Swiping is out. Showing up is in: Why singles are ditching dating apps for real-life meetups
For nearly a decade, dating has meant endless swipes, with the same faces popping up across multiple apps. But the novelty has worn thin. A 2025 Forbes Health survey found that 78% of dating app users feel emotionally, mentally, or physically drained, with nearly 79% of Gen Z reporting frequent “dating-app burnout.” Now, singles in India are logging off and showing up. Mixers, singles fests, curated dinners and offline meet-ups are replacing swipes as the preferred way to spark genuine connections.
When dating starts to feel like LinkedIn
The exhaustion with dating apps, often called dating app fatigue, has become the dominant emotion of modern romance. Apps promised efficiency, but delivered repetition. Too many choices dulled excitement, and matches began to feel interchangeable.
“You see the same people everywhere. It starts feeling less like dating and more like scrolling through LinkedIn, but with flirting,” says 28-year-old Prakhar Almal from Bengaluru.
For many, the issue isn’t rejection but wasted time. Ravinder Singh founded Let’s Socialise three years ago as a platform to organise singles mixers. He traces the idea for his singles fest back to his own dating app experience: “I realised I had invested weeks talking to someone only to find out, within minutes of meeting, that there was no real vibe. All I needed was five to ten minutes of face-to-face interaction to know whether I wanted to meet this person again.”
Singles mixers aren’t new, but their resurgence says something about where dating culture is headed. They have been rising in popularity in the past few years, and it will only get bigger in 2026. As Ravinder shares, “What started as one small meetup in Delhi has now turned into over 300 singles meets, purely through organic demand, and we are gearing up for our biggest year yet.”
Why meeting in person works
Offline events bring back something apps flatten: non-verbal cues. Clinical psychologist Dr Jaya Sukul explains that humans don’t assess compatibility through photos or text alone. “We rely heavily on tone of voice, body language and presence to decide whether we feel safe, understood and genuinely interested. Dating apps strip away these cues, which is why interactions often feel uncertain or stretched out,” she says.
Meeting in person, she adds, allows people to quickly sense intention, sincerity and emotional availability—reducing both anxiety and emotional burnout.
Inside a singles mixer
These events are designed to make conversations feel natural rather than forced. Ice-breakers and group activities ease people in, while venues, lighting, crowd size and even menus are carefully curated. “We pride ourselves on maintaining an equal gender ratio, it completely changes the vibe,” says Rhea Pius, founder of Cupid’s Soiree by The White Box. “After the initial activities, it’s your choice who you talk to, who you spend time with and who you want to continue the evening with.”
Typically, events last around three hours, with tickets priced at Rs. 4,999 for men and Rs. 3,999 for women, a price point organisers say ensures attendees are serious about participating.
Large-format singles fests like Offline by The Happy Hour and Let’s Socialise host experiences with over 100 handpicked attendees across more than 20 Indian cities.
“In a country where nearly 40% of young adults admit to feeling lonely despite being constantly online, it became clear that endless swiping and dry texting aren’t connection,” says Namrata Arora from Offline by The Happy Hour, adding, “This isn’t a dating app, and it isn’t networking. It’s real chemistry, real conversations, real people.”
Safety comes first
Safety is central to these events. “Every attendee is vetted, and we have zero tolerance for inappropriate behaviour,” says Ravinder. “If someone crosses a line, they’re removed immediately and blocked from future events. Staff are present throughout, and all venues are public spaces like restaurants and pubs.”
Why singles are choosing offline dating
For many, offline dating feels like a relief from the pressure to perform. “Apps make everything feel curated. Events feel more like a party,” says 24-year-old postgraduate student Aanya Saxena. Interior designer Simran Kaur agrees: “On apps, I felt like I had to sell myself. At the mixer, I just showed up. There’s no pressure of perfect photos, attraction is based on humour, tone and energy.”
