Table of Contents
- Key Highlights:
- Introduction
- What the ClassPass data shows, in plain numbers
- Why younger adults are choosing classes over bars
- Studios are responding: programming, scheduling, and community design
- Social dynamics: how classes reshape friendship and dating rituals
- Economic and urban implications: nightlife, hospitality, and public space
- Who benefits—and who may be left behind
- What this means for operators and brands: tactical moves
- Cultural implications: will the bar ever go away?
- Potential risks and unanswered questions
- Practical takeaways for consumers, operators, and cities
- Looking ahead: signs to watch
- FAQ
Key Highlights:
- More than half of ClassPass users aged 18–34 report choosing a workout or wellness experience over going out for drinks in the past year; younger users consistently report this behavior at higher rates than those 35 and older.
- Booking patterns and studio offerings reflect the change: early-morning classes are being used to shape evening plans, and Friday–Saturday prime-time wellness reservations increased sharply, while studios introduce late-night and social-class experiences.
Introduction
A quiet cultural realignment is unfolding in gyms and studios across major cities. For a growing slice of younger adults, the social calendar increasingly orbits fitness and wellness rather than bars and late-night venues. New survey results from ClassPass—drawing responses from 910 active platform users between May 21 and June 3, 2026—show that users aged 18–34 are more likely than older cohorts to choose workouts, classes, and wellness experiences in place of traditional nightlife.
This is not merely about people skipping drinks to get a good night’s sleep. The data documents a broader change in how younger adults socialize, prioritize recovery and productivity, and structure their free time. It also signals operational shifts for studio operators and broader consequences for nightlife economies. The survey reveals specific behaviors—booking early classes to ensure earlier nights out, suggesting workouts to friends instead of drinks, using classes to meet new people—that together sketch a new pattern of urban social life.
The findings warrant close attention from fitness operators, hospitality businesses, city planners, and anyone tracking how leisure spending and social habits are evolving among Gen Z and younger Millennials.
What the ClassPass data shows, in plain numbers
The ClassPass survey asked active users—people who had taken at least one class or booked an appointment in the previous 30 days—about whether they had traded a night out for a workout, suggested workouts to friends, or otherwise used fitness as a social substitute during the past year. Key results among respondents aged 18–34:
- 53% said they had booked a workout, class, or wellness experience instead of going out for drinks or nightlife in the past year.
- 51% have suggested a workout to a friend in place of drinks.
- 44% used a class as a substitute for meeting a friend at a bar or restaurant.
- 44% skipped or canceled a night out to be fresh for a morning class the next day.
- 64% booked an early-morning class deliberately so they would be home earlier the previous evening.
Each of those behaviors is more common among younger users than among those aged 35 and older. For example, 53% of 18–34-year-olds reported booking a workout instead of drinks, compared with 42% of older users. Similar gaps exist across the other measures: suggesting a workout to a friend (51% vs. 38%), using a class instead of meeting at a bar (44% vs. 27%), skipping nights out for morning classes (44% vs. 32%), and booking early classes to shape the prior evening (64% vs. 49%).
Beyond the discrete behaviors, the survey captured the social role of classes: 53% of younger users said they had used a class to catch up with someone; 44% reported making a new friend or meaningful connection through a class; 18% joined a run club, group fitness community, or class community in the past year. Among users who reported trading nightlife for workouts, nearly half (49%) also said they made a new friend or connection through ClassPass, compared with 37% among those who had not traded a night out for a workout.
Booking patterns reinforce the behavioral findings. Class reservations between 7–11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays—prime nightlife hours—more than doubled in 2025 compared with two years earlier. Studios and operators have taken note and adapted programming, with late-night classes and social-focused offerings appearing in cities such as New York (ClassPass cites [solidcore] offering classes at 10 p.m. and Big Apple Ballroom providing Friday-night bachata).
The survey sample consists of 910 ClassPass users with an English-language locale who had been active on the platform for at least six months. Age and behavior were self-reported.
Why younger adults are choosing classes over bars
Several intersecting motivations explain the shift from bars to studios among people aged 18–34. The ClassPass data hints at those drivers; plain observation and industry trends fill in the rest.
Purposeful health choices and productivity: Younger adults increasingly prioritize sleep, recovery, and productivity. Booking an early-morning class is a planning decision that constrains night-time activity. Sixty-four percent of surveyed 18–34-year-olds said they deliberately booked early classes to be home earlier the evening before. The choice to trade a late night for an early workout aligns with broader lifestyle preferences: optimizing energy, maintaining consistent routines, and avoiding hangovers that compromise work or social plans the following day.
