Dating Events Are Booming - But Will They Help You Find Lasting Love?

UK Singles Are Moving Back to Real-Life Dating

As a relationship and dating coach, I've been closely following the latest dating trends, particularly the renewed interest in real-life dating events and offline dating in general.

Throughout 2025, headlines started appearing highlighting that dating app exodus. According to The Times:

“Dating apps are in decline… Hundreds of thousands of users are deserting the likes of Tinder and looking for love in the wild.”

Figures quoted by The Guardian suggested that around 1.4 million people had left online dating in the previous year due to low satisfaction, with experts saying many users had come to see it as a chore rather than a pleasant activity.

If that was the beginning, 2026 has seen an explosion in dating events, singles mixers, padel and running clubs for singles, supper clubs and almost every imaginable way for people to meet in person.

Once again, the headlines are full of references to the rise of IRL dating, friend-led introductions and the growing popularity of meeting people offline. It hasn't gone unnoticed by the major dating companies either.

Tinder recently announced its first-ever motorsports partnership, becoming the first dating app to partner with Formula E. It swiftly followed this with the launch of "Dump Traditional Dating", a campaign celebrating its Double Date feature, "a more social way to date".

Bumble is also investing more in live dating events: their recently launched pilot will bring together small gatherings of users to meet IRL.

Another trend gaining popularity is "Date My Friend" – a community-led dating movement where friends become the matchmakers, helping introduce single friends to one another. The industry's direction seems very clear: helping people meet in person, not just match online.

I've even hosted a couple of singles events myself before they became quite the phenomenon they are today: one in Wokingham, where I live, and another in London. We kept the format simple with fun ice-breakers, and both evenings were a real success. I know that at least one couple who met there are still together - hopefully more. It reminds me that people don't need complicated formats or themes, just comfortable opportunities to connect.

As a relationship and dating professional, I'm delighted. Technology has given us incredible opportunities to meet people we might never otherwise have crossed paths with, but fulfilling relationships are still built face to face, through conversations, shared experiences and getting to know each other over time.

However, let's also admit something...

Whenever something becomes popular, it also quickly becomes heavily monetised. Dating events are turning into a booming industry in exactly the same way dating apps did a few years ago. IRL dating may feel like an antidote to commercialised online dating, but increasingly, it's becoming a commercial industry in its own.

That doesn't automatically invalidate the idea, but it does mean we should look at it objectively rather than assuming it's the answer modern daters have been waiting for.

Are Dating Events Worth It?

People keep asking me whether dating events are actually worth it. My answer is: they can be, but I don't have any allegiance to one particular way of meeting people because, let's face it, whatever works, works.

There is no universally right or wrong way to meet a partner. Apps, matchmakers, in-person dating events, work, family introductions, running clubs, yoga classes... they're all simply introductions.

How you meet matters less than what you do afterwards. Your dating success depends more on your mindset than the place where you happen to meet someone:

• People have terrible relationships that eventually end in divorce despite being introduced through friends or at work, the “traditional way”. Some of my past relationships included.

• In the meantime, people begin amazing, healthy relationships online. Mine included.

For some people, dating apps don't work at all. For others, dating events don't work either - and I've had a few clients in this situation, so I'm not just imagining it. The method is rarely the real issue. In fact, I've written before about why dating apps aren't the only problem - they're simply an instrument for introductions, just as dating events are.

 

The Pros and Cons of Dating Events

Like everything in life, organised dating events have distinct advantages and disadvantages.

The Advantages:

• Meeting people in real life makes attraction and chemistry much easier to assess. From body language to scent and other subtle signals, there's so much we pick up in person that simply can't be conveyed through a few carefully selected photographs or a call.

  
  

• Conversations feel more natural than weeks of messaging someone you've never met, which can be misleading.

  
  

• You can meet several potential partners in a single evening, making dating events a time-efficient way to expand your circle, particularly if you're an experienced networker.

