Laser beams thread through the inky sky and Anu swings her arms upwards. The air, still warm from the day, kisses her skin through the lacy top tucked into her white jeans. She's in a vast car park that's doubling up as a stripped-down party space. On the decks is the legendary DJ Carl Cox. The opening piano notes from Candi Staton's You Got The Love fill the air, and butterflies take flight in her belly.
While it might sound like your typical rave tableau, this event has one key difference. Most of the 3,000strong crowd here are in their forties or fifties. Anu, too, is no thrillseeking student, nor a 25-year-old on a big night out. Rather, she's a 42-year-old trauma specialist and mum-of-one – and raving is as integral to her identity as what she does for work and where she lives.
Until recently, she's been in the minority; most people depart the dance floor at 31, according to a 2017 survey. And yet, things appear to be shifting. Back in May, DJ Annie Mac launched a new club night in the UK, of which much is reassuringly
