Find a Rave Buddy

Not everyone's looking for a date. Sometimes you just want someone to go with – someone who's up for the same night, doesn't mind the travel, and will still be dancing at the end. Raver Dating lets you say you're looking for friendship, so you can find exactly that.

Why a rave buddy helps

More people are going out on their own than ever: a Ticketmaster survey reported by Dazed found solo festival-going rose from 8% of people in 2019 to 29% in 2025. (Source: Dazed.) Going solo can be great – we've written a whole guide to it – but having someone to share lifts, tickets and the walk home with makes a lot of nights easier.

How to find one on Raver Dating

When you set up your profile, choose friendship as one of the things you're looking for. Add the nights you go to, the genres you love and how far you'd travel. Your daily suggestions take your interests, age range and distance into account, so people into the same nights turn up.

Raver Dating also has private group chats that hold up to 50 people – handy for sorting out who's going to what. Check the pricing page for what each membership includes.

More than one-to-one chat

Raver Dating isn't only private messages. You can post status updates and photos, comment on articles and other members' posts, and join in with polls and quizzes – all good ways to get to know people before you suggest a night out. Members earn badges as they go, like Verified and Chatterbox, which helps you see who's real and active.

What to put on your profile

• Say plainly that you're after a raving buddy, so nobody's confused.
• List the next few events you're eyeing up – it's the easiest conversation starter going.
• Mention your style of night: front-left all night, or wandering between rooms.
• Say where you're based and whether you'd travel.

Making the first night out easy

• Meet somewhere public before the venue – a pub or café nearby – rather than inside the queue.
• Sort tickets and travel together in advance, so nobody's left stranded.
• Agree a plan for if you get split up: a landmark, a time, a meeting point.
• Swap numbers only once you're comfortable.

Scenes to start with

Looking for someone into a particular sound? Try techno, house, jungle, drum and bass or EDM.

Other apps for finding a crew

If you only want company for one event, apps like Radiate and FestivalMates are built around specific festivals and nights. We've compared them in our roundup of apps for ravers. Raver Dating is for when you'd like to keep the same people around for the next one, too.

Meeting up for the first time

Treat a first meet-up like any first meeting with someone from online: chat on the site first, and if someone's in a hurry to move you to another app, you'll get a warning. Verified members carry a badge, and you can block or report anyone. More on our safety page.

Photo: Pim Myten on Unsplash.