Social priorities shift: Fitness classes double as places to socialize. More than half of younger users said they used classes to catch up with someone; 44% made new connections through classes. Unlike bars—settings that often center around alcohol and transient conversation—structured group classes provide shared experiences and recurring touchpoints (scheduled sessions, instructor cues, small-group interactions) that make follow-ups and friendship formation easier. For some users, the studio serves as a social home base.
Perceived value and time use: For many, an hour in a class feels more meaningful than an hour at a bar. Studio workouts deliver measurable effort, progress toward goals, and physical aftereffects that signal achievement. Younger consumers frequently evaluate leisure by perceived return on time and money; classes can offer both social interaction and personal development in a single outing.
Mental health benefits: Group exercise offers stress relief and predictable social contact—both valuable for people navigating work, education, and early-career pressures. While the ClassPass survey does not measure clinical outcomes, the platform’s respondents report using classes to catch up, connect, and spend time with friends—social determinants that support mental well-being.
Cultural norms and identity: For many younger adults, fitness participation has become a cultural signifier. Regular attendance at certain boutique classes signals lifestyle choices and provides conversation fodder that replaces bar-centric small talk. That cultural alignment extends to preferences for particular formats—barre, cycling, HIIT, dance—and to how people curate their social image on social platforms.
Safety and moderation: Some younger adults prefer spaces where alcohol is not central to interaction. The ability to socialize sober or with moderate drinking can attract people who seek lower-risk or more controlled social environments.
Cost calculus: While boutique classes are not inexpensive, the comparative cost of frequent bar nights can exceed wellness spending—especially if wellness is subscribed to or scheduled regularly. Choosing classes in place of multiple nights out can reflect a long-term budgetary choice, trading transient pleasures for habit formation.
The survey responses suggest these motivations combine to push younger adults toward studios as social venues. The result is not an abandonment of going out but a reconfiguration of where significant social time is spent.
Studios are responding: programming, scheduling, and community design
The marketplace is adjusting to demand. Studio owners and fitness brands are revising schedules, experimenting with atmospheres, and emphasizing community features to capture the audience that previously favored nightlife.
Late-night and social-driven programming: Operators are extending hours and offering purposefully social formats. The ClassPass brief names examples in New York: [solidcore] runs late classes (with reported 10 p.m. start times), and dance-focused venues like Big Apple Ballroom offer Friday-night bachata. Late-night strength, HIIT, and social-dance sessions create a venue that sits between a club’s timing and a gym’s energy.
“Night out” classes and themed events: Studios promote classes as experiences: themed rides, live DJs, partner workouts, and post-class social hours. Event-style workouts encourage repeat attendance and communal identity, replicating the ritual elements of bars—music, social cues, and ritualized timing—while centering physical activity.
Community building and retention: Operators are investing in community features—run clubs, small-group series, membership cohorts, and instructor-led social initiatives. The ClassPass data shows 18% of younger users had joined a run club or community in the past year. Consistent cohorts make classes feel like social commitments rather than one-off transactions, strengthening both attendance and word-of-mouth.
Schedule engineering: Because many younger users book early classes to shape the prior evening, studios can strategically offer desirable early-morning slots and pair them with late-evening events to capture both sides of the social cycle. Studios that stagger offerings—late-night fun classes paired with early-morning recovery sessions—can become daily anchors for participants.
Venue experience and hybrid models: Some studios replicate elements of nightlife—lighting, music, curated playlists—while avoiding alcohol. Others add lounges for post-class socializing, small kitchens serving healthy snacks, or beverage options like nonalcoholic cocktails. These hybrid experiences make the transition between workout and socializing seamless.
Partnerships and cross-promotion: Fitness brands collaborate with hospitality and entertainment providers to co-host events. While specific partnerships are fluid and local, the strategy seeks to unite fitness-first audiences with lifestyle brands and local businesses that benefit from a wellness-oriented crowd.
Pricing, accessibility, and passes: Platforms like ClassPass provide discovery and flexible booking that lower the friction for trying new studios. Membership models and bundled offerings make regular attendance easier. Studios that monetize community—by offering series, challenges, or member-only events—convert sporadic attendees into steady social participants.
