Speed dating takes off in Budapest

Over a working lunch in Budapest, the idea of speed dating was conceived by Olja and Radmila. “We see our friends living here being lonely in the city, with no friends or family to talk to during lockdown. We decided to help them find love and do something about that loneliness, if they are open to it.” says Radmila, a Montenegrin expat, along with her Bosnian friend, Olja.


The two ladies came to Budapest in 2017 for promising work opportunities and have been enjoying their time here ever since.

Software engineer Radmila and public communication specialist Olja realised that here there was a huge demand for an opportunity to meet like-minded people. As some expats don’t speak Hungarian, it's essential for the event to be in English, although surprisingly, some Hungarians joined too for the first session, as the ladies confirm.

Radmila and Olja, first created a Facebook page, Speed Dating Budapest, then they started to promote the meeting via various Facebook groups for foreigners. People had to pre-register in order for the organisers to keep the balance between men and women – and the first event was fully booked.

Ten men and ten women bought tickets for the first session. Upon arrival, they were handed a name tag and a score list to rate the conversation with their potential partners. Participants had the chance to ask as many questions as they could for five minutes, after which, each man moved to the next woman at the long table.

After these five-minute rounds, Olja and Radmila took home the score sheets and looked for potential matches. Only where both people wrote 'yes' and 'open to talk once more', did they share the contacts with both parties. “It was a huge success, people actually started to go on dates after the event,” confirms Radmila as she and Olja followed up on the participants afterwards.

The general atmosphere was casual and easy-going – people stayed and chatted after the official part was over. They spoke with the moderators and expressed their opinion about similar events in the future. Most probably, Covid has also contributed to people’s willingness to socialise, but even so, the general feedback was positive.

“We had to plan three dates for September as we found out that there is an interest among people in their 20s as well,” explain Olja and Radmila, who have categorised the upcoming session into different age groups. The next date is 2 September for those between 20 and 35, then the 15th for ages 30 or above, and the third will take place on the 30 September for over-40s.

Despite their successful first event, Radmila tells us that there will be changes in terms of preparation for the additional events – they learnt handy organisational skills, and setting up the next sessions will be much easier thanks to this experience.

As there is a growing demand for the ladies’ mission, they might move to a bigger location. “There are long waiting lists and we received requests to organise a Speed Dating event in Spanish, too, so there are plans for the future,” smiles Radmila.

She also added that most of the tickets are already booked for these additional sessions. “Men have already booked the tickets for the following two events, so we can’t accept more men. There is a waiting list for those who didn't apply in time.”


Sometimes you can get in via the waiting list as well, as the organisers will give priority to those who purchase a ticket first. Men shouldn't be discouraged – ladies, come on and apply!

After these additional three events, Olja and Radmila are considering Couple Speed Friending as well, to allow international couples to meet like-minded ones and make new friends here in Budapest.

So whether you've tried speed dating before or this is your first time, tickets might be gone before you make up your mind. Search for Speed Dating Budapest on Facebook, send a PM to the organisers and give it a go!