With dating app usage declining in the UK, London-based startup Haystack Dating is betting that singles are ready to swap swipes for face-to-face interaction. Founded by entrepreneur Lucy Rout, the platform organizes activity-based events designed to spark connections in a more natural, accountable environment. Haystack is now expanding beyond London, with plans to bring its events to Leeds and other UK cities in the coming months.
Rout, who describes herself as having reached “dating burnout” after years on apps, developed Haystack to counter what she saw as a cycle of ghosting, poor behavior, and shallow exchanges. Attendees complete a form before each event, feeding data into an algorithm that groups participants based on personality traits and shared interests. Activities – from cricket to touch rugby – are followed by social time with the wider group.
The approach appears to resonate: some events have drawn 200–500 attendees, with 92% arriving solo. Tickets in London cost around £30. Rout says return rates are high, crediting word-of-mouth and her nearly 50,000-strong Instagram following for early growth. Haystack’s rise comes amid a shift away from online dating. OFCOM data shows significant drops in UK user numbers for major apps between 2023 and 2024, including Tinder (down 600,000 users) and Bumble (down 368,000). Industry players are responding — Bumble IRL launched in 2022, and Hinge has committed $1 million to fund social events in key cities.
For Rout, in-person events aren’t just a nostalgia play. “In IRL events, there’s a hell of a lot more accountability, and people behave very differently in person than they do virtually,” she said, noting that face-to-face interactions tend to be kinder and more respectful.