  
  

• Even if you don't meet a romantic partner, you can still enjoy a fun social evening and even make new friends or business connections.

The Disadvantages:

• Tickets usually cost over £30 before you've even bought a drink, which can be a challenge for younger daters who are still building their careers.

  
  

• You can only attend so many events each month, which is another practical issue for someone older, juggling demanding jobs, children and busy lives.

  
  

• There is a lot of competition around. The most confident people tend to dominate the room and naturally receive the most attention, while more introverted people often leave believing nobody was interested when, in reality, they simply found it harder to join or maintain conversations.

  
  

• You have no control over who attends even when organisers advertise an age range: the demographic, personalities and relationship intentions can vary enormously.

Which Dating Events Are Best in the UK?

It's impossible to answer this with certainty because the best dating event for you depends on several factors, including where you live, your age, your background and the type of relationship you're looking for.

Unsurprisingly, London and other urban areas offer the widest choice. Large companies such as Thursday have expanded into more than 50 UK cities catering for a broad range of ages.

In the meantime, smaller independent organisers are now hosting singles events in smaller towns, while specialist events target particular age groups, professions, hobbies or communities. You can look on Eventbrite.

Rather than searching for the "best" dating event, focus on finding one where you're most likely to meet people with a similar lifestyle, stage of life and relationship goals. A smaller event could be a better investment - it's quality over quantity.

Can You Get Dating Fatigue Offline Too?

For years we've heard people complaining about dating app fatigue. Ironically, you can become just as exhausted attending dating events if you don't have a clear strategy.

Getting ready for another evening out.

Travelling across town.

Introducing yourself to complete strangers for the umpteenth time.

Repeating the same conversations over and over again.

If you repeatedly leave without making a connection or a follow-up date, the experience will quickly become discouraging, leaving you feeling disillusioned and emotionally drained. Without a clear purpose and a good foundation, even real-life dating can start feeling like another chore.

Why Some People Struggle with Dating

This is usually where people divide into two different broader types.

Many becomes disillusioned because they struggle to secure dates. Deep down, they don’t believe someone will genuinely choose them. No matter how hard they try to mask it, that lack of confidence reveals itself sooner or later.

They tend to be overly cautious, second-guess everything and misinterpret other people's body language or responses always assuming the worst. Their date senses something isn't quite right and naturally disengages which, in turn, reinforces their self-sabotaging belief that dating never works.

Then there's the opposite type of dater. They're attractive, confident, get lots of attention and have no shortage of dating opportunities. Yet almost nobody they meet is quite good enough. Every potential partner is dismissed because they're either missing something or have said or done something "cringey".

The question then becomes: is there actually a right person for them?

Or are they expecting another human being to live up to standards that nobody can realistically meet?

Why Is Modern Dating So Difficult? 

Through complex economic and societal changes over time, people now expect more from relationships than at any other point in history.

Are you familiar with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, which suggests that our motivations evolve as our more fundamental needs are met?

In relationship terms, marriage used to be largely pragmatic. It helped people satisfy many of those basic needs, but over time love moved centre stage although gender roles remained clearly defined.

Today, however, most of us are looking for what psychologists call a "self-expressive marriage" - a relationship that fulfils not just one or two needs, but pretty much every level of this hierarchy. *

We want our partner to be our best friend, confidant, provider, emotional support, co-parent, travel companion, source of meaning, inspiration and the rest.

Ambitious, isn't it? When it happens, it's wonderful, but the difficulty is that it's next to impossible for one person to tick every single box, and it places extraordinary demands on them.

Esther Perel, a famous relationship researcher, wrote:

Today, we turn to one person to provide what an entire village once did: a sense of grounding, meaning, and continuity. At the same time, we expect our committed relationships to be romantic as well as emotionally and sexually fulfilling. Is it any wonder that so many relationships crumble under the weight of it all? ... Our expectations of our partners have never been so high. **

Of course, this is only one piece of a much larger puzzle, alongside social isolation, economic pressures and the gradual erosion of face-to-face social skills.