Case example: late-night barre and dance classes Barre classes, a format that blends ballet-inspired moves with isometric holds, have become emblematic of boutique fitness. Their group setting and approachable social culture make them natural substitutes for nightlife. Dance classes—bachata nights, social salsa, and partner dance events—combine music, social connection, and shared learning in a format that replicates some bar experiences while leaving participants energized the next morning. That dynamic explains why studios offering dance nights or late barre see participation from people who would otherwise be at bars.
Social dynamics: how classes reshape friendship and dating rituals
Group fitness alters how people meet, reconnect, and maintain social bonds. The structured nature of classes creates habitual interaction that encourages deeper connections.
Regularity and rituals: Classes occur on a schedule, which encourages routine meet-ups. Regular attendance fosters predictable social contact—people see the same faces at similar times, which reduces the coordination friction that bars require. Those rituals facilitate the development of friendships and can anchor social calendars.
Shared goals and narratives: Participating in shared physical challenges produces stories, progress milestones, and inside jokes—social glue that small talk at a bar rarely delivers. Celebrating PRs (personal records), achieving streaks, or completing a multi-week series creates a sense of shared achievement.
Intentional introductions: Instructors and class formats often encourage partner work, group interactions, or post-class mingling. Compared to the more diffuse social cues in nightlife, fitness settings can more easily facilitate introductions and follow-up exchanges.
Dating and romance: Group classes provide low-pressure ways to meet potential partners. The shared interest in health and activity signals compatibility; instructors and group formats can create natural reasons for contact. The ClassPass data does not measure dating outcomes, but the reported rates of making new friends and connections suggest the studio is a fertile environment for social discovery.
Community as retention: For studios, the social component is not merely a product add-on; it drives retention. Attendees who form social bonds through classes are less likely to churn. The ClassPass survey shows those who traded nightlife for workouts were more likely to report making new friends through the platform—49% versus 37% for non-traders—indicating social ROI for users and retention ROI for operators.
Economic and urban implications: nightlife, hospitality, and public space
A shift in evening behavior among younger adults affects adjacent industries.
Nightlife revenues and the bar economy: Bars and late-night hospitality venues may experience shifts in patronage composition and frequency. If a significant portion of younger patrons reallocates spending to fitness-related experiences, bars will need to adapt with diverse programming—earlier hours, food-focused offers, or partnerships with wellness events—to retain revenue. Some venues have experimented with nonalcoholic nights, wellness pop-ups, or weekday programming to address changing demand.
Public transport and city rhythms: Earlier nights and late-night classes alter transit usage patterns. If people are moving nightlife toward scheduled studio events that include early-morning commitments, cities could see redistributed peak times for public transit and ride-share demand. Weekend evenings that once peaked around bars may now spike with studio check-ins.
Commercial real estate and mixed-use impacts: Demand for studio space—especially venues that can host evening programming—could reshape leasing strategies. Retail and hospitality spaces might increasingly mix fitness and social functions; landlords will notice the value of flexible, experiential tenants who drive consistent foot traffic.
Event and entertainment ecosystems: Promoters, DJs, and performers may find new venues in studios and fitness centers. As studios incorporate live music and DJ-led rides, the music community finds new income streams. Local businesses—coffee shops, healthy-food vendors, and wellness brands—benefit from cross-pollination as studios become social hubs.
Health infrastructure and public health messaging: The migration of social life toward activity-based venues could intersect with public health initiatives. Local governments promoting active transportation, park activation, or public wellness programs might leverage studios to reach younger populations.
Who benefits—and who may be left behind
The move toward studio-based socializing creates winners and losers.
Winners:
- Boutique fitness operators and instructors receive higher attendance, community formation, and stronger retention.
- Fitness discovery platforms (like ClassPass) benefit from increased booking volume and engagement.
- Businesses adjacent to studios—healthy eateries, supplement shops, and recovery services—gain new customers.
- Individuals seeking sober or health-focused social environments find more options.
Potential losers or concerns:
- Traditional nightlife venues may see reduced patronage among younger cohorts, forcing adaptation or closures in some markets.
- Cost and exclusivity: Boutique classes can be expensive relative to public spaces or low-cost nightlife options. If classes replace bars as the primary social venue for certain groups, people with limited budgets may struggle to participate.
- Accessibility: Studio locations, class timings, and capacity constraints can exclude people with variable schedules, caregiving responsibilities, or mobility limitations.
- Cultural homogenization: As studios become social centers, they may attract homogenized demographics unless intentionally designed to be inclusive across income, race, gender, and ability.
