Wordpress search through meta_value thats an array - php

Question

If i use an array for a meta value can i see if a value is in the array when querying it? I have a website that has events that has dates attached to it as a meta value and i need to see if an event is on a certain date through a search.
$dates[] = 05/02/2016
$dates[] = 06/02/2016
$dates[] = 06/02/2016
update_post_meta($event, 'show_dates', $dates);
if i add this to an event how could i check if the 'show_dates' contains a date searched for? below is what i have tried already
$wp_query->set('post_status', array('publish', 'future'));
$wp_query->set("meta_key", "show_dates");
$wp_query->set("orderby", "meta_value");
$wp_query->set("order", "ASC");
$startDate = parseDatePicker($_GET['StartDate'], new \DateTime());
if (!is_null($startDate)) {
$wp_query->set("meta_query", array(
array(
'key' => "show_dates",
'value' => $startDate->format("d/m/Y"),
'compare' => 'IN'
)
));
}

Answer 1

Ok so it turns out the answer to this was easier than i expected. As Wordpress serializes the data in the array you can use LIKE instead of IN which will check the serialized array to see if it contains that date.
$wp_query->set('post_status', array('publish', 'future'));
$wp_query->set("meta_key", "show_dates");
$wp_query->set("orderby", "meta_value");
$wp_query->set("order", "ASC");
$startDate = parseDatePicker($_GET['StartDate'], new \DateTime());
if (!is_null($startDate)) {
$wp_query->set("meta_query", array(
array(
'key' => "show_dates",
'value' => $startDate->format("d/m/Y"),
'compare' => 'LIKE'
)
));
}
my next problem was how to work with a range I managed to figure this out and have posted below incase nayone else has a similar problem
if (!is_null($startDate) && !is_null($endDate) && ($startDate->format('d/m/Y') != $endDate->format('d/m/Y'))) {
$wp_query->set("relation", "OR");
$interval = DateInterval::createFromDateString('1 day');
$period = new DatePeriod($startDate, $interval, $endDate);
$dates[] = $startDate->format('d/m/Y');
foreach($period as $day){
$dates[] = array(
'key' => "next_showing_date",
'value' => $day->format('d/m/Y'),
'compare' => 'LIKE',
);
}
$wp_query->set("meta_query", $dates);
}