Tinder Expands In-Person Events as Gen Z Shifts Away From Dating Apps

Tinder is accelerating its push into real-world social experiences by expanding its in-person Events feature to dozens of additional cities, as younger users increasingly look beyond traditional dating apps to meet people offline.

The announcement came during Match Group’s second-quarter earnings call, where the company acknowledged that revenue from its flagship dating app declined during the quarter, sending its shares down more than 10% in after-hours trading. Despite the financial setback, executives said they remain confident that Tinder’s turnaround strategy is gaining traction.

Chief Executive Officer Spencer Rascoff said Tinder’s monthly active user decline narrowed to 7% in the second quarter from an 8% decline in the previous quarter. He also told analysts that daily active user growth could return to positive territory soon after more than three years of declines.

Gen Z driving strategy shift

According to Match Group’s internal research, nearly half of singles aged between 18 and 29 want more opportunities to share real-world experiences with people they could build relationships with. Rascoff said many younger users, despite growing up online, still find it difficult to move from digital conversations to in-person interactions.

That insight has led Tinder to invest more heavily in lower-pressure social experiences rather than relying solely on traditional swipe-based matching.

Events feature expands globally

Tinder first introduced its Events feature in Los Angeles in March, creating a dedicated section within the app where users can discover curated local activities such as bowling nights, pottery classes, raves and speakeasy gatherings. Since launch, more than 60 events have been featured.

The company said 71% of Tinder’s active users in Los Angeles aged 18 to 24 engaged with the Events section, demonstrating particularly strong interest among Gen Z users.

Following that early success, Tinder has expanded the feature to nine additional cities across the United States and Europe. The company expects the Events tab to be available in 26 cities worldwide by the end of September and plans to increase that number to 75 cities by the end of 2026.

Partnership model supports growth

Rascoff said Tinder is scaling the programme through partnerships with established event providers instead of organising the events directly. The approach allows the company to expand at relatively low cost while making local experiences easier to discover through the app.

He added that the strategy could also help reshape public perceptions of Tinder, noting that around three in five people who do not currently use the app said access to real-world events would make them more likely to try it and would make meeting new people feel easier.