Bowling strikes gold on Valentine’s Day as couples seek fun ‘without pressure’

Couples swapped romantic dinners for a night at the bowling lanes this Valentine’s Day as bookings swelled by a third, new data from the UK’s biggest 10-pin bowling operator shows.

Hollywood Bowl said people were increasingly locking in their date nights ahead of time rather than relying on spontaneous trips.

Bookings for February 14 were up by 34% this year, compared with last year, across its 77 UK centres.

Some locations benefited from an even bigger flock of visitors, with centres in Carlisle, Oxford, Wigan, Colchester and Wellingborough all recorded bookings growth of more than 50% year-on-year.

The data also revealed the average booking lead time rose by 62%, increasing from 2.1 days in 2025 to 3.4 days in 2026, indicating people were shunning last-minute bookings in favour of more organised plans.

Hollywood Bowl said the surge in bookings point to more couples looking for informal and accessible experiences to mark Valentine’s Day, which fell on a Saturday this year.

Darryl Lewis, UK managing director for the business, said: “Couples were still keen to mark Valentine’s Day this year, but many wanted to do so in a more relaxed way.

“Rather than locking in a big, formal night out, people kept plans flexible and opting for an experience-led date that feels fun without the pressure.”

Hollywood Bowl has consistently said that people have been seeking out experience-led entertainment since the Covid pandemic, but at a lower cost.

A family of four can have a game of bowling for under £26 at peak times, with price rises at centres kept below UK inflation, the business said at the end of last year.

A survey by digital bank Zopa last week found that Britons preferred to spend less on Valentine’s Day’s this year than they did five years ago due to cost-of-living pressures, with 30% of 25 to 34-year-olds saying so.