Who says the meet cute is dead? According to Eventbrite, it's facing a revival.
As a platform for facilitating IRL happenings, Eventbrite has a stake in that being the case, but other factors indicate that this is indeed true. Tinder just expanded its Events feature, while Bumble is also investing in its own dating events this summer. For years now, dating app users have been complaining about fatigue and longing to meet someone in-person.
Now, Eventbrite reports that experiences explicitly using "meet cute" language have grown 117 percent this year compared to last year (in an analysis of its data in the first half of 2026 compared to that of 2025). Hobby-based events using language like "singles," "come solo," and "find your people" are also on the rise.
And the hobbies that Eventbrite is seeing take off are pretty wholesome. Mahjong events are up 235 percent, and attendance is up 272 percent. Trivia night events have skyrocketed 403 percent, with a 388 percent increase in attendance. Bird watching, Pilates socials, plant swaps and workshops, and pottery and craft circles are among the events people are flocking to.
In its blog post about the findings, Eventbrite theorizes that singles are craving spontaneous connections in our algorithmically driven world, and that niche hobbies are what stand out today.
And Eventbrite's recent Social Study found that 58 percent of young adults want socializing to be a secondary part of an experience, not the main draw, hinting that activity-based events are the way to get them in the door. Sixty-nine percent want events that combine different interests.
"For a long time, people kept dating in one box and hobbies in another," Andrea Parodi, Eventbrite General Manager, said in the blog. "What we’re seeing is that line starting to dissolve."
People are starting with what they love — or exploring something new — and staying open for what it could turn into, Parodi continued. "When you remove the pressure of a forced introduction, there's less chance the night feels like a letdown, and more room for an organic spark to happen."
