Presents
The Events Guide
Everything you need to know before your first night with us — how it runs, what to wear, and who you'll meet.
Manchester · Liverpool · Preston
This event
50s & 60s — 80s/90s Party
Saturday 5th September 2026 · 4pm – 10pm
Baluga Bar & Club, Preston · Age 50+ · Last entry 6pm
£25.98 per ticket, including booking fee
Welcome
You asked for more information.
Here's the whole night.
Single Mingle runs age specific singles parties in exclusive venues in Manchester, Liverpool & Preston.
Everyone in the room is single and in your age bracket. That one fact does most of the work. There's no speed-dating buzzer, no name badges with numbers on, and nobody makes you stand up and introduce yourself. What we do instead is run the room properly: a host who greets you at the door, an icebreaker that gives you a reason to talk to strangers, and a cash prize on the line to keep everyone mingling!
Plenty of people come alone or meet up with the WhatsApp groups & come in together — by 8pm you genuinely can't tell who came with who!
What to expect
How the evening runs
These are the timings for our Preston events @ Baluga Bar (other venues/locations may vary).
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4pm
Doors open
Last entry 6pm. Your host will get you checked in and direct you where everything is. Nobody gets left standing in a doorway scanning for a friendly face — that's the host's job, not yours.
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4pm–8pm
Padlock & Key icebreaker
Every woman is given a padlock, every man a key. Your job is to find the one that fits. It's the easiest possible excuse to walk up to someone — you're not chatting them up (unless you want to!), you're just trying a key. It also works as a polite way to move on from conversations too, should you wish. Matches go into the prize draw.
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8:15–8:30pm
Single Mingle games
A limited number of volunteers take part in the group games (everyone else spectates!) in the hope of spinning the Single Mingle Prize Wheel and getting a main prize.
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8:30–9:30pm
Photobooth props time
Props out and our photographer Ian working the room, capturing those memories! Conversation runs itself by this point — if you're not too distracted dancing. Keep an eye on Facebook in the days after to see your pictures.
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8:45pm
Padlock & Key winners announced
Make sure you're on the dancefloor when the winners of the cash prizes are announced, so you don't miss out!
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8–10pm
80s & 90s music
The formal-ish bit is over, the music goes up and the dancefloor does the rest!
£200 & £100
Cash prizes on the night
Drawn from the padlock and key matches. You don't need to buy anything extra or enter separately — taking part in the icebreaker is the entry.
Dress code
Smart, and comfortable enough to enjoy it
Think what you'd wear to a night out at a nice bar — not black tie, and not straight from the gym!
Remember though, this is an 80s & 90s party — so whilst fancy dress is not required, if you want an excuse to dig out the leg warmers, shellsuit tracksuits or double denim, we'd love to see it!
For women
Dresses, jumpsuits, smart trousers or a skirt with a nice top. Heels if you want them, but the night involves a lot of standing and dancing (if the mood takes you!) — plenty of people bring flats and are glad they did!
For men
Shirt or a smart polo, chinos or jeans, shoes or smart trainers. A blazer never looks out of place. Ties are entirely up to you and most people don't bother.
Cloakroom
Baluga Bar & Club provides a free cloakroom, so you can rest assured your jackets and coats are in safe hands.
Coming on your own
Most people do
Arriving alone is more common than you think — but we know it can feel a bit daunting coming to something like this by yourself, so here's what most people do.
Join the WhatsApp group before you come
Every event has a group chat that opens in the run-up to the night. People introduce themselves, sort out who's travelling from where, and arrange to meet nearby beforehand so they can come in together.
Walking in with a group of ready-made single friends, all in the same boat, definitely takes the edge off the nerves — and is always the start of some amazing friendships!
Opens a text message to 07700 139206 with the wording ready to send
Gallery
Previous nights
A look at the rooms, the crowd and the photobooth.
Photography by Ian
What guests say
In their words
It was the first time I have been to this singles event and can definitely say it's the best singles event I have been to — everyone was so friendly. I loved the Padlock & Key, it's definitely a good icebreaker. The music was great and the venue was amazing. I will definitely look forward to the next one!
It was a great night. I come on my own so was nervous, but the atmosphere was good and I soon felt comfortable in there.
We had an amazing time! The music, the ratio between men and women was great. We exchanged numbers and will come again — if I'm still single!
Success stories
What happened next
Jo & Eddie
Got chatting early in the night, then spent the rest of it talking instead of mingling! Fast forward to this year and they're still going strong — just got back off holiday and happier than ever.
Sheryl & Jack
Sheryl almost didn't come, as her friend dropped out last minute. She joined the ladies' WhatsApp group instead — and ended up meeting Jack. They now live together and are planning the rest of their lives!
Karen & Pete
Karen had been to a few of our events before, but she didn't give up hope — and she's so glad she didn't. She and Pete have met each other's families, been on holidays and are living their best lives! That's the two of them on the left, on a recent holiday with friends.
Ready when you are
50s & 60s — 80s/90s Party
Baluga Bar & Club, Preston
- Date
- Sat 5 Sept 2026
- Time
- 4pm – 10pm
- Age group
- 50+
- Tickets
- £25.98
Last entry 6pm. Ticket price includes the booking fee. Numbers are capped to keep the gender balance even.
Questions
FAQ
Do many people come solo?
Yes — loads! But remember, if the thought of coming alone fills you with anxiety, join the ladies-only or gents-only WhatsApp group to chat to others in the same boat and come in together.
Is the age bracket strict?
Our 50s & 60s events are open to anyone over the age of 50. There's no upper age limit, but the predominant ages are 50s and 60s. We have other age ranges for people aged 30+.
Is the number of men and women balanced?
There's always a fairly equal ratio of ladies to men. Ladies always sell out first and gents aren't usually far behind. Our events often sell out too, meaning there are equal numbers of each booked on.
Is food available?
The venue has its own menu, which can be seen on their website, and is available to purchase on the night.
Can I get a refund if I can't make it?
We offer a no-quibble refund up to two weeks before the event. After this we aren't able to process refunds or transfer tickets to other events.
Is there parking and public transport nearby?
The nearest car park is Avenham Car Park, a 2–3 minute walk from the venue. There's also a smaller one, Bolton Court Car Park, slightly further away but only £4.15 for 24 hours. Preston bus and train stations are both less than a 10 minute walk from the venue.
How often do you run these events?
We run each age category every 2–3 months apart, and we have other areas too if you didn't want to wait that long! We'll announce the next event for each age category after this one has taken place.