On Friday 17th August 2023, Bored Of Dating Apps (BODA) – The Singles Only Event For Romance and Friendships alike – will take over GRUB’s main hall for a monthly meetup of singles with optional karaoke, tequila, street food, good vibes and good times.
Bored of Dating Apps is a series of in-person events which focus on the joy of community and people’s mental health in the chaotic modern dating culture. It’s an environment where friendship is just as important as romance.
The founder of BODA started out after finding herself with “dating app fatigue” and looking for a way to form new friendships and relationships in a more organic setting. After their success in Liverpool, they hosted their Manchester debuts with us in October and November and we can’t wait to have them back as a monthly staple (every 3rd Friday of the month)!
Turning the clock back to when ‘offline’ dating was the norm and people would go out to make new connections in real life. These events have a strict ‘singles only’ policy and BODA’s audience is men and women in their 20s, 30s and 40s. Past events have seen around 90% of attendees rocking up solo, as BODA’s culture is welcoming, fun and inclusive, willing you on to make pals as soon as you enter the room.
As a recent attendee told said, “I got a couple of numbers from the event but it was more the encouragement that there’s so many brilliant single people out there, which was the biggest takeaway. Regardless of whether these dates materialise to anything, I’m coming away feeling better about myself. Often singles’ events can be disheartening and you can come home that night feeling worse about yourself, but I feel good about myself and hopeful about the future.”
So much of the modern world takes place ‘online’, meaning it’s more important than ever for IRL events to focus on socialising and romanticising face to face and ditching the safety net of a phone to get some much needed human interaction.
“There is going to be a rebellion against dating apps and doing everything online. People don’t want to feel constrained to just social media, dating apps and WhatsApp anymore.” (Jessica Evans, Founder of BODA).
Tickets (£20) and more information about this event can be found at https://www.grubmcr.com/boda and https://www.fatsoma.com/e/5t8ngb7g/anti-dating-app-social-manchester-karaoke-special
