It rose to provenance between 2005 and 2008 before fading out of the music headlines.   This combining of rave with the indie Madchester sound gave the press something new to talk about. But with all niche scenes it could not hold that attention once the kids who supported it moved on to something new.

The NME the long establish bastion of the UK music scene popularised the term Nu Rave in 2006 in several articles and many news pieces and also called the scene demise in 2008.  The term Nu Rave takes influence from "new" rave and a play on "new wave" the early eighties sound.

Bands like the Klaxons, Trash Faasion, New Young Pony Club, Shitdisco and Hadouken are some of the main exponents of the genre though they are not all have to be called Nu Rave acts.

The aesthetics of the Nu Rave scene are largely similar to those of the original rave scene, being mostly centred around psychedelic visual effects. Glowsticks, neon and other lights are common, and followers of the scene often dress in extremely bright and fluorescent coloured clothing. 

Indeed, many consider Nu Rave to be defined more by the image and aesthetic of its bands and supporters, than by the somewhat vague sonic criteria. Nevertheless, the usage of electronic instruments, a musical fusion of rock and dance styles, and a particular anarchic, trashy energy are certainly key elements.

Nu Rave was coined by Angular Records founder Joe Daniel and was featured on the "An Angular Disco" flyer used to advertise Klaxons's first gig. Klaxons later declared they were not new rave, describing it as a "joke that's got out of hand" and that the term was originally ironic not serious.  In reaction to the media overkill of the "Nu Rave", the Klaxons banned the use of glowsticks at their gigs in April 2007, saying that "We kept getting asked to explain it. The whole idea of new rave was to take the piss out of the media by making them talk about something that didn't exist, just for our own amusement. And they'd say, I appreciate that, but can you tell me more about new rave?"

One of the things that distinguished new rave from other movements was the wearing of baggy clothes , fluorescent colours and the emphasis on celebrities. Clubs appeared where people would go to dress up and some of the best young fashion designers, artists and musicians would be sure to make an appearance. One of the most influential clubs, organised by musician K-Tron and Jim Warboy called All You Can Eat became a regular haunt for artist Stuart Semple, fashion designer Rubbish Fairy and performance artist Theo Adams and members of rock group Trash Fashion. The infamous underground pop artist Timothy Two-Tooth also frequented the New Rave scene, known for his eccentric appearance - specifically his famous "Dreary Dragon Discharge" costume which featured often disturbing dragon face paint and fake talons.

The actual sound of the original rave style is barely (if at all) discernible (save some typical analog synth lines) in the majority of bands referred to as new rave. Bands such as The Sunshine Underground, Cansei de Ser Sexy and Hot Chip are often labelled as new rave due to their large following by fans of the genre. M.I.A., has been described as "a new raver before it was old."  Several have publicly declared they had nothing to do with the genre. Stylist Carri Mundane described it as funny, saying New Rave was "Vacant in retro. It’s just a marketing machine.... I guess it was a fun time but I’m more excited about what happens now. The next level - the next generation. There’s a mood of neo-spiritualism and futurism that excites me."

In their review of the Klaxons' first album, Myths of the Near Future, the NME branded the traditional rave scene as "twats with baggy trousers".

The new rave scene can be viewed as a media construct, largely propounded by the NME and TRAX, with other publications treating the subject as a joke. The belief that many of the bands associated with new rave can more appropriately be associated with the genre of dance-punk has given credence to such suggestions, although differences between both genres are said to be minor and more down to aesthetics.