A city’s cultural diversity depends on a mix of venues and inclusive programming. The growth of studio socialization should not erase other spaces; it should expand options.
What this means for operators and brands: tactical moves
Studios, operators, and related brands can act on the data with concrete strategies.
Diversify time slots: Add late-evening and early-morning blocks to capture patrons who want to structure nights around classes. Pairing late-night social classes with morning recovery sessions can create a full-cycle offering.
Design social programming: Produce themed nights, partner events, and low-pressure social mixers that facilitate connection. Invest in instructor training to encourage community-building and introductions.
Offer tiered pricing and accessibility options: Provide drop-in rates, membership tiers, discounted trials for new attendees, and community-focused classes to broaden accessibility.
Leverage discovery platforms: Work with booking platforms to feature social classes, community events, and cohort-based programming. Data-driven promotions can target users who historically substituted nightlife with fitness.
Partner with local businesses: Cross-promote with restaurants, nonalcoholic beverage brands, and transportation services to create bundled experiences that make studio attendance a full evening plan.
Measure social ROI: Track metrics beyond attendance—repeat attendees, friend referrals, and community participation—to evaluate social programming investments.
Cultivate inclusivity: Intentionally design classes for a range of fitness levels and backgrounds. Offer scholarships, sliding scale options, or community hours to reduce barriers based on cost or culture.
Cultural implications: will the bar ever go away?
Bars are unlikely to disappear. Alcohol-centered social venues satisfy distinct emotional and cultural needs—spontaneity, late-night socializing, and a particular kind of nightlife ritual. The ClassPass data points to a diversification of options rather than a binary replacement.
Expect a hybrid nightlife ecology: some nights will be studio-centric (theme classes, dance nights), others bar-centric. Bars may evolve, offering wellness-adjacent programming (mocktail menus, earlier events, community partnerships). Studios will not supplant every facet of nightlife but will stake greater claim to social time formerly dominated by bars.
The cultural result: more choices. People can opt for late-night training with friends one weekend, a bar crawl the next, and hybrid evenings—class followed by a low-key meal—on another. For social life, the net effect is a rearrangement of rituals: rituals that once revolved around drink will now coexist with rituals centered on shared effort, movement, and recovery.
Potential risks and unanswered questions
The ClassPass survey provides a snapshot of behavior among active platform users, but it leaves several questions open.
Representativeness: The sample is limited to ClassPass users with English locales who had been active for at least six months. The behaviors observed may not generalize to all younger adults, particularly those who do not use discovery platforms or who prefer informal fitness gatherings.
Long-term sustainability: Are these behaviors enduring habits or responses to recent cultural shifts? The survey shows recent behavior over the past year; whether younger adults maintain fitness-first social habits over decades remains an open question.
Equity and accessibility: If social life increasingly centers on paid studio attendance, communities without affordable or accessible options may be excluded. This shift could exacerbate social divides based on income and geography unless operators prioritize inclusivity.
Impact on nightlife economies: Communities dependent on nightlife revenues may experience economic adjustments. Policymakers and chambers of commerce will need to consider how to support businesses in transition.
Wellness commodification: Turning social life into a wellness product risks commercializing intimate social rituals. The challenge for studios is to preserve authenticity and community while scaling revenue.
Data gaps: The survey does not track frequency of trading nights out for classes, nor does it cross-tabulate behaviors with factors like employment type, parenthood, or urban density. Those variables could illuminate why the trend is stronger among younger users.
Practical takeaways for consumers, operators, and cities
Consumers:
- Treat class schedules like social calendars. Booking intentional early classes can help structure evenings without sacrificing social interaction.
- Explore class communities to expand social networks in healthy, recurring ways.
- Seek studios that offer inclusive pricing and times that match your lifestyle.
Operators:
- Design programming that balances performance (workout quality) with sociality (post-class spaces, events).
- Consider late-night offerings and themed experiences that mirror nightlife rituals without alcohol.
- Track community metrics—referrals, cohort retention, and event attendance—to quantify social ROI.
Cities and policymakers:
- Monitor shifts in evening foot traffic and transit patterns to align services and safety measures.
- Support mixed-use nightlife ecosystems that include affordable public fitness options, parks, and community centers to prevent social exclusion.
- Engage hospitality and fitness sectors in collaborative planning that benefits broad swathes of the community.
Looking ahead: signs to watch
Several indicators will reveal whether this is a durable shift or a transient phase:
- Continued growth in late-evening class bookings and repeat attendance for social fitness events.
