Tinder expands real-life events to dozens more cities as Gen Z shifts away from dating apps

Tinder is expanding its in-person events feature to dozens of new cities by September, as the company attempts to adapt to changing dating habits among younger users. The announcement came during Match Group's second-quarter earnings call on Tuesday, where the company reported a decline in Tinder's revenue. Shares fell more than 10% in after-hours trading following the results.

Despite the drop, Match Group CEO Spencer Rascoff expressed optimism about the app's turnaround. He noted that Tinder's monthly active users fell by 7% in Q2, a slight improvement from the 8% decline in the previous quarter. Rascoff also said he believed daily active user growth could turn positive “any day now,” after more than three years without reported user growth.

Match Group, which also owns Hinge, OKCupid, Match and other dating platforms, is responding to a broader trend: many Gen Z users are moving away from online dating and toward real-life experiences. The company's internal research reportedly shows that nearly half of singles aged 18 to 29 want to share in-person experiences with people who could become closer connections. At the same time, a generation that grew up online finds it hard to make that transition, so Tinder is focusing on lower-pressure social formats.

In March, Tinder introduced its Events tab in Los Angeles, featuring curated local events at speakeasies, bowling alleys, raves and pottery classes. According to Rascoff, 71% of Tinder's active users in LA aged 18 to 24 engaged with the new section, indicating strong adoption among Gen Z. Since then, more than 60 events have been held.

The Events tab has already launched in nine additional US and European cities, and Tinder says it will be available in 26 cities globally by the end of September. By the end of 2026, the company expects to reach 75 cities. The model is built around partnerships with event providers — Tinder is not directly organizing events but making them discoverable in the app. This approach could also give the company valuable data if it decides to invest further.

Rascoff said the value of events goes beyond attendees. Roughly three in five people who do not currently use Tinder say events would make them more likely to use the app, and a similar share say it would make connecting easier.