Festive dating trends 2025: Kolkata sticks to IRL, districts go digital

In Kolkata, the festive season isn’t just about rituals and revelry – it’s also the city’s most romantic time of the year. As pandals light up every neighbourhood and music fills the air, people step out more, meet more, and open up to new connections.

To understand how Bengal dated this festive season, we spoke to Kolkata youngsters, relationship experts, cafe owners, and the founder of a dating app about the trends shaping love and connection during the celebrations.Kolkata prefers in-person dates, swipes light up the districtsWhile Kolkata’s youth leaned towards old-school romance this festive season – choosing to meet and mingle in person amid pandal-hopping, café catch-ups, and festive gatherings – Bengal’s districts saw love unfold on screens. According to data from a dating app, swipe activity was significantly higher outside the city. “In the districts of Bengal, dating apps are becoming an accessible bridge – offering privacy, choice, and a sense of modern connection in places where social interactions can still be limited by convention,” says Kaushik Banerjee, co-founder and CEO of Flutrr, adding, “Kolkata users, however, showed a clear preference for meeting in person this festive season.

” According to Natasha Suri and Vinay Manglani, co-founders of Colab cafe, there was a rise in the date crowd this Pujo: “Everyone was in the mood to celebrate, and this kept the space buzzing with a young crowd.” Grant Walsh, founder of 8th Day Cafe, adds, “The love vibes at our cafe were strong this Pujo, with the footfall being 70% higher, especially youngsters.”The festive air amplifies emotionsAccording to experts, the festive season always witnesses a surge in the search for companionship.

“The festive air amplifies emotions, and the idea of having a partner to explore pandals, attend parties, or simply exchange stories feels comforting,” says Radhika Mohta, a relationship coach. Poulami Sen, a psychologist adds, “Another reason people prefer dating during Pujo is the atmosphere itself – the city feels alive, open, and effortlessly social.

The festive energy lowers inhibitions and makes it easier to meet new people, strike up conversations, and connect naturally.”Women from suburbs lead in dating app and group sign-upsAccording to data from a dating app, the suburbs witnessed a noticeable spike in app activity, especially with more women signing up. “In this part of the state, it’s difficult to go out, meet, and date someone. But dating apps help up identify and understand individuals before we can meet them in person,” says Mahima Talukdar, a 26-year-old from Durgapur.

How do couples prefer IRL dating>Through activity groups >Weekend clubs >Via mutual friendsData online dating this Pujo>Time spent on app: 48% rise > Match rate: 36% rise > Downloads per day: 45% rise, mostly outside Kolkata and by women > Number of chat messages per day: 64% rise-Flutrr'I met my girlfriend during a heritage walk on Mahalaya, and something clicked. Online dating is not for me. I like meeting in person and having real time conversations'– Tanveer Singh Bhatia, 21'Dating apps feel convenient, but they rarely give you that spark you feel when you meet someone face to face. Meeting in person still brings those butterflies that no algorithm can recreate'– Ritwik Sen, 27, Kolkata, who started dating during Pujo