- Expansion of studio footprints beyond dense urban cores into suburbs, with localized social programming.
- Cross-sector partnerships between studios and hospitality brands that create hybrid social experiences.
- Evidence of nightlife businesses adapting with wellness-oriented offers or earlier programming.
- Data from broader, population-representative surveys confirming similar behavior across non-ClassPass users.
If these signs align, the studio-as-social-hub model will consolidate, with implications for employment in hospitality, urban vibrancy, and local business ecosystems.
FAQ
Q: What exactly did the ClassPass survey measure? A: The survey, conducted from May 21–June 3, 2026, polled 910 ClassPass users who had been active on the platform for at least six months and had taken or booked at least one class in the previous 30 days. Respondents reported age and behaviors such as booking classes instead of going out, suggesting workouts to friends, and whether they used classes to meet people. Data reflects self-reported behavior over the past year.
Q: How large is the effect among younger users? A: Among respondents aged 18–34, 53% said they booked a workout instead of going out for drinks in the past year; 51% suggested a workout to a friend instead of drinks; 44% used a class as a substitute for meeting a friend at a bar or restaurant. These rates exceed those reported by users aged 35 and older on every measured behavior.
Q: Does this mean younger people are stopping nightlife entirely? A: No. The data points to a shift in where social activity happens rather than absolute cessation. Many younger adults combine studio attendance with other social behaviors. The studio increasingly serves as a go-to venue for socializing, but bars and nightlife retain a role.
Q: Which types of classes are drawing people away from bars? A: The survey references barre and dance formats as examples of socially oriented classes. In general, boutique formats that combine instruction, music, and group interaction—barre, cycling, HIIT, dance, and social running clubs—are well positioned to attract people who might otherwise have chosen drinks.
Q: Are studios changing their business models because of this? A: Yes. Operators are experimenting with late-night classes, social-themed events, DJ rides, and community-building programs. Booking platforms report increased evening reservations, and studios are pairing social experiences with workout offerings to capture patrons seeking both fitness and connection.
Q: Does this trend favor certain cities or neighborhoods? A: The ClassPass brief cites New York City examples and reports platform-wide booking patterns, but the survey sample includes users across U.S. and international markets. Dense urban areas with high concentrations of boutique studios are most visible in the trend; suburban and rural markets may experience different dynamics depending on local offerings.
Q: What are the broader economic impacts? A: Shifts in social patterns influence adjacent businesses—restaurants, bars, public transit, and retail. Bars may need to diversify programming; studios and wellness brands will capture more discretionary spending tied to evenings. Urban planning and transit providers may notice shifts in peak usage times.
Q: Is this trend equitable? A: Affordability and access remain concerns. Boutique classes can be costly, and not all neighborhoods have accessible studios. Operators and municipalities should consider policies and programming that expand access to active social options across income levels.
Q: How should studios measure success if social connection matters as much as attendance? A: Beyond raw attendance, studios can track retention by cohort, referral rates, participation in community events, social media engagement driven by class communities, and qualitative feedback on connection and belonging. Those metrics capture the social ROI that drives long-term business health.
Q: Will bars adapt to this change? A: Many hospitality venues will adapt by offering earlier events, nonalcoholic options, partnerships with fitness providers, and food-forward experiences that appeal to patrons seeking social connection without late-night excess. The most successful venues will blend flexibility with authenticity.
Q: Where can I find late-night or social classes? A: Discovery platforms, studio websites, and community event calendars list themed classes and late offerings. Look for studios advertising DJ rides, dance socials, or late-start classes; some also post weekly events on social media. If your local market lacks options, suggest a community class to nearby studios—demand often drives scheduling decisions.
Q: What are the next steps for researchers and industry watchers? A: Broader, representative studies should examine demographic, socioeconomic, and geographic variation in the trend, and longitudinal data should track whether these behaviors persist. Operators should continue experimenting with programming while documenting community impacts and accessibility outcomes.
The ClassPass data captures an emergent pattern: younger adults are reshaping where they socialize by centering fitness and wellness in their leisure time. That shift echoes through programming strategies, urban economies, and social rituals. Studios that succeed will pair compelling workouts with authentic community-building and inclusive access; nightlife businesses that adapt will find ways to coexist with and complement fitness-first social options. The result will be a more varied social ecology—one where a Friday night can mean barre, bachata, or a bar, and where meaningful connections form across a broader range of venues.
