From pickleball to fake shaadis, how Indians chose to step out in 2025

India’s social economy in 2025 was defined less by big occasions and more by intent. Data from Swiggy’s events and experiences platform, Swiggy Scenes, shows a decisive shift in how urban Indians chose to go out—favouring smaller, participatory formats over spectacle, and community-led experiences over conventional nightlife.

According to Swiggy Scenes’ year-end data covering January to December 2025, Delhi emerged as the most socially active city, clocking the highest number of people stepping out, a trend also highlighted in the platform’s annual visual data summary.

Mumbai recorded the highest number of singles attending events alone, with sports-based experiences leading the category, while Hyderabad stood out for high-spending, high-frequency users—one individual alone spent ₹5.5 lakh on tickets over the year, earning the tag of a “serial yes-er” in Swiggy Scenes’ 2025 recap.

Music still leads, but participation rises

DJ nights were the most-booked category on Swiggy Scenes in 2025, underlining music’s continuing role as the anchor of India’s social culture. Gaming emerged as a fast-rising favourite alongside DJ-led formats, reflecting a broader shift toward interactive experiences rather than passive consumption—a trend visually reinforced in Swiggy Scenes’ year-in-review highlights.

Food-led collaborations also became powerful cultural magnets. A collaboration between Naru Noodle Bar and 23rd Street Pizza sold out in just 5.37 minutes, labelled the “fastest yes of the year” by the platform, illustrating how food, community and limited-format events are increasingly converging into high-intent social experiences.

Cities reveal distinct social behaviour

City-level data reveals how social preferences diverge across urban India. Delhi recorded the highest number of couples stepping out, with brunches emerging as the most popular category—summed up internally as “togetherness starting with deciding what to eat”. The city also saw one of the highest-engagement users, who booked 74 events in a single year.

Mumbai, in contrast, saw the largest cohort of individuals attending events solo. Sports and games dominated bookings in the city, reinforcing the idea that for many users, “the game was the commitment” rather than the group itself. Hyderabad’s data reflected a different pattern altogether, with repeat bookings and high-ticket spending pointing to a smaller but deeply engaged user base.

Pickleball and the rise of low-pressure social formats

Among the most notable behavioural shifts of 2025 was the rise of pickleball—not just as a sport, but as a social format. Swiggy Scenes data shows that 85% of pickleball bookings came from singles, positioning it as a low-pressure alternative to traditional socialising. In Hyderabad alone, one user booked 54 tickets for friends and family, underscoring how the sport evolved into a group ritual rather than a competitive pursuit.

The appeal lay in simplicity: no formal icebreakers, no curated networking, just shared activity. In many cases, these sessions doubled up as first meetings or casual dates, without being framed as such.

Gen Z experiments with format, irony, and intent

Gen Z users played a disproportionate role in reshaping India’s going-out culture in 2025, introducing 38 new event formats over the year, a figure highlighted prominently in Swiggy Scenes’ annual snapshot. Supper clubs, run clubs, philosophy discussions, movie screenings, and art workshops featured prominently, reflecting a move away from transactional outings toward purpose-led experiences.

One of the most striking trends was the rise of “fake shaadis”—mock weddings that offered all the cultural elements of a traditional Indian wedding, minus the emotional and financial stakes. Along with coffee raves and picnic-style events, these formats reflected a growing appetite for irony, self-awareness, and playful social participation.

According to Supriya Shankar, vice-president at Swiggy Scenes, the underlying shift is structural rather than seasonal. “Going out has moved from being occasion-led to intention-driven,” she says, noting that users are choosing experiences that feel personal, intimate, and locally relevant rather than mass-market spectacles.

The takeaway 

Swiggy Scenes’ 2025 data shows that going out in India is no longer about scale or status. It is about showing up—to a game, a meal, a shared idea, or even an ironic celebration. As experiential spending continues to grow, the real opportunity lies in formats that prioritise participation, community, and relevance over size and spectacle.

In a year full of scenes, the defining behaviour was simple: say yes, step out, and let the experience do the work.