Your Rom-Com Inspired Valentine’s Day Event Guide

It’s that time of year again. The shelves are suddenly overflowing with heart-shaped chocolates, every other Instagram ad features a Valentine’s day gift package, and you can’t escape the color red.

Yes, Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, ready to choke everyone of us with its relentless romantic expectations. For a few years, it felt like the season of love was missing a key ingredient: the perfect romantic comedy. The genre that once gave us Cameron Diaz’s witty banter and Julia Roberts’ dazzling smile seemed to have vanished, leaving a gaping hole in our hearts. In a nutshell, all we’ve wanted is the simple pleasure of watching two people fall in love against a backdrop of quirky and unrealistic factors.

But just when we thought we’d have to rewatch Crazy Stupid Love or Pretty Woman for the hundredth time, great rom-coms has been staging a quiet but glorious comeback.

To help you get in the spirit of love, and plan the perfect Valentine’s Day outing, we’ve curated a list of the best new rom-coms from the last few years. This year, we want you to live the romance. Here’s the ultimate guide to turn your favorite new rom-coms into real-life Valentine’s date nights.

The Idea of You (2024)

This movie had everyone talking. Anne Hathaway stars as Solène, a 40-year-old single mom who takes her daughter to a music festival and ends up falling for Hayes Campbell (Nicholas Galitzine), the 24-year-old lead singer of the world’s hottest boy band. It’s a tender and heartfelt exploration of age-gap romance, fame, and second chances. And if you ask us, it’s also a whirlwind romance revolving around the thrill of live music. Find it on Amazon Prime Video and prepare to be swept off your feet.

Your Tix Event Idea

If you loved The Idea of You, then the electric energy of a live concert is the perfect date night for you. We recommend AfroVibes upcoming Valentines Music Experience. With performances from Sean Tizzle, Fave and Anendlessocean, you and your partner are about to have a blast here 💥

Nobody Wants This (2024 & 2025)

Kristen Bell plays an agnostic sex podcaster who falls for a newly single rabbi (Adam Brody). It’s a classic “opposites attract” story that’s all about bridging different worlds and laughing while you do it. Their connection is built on sharp wit, deep conversations, and a willingness to step outside their comfort zones. The chemistry between Bell and Brody is amazing, and it’s not afraid to tackle big questions about faith, love, and cultural differences with a healthy dose of humor. Catch it on Netflix, and you’ll definitely be glad you did.

Your Tix Event Idea

If you love Nobody Wants This, you should really embrace the unexpected this Valentine’s Day. We think a stand-up comedy show can give you the same kind of laughter and conversation that Nobody Wants This does. A good option is the AK Love Comedy Concert. Expect hilarious takes on love, and everyday Naija vibes.

People We Meet on Vacation (2026)

Based on the beloved Emily Henry novel, this film is all about the magic of travel. Poppy and Alex are best friends who have taken a summer trip together for a decade. It’s their sacred tradition, full of inside jokes and romantic tension. That is, until two years ago, when they ruined everything. The movie follows them as they take one last trip full of difficult conversations that will help them figure out if they can salvage their friendship, and maybe, just maybe, admit that they’re in love with each other. Starring Tom Blyth and Emily Bader, this is the perfect movie for anyone who loves a good friends-to-lovers story. Check it out on Netflix.

Your Tix Event Idea

You don’t need a passport to have an adventure. A little beach day that you have to get on a boat to get to? Sounds perfect to us, and this Beach House Valentine’s Party is the right vibe.

Lonely Planet (2024)

In this romantic drama, a reclusive novelist (Laura Dern) finds an unexpected connection with a younger man (Liam Hemsworth) at a writer’s retreat in Morocco. The film is a feast for the senses, filled with the vibrant culture, art, and landscapes of a foreign land. It’s basically about opening yourself up to new experiences and people.

Your Tix Event Idea

Immerse yourselves in art and culture, and you don’t have to fly to Morocco to find it (even though this sounds like an amazing idea). A day spent painting, at a museum, flower arranging, exploring a museum, practicing pottery, is a great idea. Speaking of pottery 👀, Gather House is hosting a Clay Date that sounds like it’s right up your alley if you love this movie.

The Perfect Find (2023)

Gabrielle Union shines in this delightful rom-com about a woman who’s trying to get her fashion career back on track after a very public firing. The only problem? She’s falling for her charming, and much younger, new coworker, who also happens to be her boss’s son. The Perfect Find is a fun, stylish, and empowering film that celebrates female ambition and proves that it’s never too late to find love, even in the most complicated of circumstances. It’s a perfect weekend watch, and its available on Netflix.

