# BBC: singles turn to IRL dating events as Tinder brings them in-app > By DII Newsroom | Edited by Bill Alena | Published: 2026-10-20T03:11:45.076598+00:00 | Section: Daily News | Source: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/bbc-singles-turn-to-irl-dating-events-tinder-adds-own | Publisher: Dating Industry Insights (High Intent Media Inc) The BBC reports singles citing app fatigue are choosing in-person events at £15 to £30, while Match Group says Tinder is bringing IRL experiences into the app. ## Key points - The BBC reported on 19 October 2026 that singles citing 'app fatigue' are attending in-person events such as Love at First Sign's Guildford speed-dating night. - The BBC says dating events typically cost about £15 to £30 and often include a drink and an activity or icebreaker. - Match Group's Chine Mmegwa told the BBC that Tinder is 'bringing IRL experiences into the app' and has launched events across the US and now the UK. - Ofcom's Online Nation 2025 found UK dating-site visitors spent three hours in May 2025, down from 3 hours 57 minutes in May 2023. ## Article - The BBC reported on 19 October 2026 that singles are choosing in-person events, such as a Love at First Sign speed-dating night in Guildford, over apps. - Match Group's Chine Mmegwa told the BBC: 'We are bringing IRL experiences into the app.' - Ofcom found time spent on dating sites fell from 3 hours 57 minutes in May 2023 to three hours in May 2025. - Tinder told analysts Events would reach 26 cities by the end of September and 75 by the end of 2026, according to TechCrunch. The BBC reported on 19 October that singles citing "app fatigue" are paying for in-person dating events, and [Match Group](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/companies/match-group) (MTCH) is responding by moving that behaviour onto Tinder. Chine Mmegwa, the company's head of strategy, corporate development and operations, told the BBC: 'We are bringing IRL experiences into the app.' The BBC opens at a Love at First Sign night in a Guildford bar. The company matches people by astrological connection through an app, but the BBC says most attendees use it only as an icebreaker. Events typically cost about £15 to £30 and often include a drink and an activity, according to the BBC. ### The DII Take This is a trade-off, not a rejection of apps. Match Group is not fighting the trend but trying to own the ticketing layer of it, which is sensible when the events are run by partners and the member still arrives through Tinder. The harder question is whether an RSVP button wins back paying members as quickly as it concedes the evening to a bar. ### What the numbers say about app fatigue Ofcom's Online Nation 2025 found 11% of UK online adults visited a dating site in May 2025, in line with the previous three years. Time spent fell from 3 hours 57 minutes in May 2023 to three hours in May 2025. Reach is steady; engagement is not. Match Group's own results show the pressure. Total payers fell 6% to 13.3 million in the second quarter, according to the company's results for the period. Tinder's year-on-year DAU decline narrowed to 4%, its best in 10 quarters, the company said in its filing. DII has covered [Rascoff's view that the Tinder fix is culture](https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/match-group-ceo-rascoff-tinder-fix-culture-not-algorithm). > Tinder's year-on-year DAU decline narrowed to 4%, its best in 10 quarters, the company said in its filing. ### What to watch Tinder launched Events in-app on 16 March, with photo verification required. TechCrunch reported it is scaling through event-provider partnerships rather than running events itself. A Press Association report had Events not yet in the UK, while the BBC quotes Mmegwa saying 'You've seen us launch events across the US and now the UK.' The UK launch date is unconfirmed. Watch whether Match Group discloses Events attendance or payer impact in its next results. - Match Group is positioning Tinder as a ticketing gateway for partner-run events, a lower-capital route than running its own nights. - Flat Ofcom reach alongside falling time spent suggests the problem for operators is engagement, not awareness. - No Events attendance or revenue figures have been disclosed, so the commercial effect is unproven. **Sources:** [Match Group second quarter 2026 results (Match Group / SEC)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000891103/000089110326000128/mtch8-k20260804ex991.htm); [Ofcom Online Nation Report 2025 (Ofcom)](https://www.ofcom.org.uk/siteassets/resources/documents/research-and-data/online-research/online-nation/2025/online-nations-report-2025.pdf?v=409837); [Tinder Launches 'Events', a New In-App Feature (Tinder press room)](https://www.tinderpressroom.com/2026-03-16-Tinder-Launches-Events,-a-New-In-App-Feature,-Bringing-Online-Sparks-Into-Real-Life); ['I'm fed up of swiping': Why singles now want to meet IRL (BBC News via Yahoo Life)](https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/articles/im-fed-swiping-why-singles-230110506.html); [As Gen Z reconsiders dating apps, Tinder's IRL events expand to dozens more cities (TechCrunch)](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/05/as-gen-z-reconsiders-dating-apps-tinders-irl-events-expand-to-dozens-more-cities/); [Singletons want to meet in real life, says Tinder boss (Press Association via AOL UK)](https://www.aol.co.uk/articles/singletons-want-meet-real-life-230100000.html) ## Key takeaways - Match Group (MTCH) is using partner-run events through Tinder rather than running its own, which keeps capital needs low while keeping the member inside the app. - Ofcom reach of 10 to 11% has held for four years while time spent fell, which points operators to an engagement problem rather than an awareness problem. - Match Group has not disclosed Tinder Events attendance or revenue figures, so the commercial impact on its 13.3 million payers is unproven. ## FAQ ### Why are singles choosing in-person dating events over apps? The BBC reported on 19 October 2026 that attendees cite 'app fatigue' and value, with events costing about £15 to £30 and offering a range of people to meet. ### What is Tinder doing about in-person dating? Tinder launched an in-app Events feature on 16 March 2026. Match Group's Chine Mmegwa told the BBC that Tinder is 'bringing IRL experiences into the app'. ### Has dating app use fallen in the UK? Ofcom found 11% of UK online adults visited a dating site in May 2025, in line with prior years, but time spent fell from 3 hours 57 minutes in May 2023 to three hours. --- Canonical: https://www.datingindustryinsights.com/news/bbc-singles-turn-to-irl-dating-events-tinder-adds-own Citation: "Dating Industry Insights" (https://www.datingindustryinsights.com)