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With the ongoing Ganesh Utsav, Tinder, a popular dating app released a survey hinting on what young singles look for in terms of their first date. It seems to be no more a cafe or a movie date, rather a considerable number of youngsters seem to be ditching parties for festivals as their first-date location. Wait, what? The recent survey suggested that singles these days are turning to cultural celebrations and choosing festival spots for the first in-person meets with their match.
43% of GenZs in India choose festivals and cultural events as their top first date choice, the survey stated while noting these vibrant gatherings offer a unique opportunity to connect in a fun, low-pressure environment. The survey also mentioned that nearly 30% of Gen Zs in India actively seek out potential partners during these events, making the festive season a prime time for new connections.
A Ganpati pandal date?
In Mumbai, where the festivities around Ganesh Utsav is at its peak and people love to go pandal hopping, it might be the case that people are swiping right and meeting at these Ganpati pandals for a date. According to the Tinder survey, 38% of Gen Z Mumbaikars believe that festivals and cultural events are the perfect time to introduce a date or match to their family and friends, keeping it low-pressure and 1 in 3 young singles in the city have used Tinder to find a date during a festival or cultural event, reflecting the city’s enthusiasm for blending tradition with modern dating practices.
Festival dating feature
Notably, Tinder Matchmaker™, which was introduced last year, is a feature that records instances of festive dating by allowing friends and family to recommend potential matches, adding a collaborative and supportive element to the dating process.
Sharing one of such instance of festival dating, the Tinder report quoted Pratik, 26-year-old Tinder user from Mumbai. “Ganesh Chaturthi has always been one of my favourite times of the year, so I figured, why not meet someone new during the festivities? I started using Tinder, and it felt like the perfect time because everyone’s in such a happy, celebratory mood," he said, while adding, "I matched with someone who loved the festival as much as I did. We decided to visit a pandal together, and even ended up bonding over our love for modaks! There was no pressure—just two people enjoying the festival, good food, and great company. It was honestly such a fun way to meet someone new.”