Your Tix Event Idea

Get dressed up and kinda like our last idea, try out some art and glamour. A sip-and-paint workshop may be just what you need to capture some stylish energy, and sounds like it fits the vibe.

Rye Lane (2023)

This critically acclaimed British rom-com is a vibrant, funny, and visually stunning walk-and-talk through the streets of South London. Dom and Yas, both recovering from messy break-ups, connect over the course of one chaotic day, helping each other deal with their exes and finding a new spark along the way. It’s a love letter to their neighborhood, but it’s also about the power of a single, life-changing conversation.

Your Tix Event Idea

We think the best way to capture the spontaneous spirit of this film by exploring the hidden gems in your own city. ÈKÓ Groove fits the vibe, and it’s a celebration of culture, rhythm, and Lagos energy curated by global Afrobeats powerhouse SPINALL.

Anyone But You (2023)

This movie really brought the rom-com era back to the box office. Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell star as Bea and Ben, two people who have a disastrous first date and then find themselves pretending to be a couple at a destination wedding in Australia. It’s a modern take on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing, and it’s almost as witty and romantic as the original. The chemistry between Sweeney and Powell is off the charts, and the beautiful Australian scenery is a character in itself. If you missed it in theaters, you can now catch it on Netflix.

Your Tix Event Idea

Yes, we can’t go to Australia, but an outdoor activity might have the same spontaneous vibe, right?. If you loved Anyone But You, we think you need a fun, low-pressure environment this Valentine’s day. Our pick? The Good Picnic!

Red, White & Royal Blue (2023)

Based on the bestselling novel, Red, White & Royal Blue is a groundbreaking rom-com that gives us a love story for the ages. When the First Son of the United States gets into a public altercation with a British prince, the two are forced into a fake friendship for the sake of international relations. But, as you might have guessed, their fake friendship turns into a very real, and very secret, romance. It’s a sweet, funny, and incredibly moving story about love, identity, and the courage to be yourself. Watch it on Amazon Prime Video.

Your Tix Event Idea

Treat yourselves to a taste of the royal life. And a private upscale dinner for 2 sounds exactly like what you should be looking for. Check out this Lover’s Dinner by Oremi!

Upgraded (2024)

Camila Mendes is in this feel-good rom-com about an ambitious intern who gets upgraded to first class on a work trip and finds herself mistaken for her boss. She decides to go along with the charade, which leads to a whirlwind romance with a handsome stranger. Upgraded is a classic Cinderella story with a modern twist, and it’s the perfect movie to watch when you need a little bit of escapism. It’s available on Amazon Prime Video.

Your Tix Event Idea

Indulge in a night of sophistication. An art auction, a gallery tour, or…a live stage play! Watching a Generational Love Story live sounds like a great Valentine’s Day date to us 😉

Honorable Mentions For a Touch of Drama

These stories might be more drama than comedy, but they’re packed with romantic inspiration for a date night with a little more depth, especially if you’d like to stay in.

• One Day (2024, Netflix): This love story is timeless, and frankly, one of our favorites. Based on the beloved novel by David Nicholls, this limited series tells the story of Emma and Dexter, who meet on the night of their graduation and then reconnect on the same day every year for two decades. It’s a beautiful, hopeful, and ultimately heartbreaking story about the enduring power of love.
• My Oxford Year (2025, Netflix): This is a story of love and learning at one of the world’s most famous universities. An ambitious American student’s life is turned upside down when she falls for a charming British PhD student who is hiding a devastating secret. It’s a story about living life to the fullest and finding love in the most unexpected of places.
• From Scratch (2022, Netflix): Inspired by a true story, this limited series follows an American artist who falls in love with a Sicilian chef while studying abroad in Italy. Their epic love story is a journey of love, loss, and the power of family.

P.S. (And maybe spoiler alert?) Have a box of tissues handy for these three. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.

Don’t Just Watch It, Live It

This Valentine’s Day, let the big screen be your guide. The rom-com is back to remind us that life can be full of meet-cutes, grand gestures, and happy endings. So grab your partner, your best friend, or just your adventurous self, and turn these movie moments into real-life memories. Head over to Tix and book your next great love story.

The Rom-Com Is Dead? Long Live the Rom-Com!

So there you have it. The romantic comedy is not just alive and well; it’s thriving. From big-budget theatrical releases to charming streaming gems, there’s a whole new world of rom-coms out there just waiting to be discovered. So this Valentine’s Day, whether you’re single, taken, or somewhere in between, do yourself a favor and indulge in a little romance.

After all, in a world that can often feel dark and cynical, there’s nothing quite like the simple, unadulterated joy of a good rom-com to remind us that love, in all its forms, is always worth celebrating.