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Mon, 19 Oct 2026

Mon, 19 Oct 2026 'I'm fed up of swiping': Why singles now want to meet IRL

The BBC hears from people who think dating events are better value for money than dating apps.

* Olivia Miller-Davis, 28, attends a speed dating event in Guildford due to "app fatigue" and feeling that online dating has become too superficial.
* A recent study by Ofcom found that the time spent on dating apps is dropping, from almost four hours a month in 2023 to three hours last year.
* Edward, a 30-year-old who also attended the event, agrees with Olivia and says he's fed up with apps because they're designed to keep people using them indefinitely rather than finding "the one".
* Director of events Lissy Cleminson notes that more home working since Covid has led to fewer opportunities for chance meetings.
* Candice Gallagher, a 40-year-old entrepreneur who runs an account reviewing dating events, says that in-person events provide a better "return on investment" and offer greater chances for meaningful conversations.
* Many attendees agree that dating events are better value for money than apps, offering the chance to meet multiple people for a similar cost.
* Olivia believes that money plays a big factor in dating, with over a quarter of daters surveyed by Barclays suggesting that rising costs have changed how they date.
* New research from Match Group suggests that while online dating remains popular, younger generations are less likely to meet their partners at pubs, bars, or clubs.