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The underrated art of snogging is set for a 2026 revival
Nightclubs with sticky floors, bars with standing room only, street corners outside the night Tube.
These aren’t just old haunts, they’re arenas. Corners of cities where eyes meet, numbers are drunkenly exchanged, and the possibility of meeting the love of your life all converge.
So often, these nights end tangled up in a stranger’s bed having sex – whether it be mind-blowing or rather awkward.
But somewhere in between we’ve glossed over a fundamental part of romantic connection: a good old fashioned snog. The sexual ‘bases’ have shifted, with some daters now considering oral sex the first stop.
The tide is set to change, though. Snogging is a hot topic on TikTok right now, with multiple creators like Tilly Ferrari calling for kissing to be ‘in’ in 2026.
‘I want to see more snogging without consequences, and I want to see more snogging that just stops at snogging,’ she says, notepad and pen in hand.
From necking on to sucking face, smooching to first base, and even getting a winch – we’ve come up with countless neologisms for kissing – so it’s time we started to put them to good use.
Why we should suck face more
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‘Kissing is such an underrated art – something that I urge everyone to experiment with more.’
These are the words of BACP psychotherapist and relationship coach, Susie Masterson, who explains to Metro that it’s an ‘incredibly intimate act, sometimes more so than sex’.
Take Julia Roberts’ character in Pretty Woman, who has a ‘no kissing’ rule for precisely this reason.
If you think about it, there’s little comparison to the moment someone looks in your eyes, then looks to your mouth, finally letting slip they’re as into you as you are into them. And then smushing your faces together.
For Metro lifestyle journalist Charlie Sawyer, a simple snog is unmatched. ‘I’ve been a fan of snogging for well over a decade and can confirm participating in some mouth to mouth action in public places will forever be my favourite pastime,’ she says.
‘I love that a kiss can mean so many different things. It could mean “I hate you” or “I still love you” or “I don’t ever want to see you again but oh my god I’m so happy I met you”.’
No two snogs are ever the same.
Why did snogging lose its significance? Sex and relationship expert Annabelle Knight previously told Metro porn and pop culture have both led to daters speeding to less PG intimacy.
That’s all well and good if you’re both enjoying it, but psychotherapist Eloise Skinner believes snogging is having a revival because many of us have been burnt too many times.
‘For those who see a hook up as a way to establish a new connection with someone, ghosting culture may have made it less desirable to risk investing too much in a stranger,’ she tells Metro.
It’s not like snogging is the booby prize though. It can be monumental.
Sexuality expert Courtney Boyer tells Metro kissing can truly be an art form and should be elevated as a desirable form of intimacy in 2026.
‘Kissing allows us to be playful, seductive, and most of all, connective,’ she says. ‘Bringing snogging back is really about bringing presence, choice, and desire back into dating.’
Popular culture lends itself to this idea, too. For Georgie Nicolson at her kissing lesson in Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging, it’s a coming of age moment of exploration (hopefully for us minus the washing machine of drool), while for Jack and Rose on the Titanic, it was a defiant revolt against classism and rigid social expectations.
An erotic boundary
But it’s about more than just self-expression. For some, leaving an intimate moment at a snog can be a form of self-care.
‘It slows things down,’ Courtney explains. ‘Kissing allows for desire to build instead of being rushed. You’re not getting caught up in chemistry.’
While some of us enjoy the liberation of the drunk one-night stand, 60% of Brits admit to regretting drunk sex. A further 47% find comfort in feeling more in tune with their body during sober sexual encounters.
‘I think women in particular are much more conscious about body autonomy and privacy now,’ psychotherapist Susie says. ‘The transactional nature of intimate relationships is complex and messy – usually because one or either party doesn’t really know what their motivations or expectations are.
‘Or if they do, they feel as though it isn’t ok to verbalise them. Being more boundaried can absolutely be a sign of self respect.’
Let’s face it, a drunken kiss is also more practical than a one-night stand.
‘We get a more comfortable night’s sleep in our own bed,’ psychotherapist Eloise jokes.
‘This is also much safer, especially if it’s a complete stranger. It could help us feel more grounded and focused the next day as well, since we can start it in our own space.’
So next time you’re lip-locked, take a moment to appreciate it for what it is, rather than a mere stepping-stone to taking your clothes off.
In 2026, we’re giving kissing the credit it’s due.
Mwuah.
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