In GCC, 42% of people favour a live show compared to 28% who prefer a dinner date for valentine‘s Day, according to Platinumlist’s January 2026 survey of 550+ respondents.
[Dubai, the UAE – 12 February 2026]: According to a survey from Platinumlist, a Middle East entertainment discovery platform, a live concert has become more popular than a fancy dinner for Valentine’s Day, with 42% choosing a show compared with 36% who would pick a restaurant. The findings reflect a broader trend toward experience-based celebrations in a region where the gifting market is projected to reach $15 billion in 2031.
Key Survey Findings
Live concerts beat fancy dinners for Valentine’s Day plans. 41.7% of surveyed users chose a concert, compared to 36.4% who preferred a restaurant. The gap is wider among singles: 47.1% selected a concert versus 28.2% for dinner, a nearly 19-percentage-point spread.
The preference for concerts connects to how people view these events as social spaces. 65.4% said concerts and music events are the most natural settings for meeting new people. But there’s a disconnect between expectation and reality: 33.6% of all respondents (and 41.2% of singles) haven’t met someone new at a concert yet but want to.
When asked why they attend live events, 55.8% cited “just to change the routine” more than those who said catching up with friends (51.2%) or celebrating a birthday (31.8%). The answer suggests people are looking for something different from their usual habits, not necessarily romance-specific programming.
“The biggest takeaway for us isn’t that concerts are popular, because we know they are. It’s that people in the Gulf see live events as the place where a real connection could happen. That tells us there’s room to design event experiences that make that easier, whether through better social features in the app or special activities at venues”, commented Cosmin Ivan, CEO at Platinumlist.
What A Good Date Looks Like
For romantic events, and specifically Valentine’s Day, the data suggests that the traditional dinner-and-flowers formula is competing with shared experiences. In a region where under-30s already account for around 55% of the MENA population, this trend is only set to deepen. Various studies show that 65% of Gen Z prefer to receive an emotional gift.
Respondents had clear opinions on what makes an event a good date. Shared taste in music or culture ranked highest (48.8%), followed by venue comfort and organisation (39.9%). When asked which format works best for two, 36% chose a large arena show, 25.8% an outdoor festival, and 19.1% an intimate venue.
The results suggest that “date night” at a concert is less about romance-specific programming and more about the basics: book an artist both people like, in a well-run, comfortable venue.
Where People Want To Connect
The survey went beyond Valentine’s preferences. When asked which settings feel most natural for starting conversations and meeting new people, 65.4% selected concerts and music events, and 62.2% selected festivals. Cafes and brunch spots, often assumed to be prime social territory, accounted for 34.3%.
That said, wanting to meet people and actually doing it are different things. The most commonly cited barrier was not awkwardness or safety concerns but a simpler issue: 42.9% said they attend events for the experience, not for socialising. Still, demand for structured social features exists. 31.1% wanted icebreaker activities before a show, and 23.3% wanted meetup zones for solo attendees. Among singles, 41.2% said they had not yet made a new connection at a concert but wanted to.
The UAE’s gifting market is projected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 10.8% from 2025 to 2031, driven by the presence of over 200 nationalities and a rich gift-giving culture tied to personal and cultural occasions. For the $22.9 billion entertainment industry, the survey indicates an opportunity to begin designing for relationships among couples, friend groups, and solo fans who want to belong.