Dating apps lost over a million users in the UK between May 2023 and May 2024. Tinder alone dropped 594,000 users during that period, according to Ofcom. Bumble lost 368,000. Hinge lost 131,000. The numbers tell a story that most singles already feel in their gut: swiping has become exhausting, and the returns keep shrinking.
People are going outside again. They are showing up to run clubs, charity events, supper clubs, and private membership spaces. The reasons vary. Some want to filter out the noise of endless profiles. Others want to see how a person moves, laughs, or handles a conversation without the safety net of curated photos and rehearsed text. A Forbes Health study found 79% of Gen Z report feeling tired of dating apps. That fatigue is pushing people back into rooms with other humans.
Run Clubs Have Replaced Bars
The run club has become the new singles bar in major cities. Lunge Run Club in Manhattan started with 20 to 30 participants in May 2024. By March 2025, according to Harper’s Bazaar, it was bringing in about 1,000 participants each week. Co-founder Steve Cole told CBS News the events have become “the largest singles event New York has ever seen.”
Boston has its own version. More than 100 Gen Z and Millennials meet every Wednesday at 6:45 p.m. for a 3-mile run or 1.5-mile walk. Some weeks, nearly 300 people show up. The Boston Globe reported that single attendees wear black shirts to signal their availability. The club has already produced two couples who started in black and now wear colors.
The appeal is practical. Running with someone reveals character in ways a profile cannot. You see how they handle discomfort, how they pace themselves, how they talk when they are tired. Physical activity also creates natural conversation breaks. Nobody has to sustain 45 minutes of uninterrupted eye contact over drinks.
Where Relationship Preferences Shape Venue Choices
The venues people frequent often match what they seek in a partner. Someone looking for a sugar baby might attend charity galas or members-only clubs, while those after athletic partners gravitate toward run clubs. Elite matchmaking services like Selective Search, which reports an 87% success rate according to Best Matchmaking Services, cater to clients with specific relationship criteria.
High-end settings attract people with particular intentions. Soho House events draw creatives and industry leaders. Charity dinners at Davos bring together philanthropists. The venue itself acts as a filter, sorting attendees by lifestyle, income bracket, and relationship goals before any conversation begins.
Speed Dating Is Growing Again
Eventbrite reported 42% growth in attendance at singles and dating events from 2022 to 2023. Over the past year, the platform recorded more than 1.5 million searches for speed dating. Attendance at speed dating events increased by 49% according to Photofeeler.
The format works because it removes ambiguity. Everyone at a speed dating event is there for the same reason. Nobody has to guess if the person across from them is interested in meeting someone. The structure also forces efficiency. You spend a few minutes with each person, make a decision, and move on.
Members-Only Clubs Filter by Default
Prince Harry and Meghan met at Soho House’s 76 Dean Street in London. The venue attracts a specific type of person. Membership requires an application. The clientele skews creative, professional, and connected.
Soho House runs film screenings, live music, and workshops. These events give members reasons to show up beyond drinking. A shared interest in a film or a workshop topic provides an opening for conversation. The membership fee itself acts as a screening mechanism. The people inside the room have already been filtered by career, income, and social standing.
Private clubs appeal to those who want to meet people within a defined economic or professional bracket. The exclusivity creates a sense of trust. Attendees assume a baseline level of accomplishment from everyone in the room.
Supper Clubs Fill a Social Gap
Timeleft hosts roughly 6,500 dinners each week in more than 200 cities across 52 countries. The app matches people for Wednesday dinners at local restaurants. In the US, dinners happen in Seattle, Miami, Boston, Chicago, Houston, and many other cities.
The company estimates it generates around $1 million in revenue at local restaurants each week. French entrepreneur Maxime Barbier launched Timeleft in 2020. Philadelphia joined the roster in April 2024.
The format is straightforward. You sign up, the app matches you with a group, and you show up at a restaurant. The dinner provides a natural structure. You eat, you talk, you leave. Nobody has to manufacture a reason to end the evening. The time limit is built in.
Elite Matchmaking Services Serve a Different Market
For high-net-worth singles, matchmaking services offer a concierge approach. Tawkify claims an 80% success rate and has over a million singles in its network. Linx Dating operates out of Silicon Valley and targets marriage-minded professionals. Kelleher International has spent over 30 years connecting tech moguls, philanthropists, and executives. Elite Connections assigns one-on-one teams to clients, sometimes including psychologists and image consultants.
These services charge substantial fees. In return, they handle the screening, the introductions, and the logistics. Clients pay for time and precision. They want matches who meet specific criteria, and they want those matches delivered without the hours of swiping.
Charity Galas Serve Multiple Purposes
The Tipping Point Gala in San Francisco raised $20 million in 2025. Nearly 1,000 donors attended. These events bring together people who have money and want to do something with it. The shared interest in a cause creates common ground.
Wildlife conservation galas in Cape Town and Dubai attract a similar crowd. So do art-focused charity pre-events. The setting is formal. The conversation often starts with the cause and moves into personal territory. Attendees screen each other by which events they attend, which tables they sit at, and which organizations they support.
Dating Apps Are Trying to Keep Up
Hinge announced a $1 million fund in March 2025 for social groups in New York, Los Angeles, and London. The fund supports free or affordable social events for young people. Since 2024, the company has provided $2 million to over 100 in-person social groups.
Bumble launched Bumble IRL in 2022 with events centered on fitness, food, music, and charity. Grindr partnered with the Mighty Hoopla music festival in London. The apps recognize that their users want more than screens. They are attempting to bridge the gap between online matching and offline meeting.
Gen Z makes up more than 50% of Hinge users, according to Newsweek. The same generation reports 85% rates of loneliness in the UK. Young adults today spend 1,000 fewer hours making in-person social connections each year compared to young adults 20 years ago, based on Hinge data cited by Marketing Dive.
The math is simple. People want to meet people. Apps provide volume but not presence. Real-world venues provide presence but require effort. The singles who succeed tend to use both, or they commit fully to one approach and work it hard.
