Why singles are choosing bars over bios
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Illustration: Aïda Amer/Axios; Stock: Getty Images
Anyone who's been on a dating app knows the weary disclaimer: "Not looking for a pen pal." Since the pandemic, and as Gen Z has come of age, people looking for love have soured entirely on swiping.
Why it matters: The push for in-person connection shows up in research data, product launches, extensive coverage of the loneliness epidemic, and Gen Z's app aversion.
But approaching and connecting with strangers in real life is a different skill — and for many daters, a rusty one.
By the numbers: Singles events on Eventbrite doubled from 2022 to 2025, according to data shared with Axios.
- The momentum peaked in 2024, with a 30% rise in events and an 85% jump in attendance year over year.
People are looking for love at running clubs, private dinners — even wrestling speed dating. They're playing beer pong tournaments and giving PowerPoint presentations to pitch their single friends.
- In Miami, a nonprofit tried tackling the people-meeting challenge through community service. In Kansas City, a live show is dedicated to matchmaking. In Portland, Oregon, dogs prompt connections between owners in a new dating series.
Zoom in: George Rawlings, co-founder of dating app Thursday, is betting that singles are ready to put down their phones and meet face-to-face.
- His platform, which is now active in nearly 200 cities worldwide, hosts curated events, from bar takeovers to pottery classes to ski trips in the Alps, all designed for people who are single and open to connection.
- "Humans aren't really supposed to have chemistry through a few photos and a prompt," he tells Axios. "People have almost lost the art and the ability to flirt over time."
The intrigue: Stigma around dating apps once existed, then faded as swiping went mainstream.
- Singles events are now becoming acceptable again, Rawlings says: Showing up is no longer cringe. It's confident.
Take three simple steps to getting out more:
1. Block the time. Reserve "two social days a week for the next month" between 6 and 9pm, Maria Avgitidis, CEO of executive matchmaking service Agape Match, tells Axios.
- Sitting at a bar isn't your only option. Go salsa dancing, take a ceramics class, do Pilates, or use an app like Thursday to find an event in your area.
2. Leave room for spontaneity. Before COVID, getting unplanned, after-work drinks was common. Now it's less so.
- Pack shoes, a necklace, whatever you need to transition from day to night. When an invite comes up, say yes. Better yet: Initiate.
3. Volunteer. "Good people volunteer, or they are friends with people doing good things," Avgitidis says. Showing up at a regular volunteer function twice a month could lead to a BBQ or birthday party invite — and a whole new social circle.