So, which person are you?

Are you the one who expects the worst and struggles to believe anyone could genuinely want a relationship with you?

Or are you the person who keeps dismissing matches because nobody ever seems quite right?

Perhaps you're somewhere in between? Either way, the answer isn't simply attending more dating events...

How to Prepare for a Dating Event

If you think preparing for a singles night is simply about choosing the right outfit, getting your hair done and rehearsing a few witty conversation starters, think again.

Those things certainly are important if your goal is to make a good first impression and attract a partner. However, if your goal is a lasting, successful and fulfilling relationship, they're only a small part of the picture.

What really determines dating success isn't just how you look or what you say. It's what happens after that initial introduction.

If you're serious about finding a truly compatible long-term partner, don't become too preoccupied with where or how you meet people. Instead, focus on developing the knowledge, skills and self-awareness that turn an introduction into a healthy, lasting relationship.

This is where my work as a relationship and dating coach differs from much of the generic advice available online. I don't teach clients fake confidence or focus on projecting a version of themselves designed to impress. Such superficial approach might boost confidence temporarily, but it will disappear the moment you're triggered or something unexpected happens.

Real, lasting confidence comes from understanding and accepting yourself, while also understanding the science behind human behaviour, attraction and healthy relationships. When you have that foundation, you're less likely to be knocked off course by rejection or the inevitable ups and downs of dating.

The process involves several key steps:

• Assessing your emotional baggage and whether you're ready for a relationship because wanting one and being ready for one are different things.

• Recognising your unhealthy relationship patterns that keep repeating.

• Learning the fundamentals of healthy relationships and signs you can trust someone based on relationship science and real life evidence.

• Identifying your own key life values and understanding what genuine long-term compatibility looks like beyond chemistry, attraction and shared interests.

• Letting go of relationship myths, unrealistic expectations and self-sabotaging beliefs.

• Becoming the best version of yourself rather than trying to become someone else's ideal.

• Developing confidence, learning the importance of first impressions and understanding what men and women are looking for in a partner.

• Creating a personalised dating strategy, including an effective science-based vetting process to help you recognise your ideal partner and avoid false starts.

• Learning how to communicate honestly, navigate conflict and avoid losing yourself in a relationship.

• Understanding the stages of love, so you don't unintentionally sabotage something promising by becoming too needy or too avoidant. Or, as we more colloquially call it, "blow it" with a great prospect.

  
  

All of those things ultimately determine whether an introduction becomes a happy, lasting relationship. That's exactly what I help clients achieve in my one-to-one coaching sessions - all you need to do is book a free confidential discovery call.

Dating Trends Change. Human Nature Doesn't.

Today's trends are dating events and AI-led matchmaking. Yesterday it was dating apps. Tomorrow almost certainly it will be something else. Dating trends will continue to change, but humans don’t evolve that quickly.

Whether you meet someone through speed dating, a singles event, a dating app, a running club, work or pure chance - it's only the beginning. What you do afterwards is infinitely more important.

Healthy, lasting relationships rarely happen by accident. They are built through self-awareness, thoughtful partner selection, emotional intelligence and the everyday choices we make, especially once the initial attraction has faded.

Fortunately, these are the skills that can be learned and strengthened: the more you understand yourself, your relationship and dating patterns and what research tells us about healthy partnerships, the better equipped you'll be to make wiser and healthier choices in love. You have more agency than you relaise!

If you're ready to take a more intelligent, evidence-based approach to dating and relationships, I'd be delighted to help. You can book a free, confidential discovery call to discuss your situation.

If you’ve found this article useful and would like to see more content like this, please let me know: mila@single-to-couple.com.

With love,

Mila Smith

Certified Relationship & Dating Coach

Founder of From Single to Couple Consulting

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* Eli J. Finkel, "The All-or-Nothing Marriage"

** Esther Perel, "Mating in Captivity"