From Pickleball to Fake Shaadis: Swiggy Scenes unveils How India Went Out and Showed Up in 2025

If 2025 had a social personality, it would be someone who always said yes, showed up for the plot, and turned the most unexpected ideas into sold-out scenes. Across cities, going out wasn’t just about plans anymore, it was about experiences, community and stories worth telling. From pickleball quietly becoming the new meeting point to fake Indian weddings emerging as one of the most ironic-yet-iconic social formats on Swiggy Scenes, the year redefined how India met, mingled and made memories.

DJ nights emerged as the top-booked category of the year on Swiggy Scenes, reinforcing music as the backbone of social culture, while gaming steadily rose as an emerging favorite, signaling a growing appetite for interactive, participatory experiences. Food-led collaborations also saw unprecedented momentum, with the Naru Noodle Bar x 23rd Street Pizza collaboration selling out in just 5.37 minutes, becoming one of the fastest ‘yes’ moments of 2025 and highlighting how culture, food and community increasingly intersected.

Cities brought their own energy to the scene. Delhi saw the highest number of couples going out, with brunches emerging as their favorite category, a reminder that togetherness often starts with deciding what to eat. The city also delivered peak commitment energy, with one user booking 74 events in a single year. Mumbai, on the other hand, saw the highest number of singles going out alone, with games emerging as the top category, proving that for many, the game itself was the commitment. Hyderabad produced some of the strongest main-character moments of the year, including one user who spent ₹5.5 lakh on tickets, embodying the spirit of the serial ‘yes-er’ because every story needs someone who says yes, a little too often.

Commenting on the trends, Supriya Shankar, VP, Swiggy Scenes said, “​​“In 2025, going out evolved from being occasion-led to intention-driven. We saw this shift clearly: from Pickleball sessions where 85% of bookings came from singles, to DJ nights emerging as our most-booked category, and food collaborations selling out in under six minutes. But the true story lies beneath the numbers. Whether it’s a coffee rave, or a 'fake shaadi,' consumers are moving away from high-octane spectacles toward experiences that feel bespoke, intimate, and hyper-relevant. At Scenes, we are filling a vital market gap—giving users an immersive format to engage on their own terms, while providing restaurants a creative canvas to tell their stories and build deeper, hyperlocal engagement. We’re witnessing the future of the community unfold, one ‘yes’ at a time.”

Among the most unexpected breakout scenes of 2025 was pickleball. The sport transformed into a low-pressure meeting point where competition took a backseat and connection took center stage. No awkward small talk, no forced icebreakers, just rallies, laughter and organic conversations. The enthusiasm went far beyond casual play. One user in Hyderabad booked 54 tickets for friends and family, proving that pickleball wasn’t just a sport, it became a social plan, a group ritual, and for many, a first date without calling it one.

In 2025, Gen Z rewrote the rulebook on how and why people stepped out. Over the year, they introduced 38 new ways of going out, with supper clubs, run clubs, philosophy dialogues, movie screenings, workshops for painting & pottery, taking the charge. Fake shaadis delivered everything people love about weddings, the outfits, music, wedding games between the bride and the groom side, and of course the dancing, without the emotional or financial commitment. Together, these new event formats reflected a larger cultural shift where people weren’t chasing formality or tradition, but experiences that felt playful, self-aware and deeply social.

As per data on Swiggy Scenes, 2025 wasn’t just about going out, it was about showing up. Whether it was saying yes to yet another DJ night, turning sports into social spaces, or embracing irony-led formats like fake shaadis and picnic raves, people leaned into experiences that felt joyful, communal and unapologetically fun. In a year defined by scenes, the real trend was simple: say yes, step out, and let the story happen.

Note: This data is from January to December 2025.

Swiggy Scenes is Swiggy’s hyperlocal discovery platform that helps users discover events and experiences happening around them. From New Year’s Eve parties and live gigs to brunches, pop-ups, Swiggy Scenes enables users to step out and explore what’s happening nearby.