Last year, DC was crowned the best city for singles by housing website Apartment List. But as you may presume from the DC Facebook group called “Are We Dating The Same Guy?,” not everyone may agree with that title. If you are one of the many singles who have struggled in this city, exhausting any potential dating app matches or suitors at local bars, there’s another option out there.
The popular live blind-dating show UpDating, which puts love-seeking locals on a first date in front of a crowd, is coming to City Winery next week on Wednesday, August 24. The show is blind dating in the literal sense: Selected singles are introduced to the audience and then blindfolded while talking to their potential match. Audience members watch the date unfold and are even given the chance to shoot their shot (and possibly steal someone’s date) with one of the onstage participants.
DC is just one of the show’s many stops on their summer tour, but tickets for the DC show are selling the fastest out of all the cities according to co-creator and producer of UpDating, Harrison Forman, and co-creator and host, Brandon Berman. UpDating has already received hundreds of applicants from singles in the DC area.
“Dating has its funny little nuances in every city. A first date in Denver is a hike. Everyone in LA is skipping auditions to go to dates. We’re curious about DC. What do people do there? Do they walk off the Hill having a crush on one of their fellow staffers? We’re very excited to find the humor in DC.”
The live reality show started in New York City in 2019 and has gained popularity over the past few years, amassing waitlists with hundreds of singles and drawing crowds of 100+ people. UpDating has also gone viral on TikTok- the account has gained over 400,000 followers and received 25 million likes across the page.
@updatingshow Stay tuned IG: @updatingshow #drama #twist #reality #dating #surprise #updating #updatingshow #fyp #foryoupage ♬ original sound – UpDating
If you want to apply for a chance to find love, you can fill out this online application which will close 2-3 days before the show. Want to know how to make your application stand out? Forman says they typically look for people who don’t take themselves too seriously, are charismatic and comfortable being on stage in front of an audience, have interesting takes on dating, or have an interesting dating history.
“What we’re looking for in applicants in DC specifically, because I do feel like it’s a city that people live in for just a few years, we want to know what you want the next five years of your dating life to look like. We want to know how you ended up in DC because I feel like a lot of people in DC have interesting backstories. And of course, politics is a big part of DC culture, and I’m sure that will come up in the show.”
If you’re not selected to be on stage, do not fret. Forman says they have seen a lot of success with audience members who have met while watching the show and have ended up dating.
The show takes place at 7:30 PM on Wednesday, August 24, at City Winery, and tickets can be purchased here for $25.
