6 unique first date ideas to enjoy with Virgin Red

According to research it takes a tenth of a second to form a first impression of someone, which makes first dates even more nerve-wracking than ever. Not only do you have to keep up conversation, play it cool and generally be great company: there’s also the pressure to somehow wow the other person (and they you) in super-quick time.

But first dates don’t have to be awkward. Choose the right activity and you can take the spotlight right away from you as a couple and onto the experience at hand. And in doing so, it'll help you bond through that moment.

Virgin Red, the new rewards club from Virgin, is jam-packed with rewards for two to help your first date go with a swing. From feeding meerkats to foraging for a wild lunch, here are just a few rewards you can redeem with Virgin Points to mix things up and put you and your match at ease. 

Hurrah for the connecting power of adventure – and getting to know one another without all the self-conscious vibes. 

Hop aboard a helicopter buzz flight

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There are few activities that will take you out of your head and into the moment more than a helicopter buzz flight for two. Head up into the clouds (or one step closer to them) with this thrilling flight, available with a Virgin Red Scarlet Collection voucher for Virgin Experience Days. Take flight together, and know what it is to be alive.  

See a live comedy gig

For just 4,000 Virgin Points you and a plus one can laugh the night away at a comedy night across the UK. Up to three of the UK’s funniest stand-up comedians will take to the stage for a night of pure comedy, and the night won’t necessarily end there. Some selected locations will offer you the chance to stick around where you’ll be invited to the after-show party until the early hours, in case you really want to let your hair down.

Get set for a gin-credible masterclass

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One way to remove the pressure of small talk on a first date is to make your meal into a masterclass. Step forward Virgin Red’s gin session with tastings and dinner for two. Learn all about the art of gin from the connoisseurs ar Fever Tree, with five specially crafted tastings followed by a main-course meal. You’ll be chatting away in no time, with plenty of (delicious) distraction en-route. 

Meet the mischievous meerkats

How about a double date first date – with meerkats? These friendly, playful creatures will break the ice in no time, as you get up-close in a feeding encounter at Hertfordshire’s Paradise Wildlife Park. You and your partner will discover how to feed meerkats, and let them clamber all over you, under the watchful eye of an experienced keeper. Available via a Virgin Red voucher for Virgin Experience Days’ Ebony Collection. 

Forage for a wild food lunch

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Rather than simply sharing a dinner date, why not sing for your supper instead? This six-hour foraging course from Virgin Red will take you and your date on a wilderness adventure, exploring hedgerows and woodland for edible treats. After you’re done scouring the countryside, you’ll learn how to transform your bounty into a two-course lunch, featuring the likes of wild mushroom risotto and  elderberry panna cotta. What better way to sow the seeds of love (or at least chemistry)? 

Unleash your inner dancing queens

Those who sing together, stay together. This one slightly depends on you/your first date being Abba fans – but even if that’s debatable, we challenge you not to be swept up by the sheer euphoria of this feel-good night out. Seat-boogie the night away with two Virgin Red tickets to the hottest West End show in town: aka, Mamma Mia! At London’s Novello Theatre. You’ll be taking a chica-chance-chance on one another in no time…

Find out more about Virgin Red, the new rewards club from Virgin, right here.