India, Jan. 10 -- For nearly a decade, dating has meant endless swipes with the same faces showing up across several dating apps. However, a 2025 Forbes Health survey found that 78% of dating app users feel emotionally, mentally, or physically drained, with roughly 79% of Gen Z reporting frequent "dating-app burnout." But now, singles in India are logging off and showing up: with mixers, singles fests, curated dinners, and offline meetups replacing swipes as the preferred way to spark real connections. The exhaustion with dating apps, known as dating app fatigue, has become the dominant emotion of modern romance. That's because apps promised efficiency, but delivered repetition. The abundance of choice often reduced excitement, with matches feeling replaceable. "You see the same people everywhere. It starts feeling less like dating and more like scrolling through LinkedIn, but with flirting," says Prakhar Almal, 28, from Bangalore. For many, the frustration isn't rejection but wasted time. Ravinder Singh, founder of Let's Socialise, traces the idea for his singles fest back to his own dating app experience. "I realised I had invested weeks talking to someone only to find out, within minutes of meeting, that there was no real vibe. All I needed was five to ten minutes of face-to-face interaction to know whether I wanted to meet this person again," he says. Offline events give singles access to non-verbal cues that apps flatten. Clinical psychologist Dr Jaya Sukul explains, "Human beings don't assess compatibility through images or text alone. We rely heavily on non-verbal cues like tone of voice, body language, etc to decide whether we feel safe, understood, and genuinely interested. Dating apps flatten these signals, which is why interactions often feel uncertain or drawn out. Meeting in person allows people to quickly sense intention, sincerity, and emotional availability, reducing both anxiety and wasted emotional effort." Events like these are designed to spark natural conversations. Activities and icebreakers help attendees mingle organically, while the venue, lighting, crowd size, and menu are carefully curated. "We pride ourselves on maintaining an equal gender ratio, and it completely changes the vibe," says Rhea Pius, founder of Cupid's Soiree by The White Box, adding, "After the initial activities, it's your choice who you talk to, who you spend time with, and who you want to continue the evening with." Typical events last around three hours, with tickets priced at Rs 4,999 for men and Rs 3,999 for women, ensuring attendees are serious about participating. Singles fest like Offline by The Happy Hour and Let's Socialise hosts large-format singles experiences, some with over 100 handpicked attendees, across more than 20 cities in India. "In a country where nearly 40% of young adults admit to feeling lonely despite being constantly online, it became obvious to us that endless swipes and dry texting aren't connection," says Namrata Arora, a representative from Offline by The Happy Hour. Blending music, games, and curated social activities to make interaction feel natural rather than transactional. "This isn't a dating app, and it's not networking. It's real chemistry, real conversations, real people," she explains. At these events, safety is taken seriously. "At our events, every attendee is vetted, and we have zero tolerance for inappropriate behaviour. If anyone crosses a line, they're immediately removed and blocked from future events. All events have staff present on the ground and all venues are public spaces like restaurants and pubs," says Ravinder. For many singles, offline events offer a refreshing change from the pressures of app-based dating. 24-year-old postgraduate student Aanya Saxena says, "Apps make everything feel very performative, whereas events feel more like a party, and I don't have to curate a version of myself." "On apps, I felt like I had to sell myself. At the mixer, I just showed up," adds, interior designer Simran Kaur on why she preferred going to an offline event. She says, "There's also less pressure to impress digitally. No curated photos. Attraction is based on tone, humour, and energy." For younger attendees, there's another layer: nostalgia. "It felt kind of old-school and retro in a good way. Like a manufactured meet-cute because it's so hard to meet people in person these days," says Aanya....