Bengaluru's "Grocery Rave" is remembered as a bold experiment in community building or simply another case of rich people doing rich people things remains to be seen. What is clear is that the idea has already earned itself a place in the city’s ever-evolving urban culture.