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The colloquial noun scenester designates a person who is characterised by participation in a particular—usually fashionable—social, musical or artistic scene.
This noun occurs, for example, in the following by Michael Hann, freelance writer and former music editor of The Guardian, published in The Guardian (London and Manchester, England) of Friday 10th January 2025:
‘They were inventing a new definition of sexy’: stars and scenesters on the New York Dolls’ riotous rock
Fifty years on from their dissolution, admirers from Joan Jett to Dave Vanian explain the appeal of a band who ripped up rock’n’roll in high heels—and pointed towards punk
The noun scenester is from:
– the noun scene, designating a social environment or milieu characterised by a particular activity, pursuit, way of life, etc., especially when considered fashionable;
– the suffix ‑ster, forming agent nouns.
The earliest occurrences of the noun scenester that I have found are as follows, in chronological order:
1-: From a review of Help, Help, the Globolinks!, an opera by the Italian-born U.S. composer and librettist Gian Carlo Menotti (1911-2007), produced by Wilmington Opera Society’s Junior Division—review by David B. Kozinski, published in the Evening Journal (Wilmington, Delaware, USA) of Monday 2nd March 1970 [page 30, column 1]:
—However, here, the noun scenester seems to designate an actor who performs a minor role in a stage play:
WOS’ multimedia version directed by versatile Marie Swajeski represents selfless dedication by cast, singers, (both soloists and young mob scenesters) production crews, and many others behind the scene and deserves great praise for their dedication.
2-: From the television programme guide, edited by Tom Hutchinson, published in the Evening Standard (London, England) of Thursday 27th June 1974 [page 2, column 4]:
BBC 2
[…]
9.0 TUBULAR BELLS is a repeat of Second House’s rock music composition by Mike Oldfield; it sounds as well as it looks. Pop scenester Andrew Bailey says that in the States Tubular Bells is still in the top ten albums and entering its 43rd week in the charts.
3-: From Magical mementos of the historic visit, by Bob Greene, published in the Chicago Tribune (Chicago, Illinois, USA) of Wednesday 10th October 1979 [Section 3: page1, column 5]:
POPE JOHN PAUL II has returned to the Vatican, leaving behind him in the United Sates millions of individual memories. […]
[…]
[…] This is not a particularly religious age, and I don’t think the throngs around the Pope were drawn by religion.
What was it, then?
Magic, I think. By the time Pope Paul II arrived in the United States, he was widely viewed as a magic man by people of all faiths. He seemed to be a living talisman, someone who could bring luck and happiness and goodness by the mere fact of being in his presence. How else to explain the thousands and thousands of non-Catholics who flocked to his every appearance? One possible answer would be to say that people like to be around any exciting happening—but a long mass is hardly calculated to draw scenesters; it is a somber, quiet occasion that calls for a commitment on the part of the people in the audience.
4-: From You ought to be dancin’, “a guide to the clubs and sounds”, by Roy Trakin, published in the Daily News (New York City, New York, USA) of Sunday 11th January 1981 [Leisure: page 13, column 1]:
IT MAY SEEM like a long time ago in a distant galaxy, but just five years have passed since Max’s Kansas City and C.B.G.B. revitalized the local rock club scene. Along with the new wave renaissance in live music, a small circuit of night spots began to attract a post-hippie cross-section of students, artists, writers and scenesters. Of course, as the scene thrived, more and more spaces were turned into clubs.
5-: From L.A. Dee Da on the Streets, published in L.A. Weekly (Los Angeles, California, USA) for Friday 8th–Thursday 14th May 1981 [page 15, column 2]:
Lots of movie action going on, as should befit Hollywood. Paramount is doing an updated satire of “DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE.” Being contemporary, it has to have its token punk scene, and amongst the trendies appearing as extras are K.K., DINAH CANCER, TIFFANY KENNEDY, CHRIS TRENT and local scenester DAVE, the guy with the stick-up hair and fashionable bone jewelry. Seems like a string of bones around the neck is going to replace puka shells as the next big fashion fad.
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