From Getting Ghosted to Getting Together: Gen Z Redefines Halloween as the Peak Season to “Find Your Boo”
Eventbrite Data Reveals Halloween Dating Events Are on the Rise as Singles Trade Apps for Real-World Connections This Spooky Season
Move over Valentine’s Day—Gen Z has officially crowned Halloween as the hottest season for finding love. With 75% burnt out by dating apps and craving authentic connections, this generation is transforming October 31st from a one-night celebration into a month-long matchmaking marathon. Eventbrite data shows a 93% increase in Halloween dating experiences nationwide, with attendance rising 159% (four times the rate of attendance for holiday and Valentine’s Day-themed dating events) while online searches for “singles Halloween” have spiked 340%. From vampire-themed speed dating to costume contest mixers, Halloween breaks the ice for singles. Its unique mix of festive energy, built-in conversation starters, and shared thrills creates the perfect, low-pressure setting for authentic connections to spark beyond the screen.
With 56% of Gen Z starting Halloween shopping before October and consuming more horror content than any other generation (91%), Halloween has evolved into their premium experience holiday—a time when creativity, playfulness, and authentic self-expression create the perfect backdrop for meaningful connections that dating apps simply can’t replicate.
Why Now? The Cultural Forces Transforming Halloween into Gen Z’s New Favorite Dating Season
Several powerful cultural shifts explain why Halloween has emerged as Gen Z’s preferred time to find romance:
- Dating Apps Lose Appeal as Hunger for IRL Connection Rises: Global dating app downloads have decreased in the past five years, from a peak in 2019. Meanwhile, 1.5 million searches on Eventbrite for in-person dating experiences between May 2023 and April 2024 proves singles are opting for real-world meet-cutes over swipes.
- Perfect Timing for Romance: Research shows romantic activity peaks between Halloween and Valentine’s Day, making it the official kickoff to cuffing season.
- Cost-Conscious Connection: With 62% of Gen Z preferring first dates under $50, Halloween’s mix of affordable spooky activities makes it easy to connect on any budget.
From Classic Fall Fun to All-Out Grave Raves, Eventbrite Has You Covered with Halloween It-Lists
This Halloween, Eventbrite is debuting curated “Find Your Boo“ It-Lists in Atlanta, Chicago, Washington DC, Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco. These handpicked, local experiences range from flirty costume parties to spooky speed dating nights—showcasing the season’s hottest singles events.
But maybe you’re already boo’d up, flying solo, or just want to keep things low-key with your squad or family? Our traditional Halloween It-Lists have all the seasonal favorites covered. Think pumpkin patches, corn mazes, ghost tours, haunted houses, and family-friendly festivals in Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, Houston, Los Angeles, London, Melbourne, Miami, New York City, San Francisco, Toronto, and Nashville.
Whether you’re on the hunt for romance, ready to party until dawn, or just craving some good old-fashioned Halloween fun, we’ve got the perfect experience waiting for you.
Inside the Craze: Halloween Dating Formats Young Singles Are Obsessing Over
The trend features three emerging Halloween dating event types perfect for every style, whether you’re seeking a mellow meetup or a heart-pounding, music-filled night:
Ice Breaker Halloween Dating Events
- Events: +124%
- Attendance: +225%
- Halloween trivia nights and pumpkin carving speed dating let the event handle the pressure of breaking the ice, so singles can skip straight to the good stuff: genuine connections over shared seasonal fun.
Costume Contest Halloween Dating Events
- Events: +93%
- Attendance: +177%
- Singles costume contests mix self-expression with playful competition, breaking social barriers and sparking shared adventure. With searches for “costume contest Halloween” up 72%, attendees are clearly seeking creative ways to let personality shine before the first conversation.
Dancing Halloween Dating Events
- Events: +56%
- Attendance: +78%
- Monster mash mixers and spooky raves cast their own kind of spell. Dim lights, pounding bass, and bodies moving in rhythm create the perfect storm for unexpected chemistry.
Love at First Fright: 2024’s Top U.S. Cities Leading Halloween Dating Experiences
From coast to coast, Halloween dating is gaining momentum. While New York took the lead in hosting the most Halloween dating experiences relative to its total Halloween events, it’s San Francisco where attendance was highest. The numbers reveal an interesting coastal dynamic: Philadelphia, Chicago, and Los Angeles consistently ranked in the top five for events and attendance, showing that Halloween romance isn’t just a localized microtrend, it’s a nationwide movement, with cities creating standout spooky experiences that actually draw singles in.
October’s New Cupids: The Event Organizers Behind Halloween’s Romance Revolution
Behind Halloween’s dating surge are creative organizers who’ve cracked the code on facilitating authentic connections. After going viral on TikTok for inviting her dating app matches to an epic house party, Cassidy Davis, founder of Chaotic Singles Party, launched a dating revolution—and just got engaged to the love of her life who she met at that very first event! Now hosting parties nationwide with over 50 success stories, Davis explains: “Chaotic Singles Parties & Halloween go together like peanut butter and jelly, after all there is nothing better than dressing up in a costume and meeting tons of singles IRL at an epic night of chaos.”
Featured on Good Morning America and The Drew Barrymore Show, Davis knows Halloween’s power: “We bring singles together through activations like haunted houses (you need a boo to conquer your fears with) or a costume contest (where the singles really get to show off their personalities)… Whether it’s a hilarious costume or a scary mask jumping out at you, Halloween provides a great icebreaker for singles to approach people IRL and find their boo!”
Meanwhile, Chicago’s Meet IRL takes a welcoming, relaxed approach to ending the swipe cycle through experience-based dating events. “Our Halloween events are designed to take the nerves out of meeting new people with ice breakers, games, and our signature connection cards that make it easy to share your details with anyone who catches your eye,” shared founder Penny Gibbons. “We’re super intentional about how we design our events, and do all we can to make sure that our programming helps to facilitate as many introductions as possible throughout the night.”
This year, guests can choose between a Halloween Singles Bash with tacos, tarot readings, and costume contest, or a Halloween Pickleball Mixer where singles—and their wingmen—can connect with other active Chicagoans. “With 150+ singles at each event, we’re all about bringing people together, making connections easier, and proving that real-life dating can be fun, social, and a little bit magical.”
Beyond October: The Future of Seasonal, Experience-Based Dating
Early indicators suggest Halloween’s influence on dating culture will extend far beyond October. The success of Halloween dating events demonstrates a broader appetite for experience-based romance that prioritizes fun, creativity, and authentic self-expression over traditional dating formats. When deciding if a first date went well, it’s not just about meeting certain criteria—most respondents (70% of men, 74% of women, and 72% of those actively dating) consider a first date successful simply if they had fun.
Halloween is just the beginning. On Eventbrite, every season offers chances to find love, make friends, or explore new skills through shared experiences. By stepping away from the screen and into real-life events, every moment becomes an opportunity to connect or discover something new about yourself.
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Methodology: Using US Eventbrite data, analyzed Halloween-themed keywords in event titles/descriptions and compared event and attendance trends for 2023 vs. 2024.