One of the biggest themes I’m seeing in the 2026 dating scene is that people are absolutely exhausted with dating apps. Mention the dreaded H word and you’ll hear the room groan. We’re trying to go old-school with dating, but it’s not quite sticking. I tried wearing an “I’m Single” hat, I tried single events, and I even tried talking to people face-to-face. It’s like how ChatGPT is impacting our mental processing so we become dependent on it, and maybe all these free dating apps are doing the same.
But maybe we should stop trying to revert to old-school solutions and come up with a new one. My social media seemed to think so when it started slipping in “pitch your friend” events in between the tarot card readings that swear my ex is thinking about me and those AI fruit videos.
Forget dating apps, I'm taking things to the streets.
So when the TikToks kept appearing, and an email landed in my inbox inviting me to one such event, hosted by Pitch and Pair, I was very curious — and slightly shocked my ex hadn’t messaged as well if tarot cards were to be believed. I decided to attend, and before I knew it, I was pitching a friend and being pitched in return. A colleague likes to joke that I’m social anxiety’s final boss, but what they don’t realise is that I have intense anxiety, slightly muffled by Lexapro, but I’ve simply lost all dignity when it comes to my dating life.
Here’s a sneak peek into those “pitch your friend” events you keep seeing on social media, and my honest review of attending Pitch and Pair.
How do pitch your friend events work?
Pitch Your Friend events are exactly what they sound like: instead of pitching yourself to a room full of singles, you present one of your friends. Usually, each person gets a few minutes and a slideshow to explain why their friend is a catch, complete with embarrassing photos, funny anecdotes, and green flags. Attendees can then mingle afterwards, approach anyone they’re interested in, or connect through the event organisers or social media.
Pitch and Pair has been a big hit in the US and is now moving over to Europe, and specifically London. Alternatively, you can find Date My Mate at Hope & Anchor in Brixton, or Pitch Your Friend at BAM Karaoke in Victoria.
My honest review of a pitch your friend event
I roped my friend Evie* into it, as she’s newly single and equally triggered by the H word. We’ve known each other for a decade at this point, so she seemed like a good fit to sell me off to a room full of singles. She was all too keen — until the event drew closer and we were both struck with stage fright. We quickly realised we were about to go on stage in front of strangers and present for five minutes. Not only that, but we’d then have an informal Q&A with the audience.
The event was well organised and executed, with no awkward waiting for people to take the stage or technical issues with PowerPoint presentations. They came prepared and ensured they spoke to all presenters before anything began.
The host, Marcella, was a cheerful delight who helped put us — and everyone else — at ease. A seasoned performer, she knew how to lead the room, gently tease people, but also respect the vulnerable position the pitchers were in.
But here’s the catch. I signed up to pitch my friend and be pitched among a room of fellow single normies doing the same. I was very wrong.
I discovered that not everyone attending is pitching or being pitched; many come to support their friends, or simply for a fun night out. They treat it like a comedy show, kind of a “let’s laugh at the singledom and desperation that led us here” vibe. The audience were kind, don’t get me wrong, but they weren’t in the same boat as us, and that created a strange disparity.
And on the topic of comedy shows: it quite literally was one. When watching the videos online, I’d been struck by how funny and polished they were, but I assumed we were just seeing the cream of the crop. Not quite. Out of about 11 pitches, I’d estimate that four weren’t experienced comedians, including myself and Steph. I asked about this afterwards, and it was explained that bringing in performers helps create a good show for the audience and keeps everyone engaged. Understandable, for sure. But that’s approaching it more as a comedy night than a dating event.
Because the result is, firstly, that it makes things much harder for regular presenters like myself, and secondly, that the audience don’t necessarily take what they’re seeing too seriously. How do we know someone is actually single if their friend is clearly doing a skit? How do we know they even want to be approached?
Also, in the quest to be funny, you don’t always learn that much about the person being pitched. Evie did a great job of balancing both, detailing my perfect Sunday, where I’ve lived, and my job — eloquently described as “a sexy sex writer.” But for some others, all I really learned was that there are apparently a lot of jokes to be made about their job, they like sleeping in random places, and they clearly pissed off that friend at some point in their life. Funnily enough, I actually got less information than I would from a Tinder profile.
“The line between content and real life can blur beyond recognition.”
I did really appreciate the labels offered at the entrance, where colour-coding indicated your relationship status, like single, in a relationship, and Facebook’s favourite: “It’s Complicated.” Honestly, it’s something that could be applied to any social event, and maybe should be.
I think the hardest part of these pitch events, in terms of actual dating success, is that you’re hearing from the friend, so you can’t help but become more interested in them. One guy was exactly my type and spent five minutes gushing about his best friend, but the only question I wanted to ask was: " Are you single too?” I’m sure his friend was lovely, but I’d just spent five minutes listening to him passionately applaud his mate, rolling his words around in a gorgeous accent while commanding the stage. Meanwhile, his friend had just sat there in the cuck chair looking a bit nervous.
At this point, I’d sooner recommend Pitch and Pair — or any pitch-your-friend night — as a fun and relatively cheap source of entertainment, rather than a replacement for dating apps. But fret not, dear reader. We’ll find the best IRL dating events eventually.
