Tantan Joins the Move Towards IRL Dating Events

Tantan, one of Asia-Pacific’s largest dating apps, is expanding its fitness and social events across the region. The company has been organising runs, workouts and other activities since 2025. Some events have filled within a day, and around 90% of registered participants have attended. Tantan also reported a 5% increase in female app sign-ups in the week after each event.

Upcoming events include a vertical run for around 300 people in Bangkok and a two-day Bar Run in Taichung, expected to attract up to 3,500 participants. The focus on fitness gives singles something to do together and takes some of the pressure away from meeting for a date.

Tantan is not the only dating app using fitness to bring people together. Surf works with HYROX on pre-race runs, recovery sessions, blind dates and after-parties. Wellness dating app ATEAM held around 30 events for 2,000 people before launching its app. It also works with SoulCycle and Life Time Fitness.

The move is part of a wider shift towards IRL dating. Tinder is expanding its IRL events, mainly through partnerships with third-party event providers. At the GDI London Conference, Jigsaw Dating General Manager Maisie Baker surprised the audience by revealing that the company runs more than 200 singles events each month, despite having only five full-time employees. Jigsaw started as a dating app that gradually revealed profile photos as people chatted. It has since become a hybrid dating platform, running mixers, speed dating, pickleball and other events across more than 30 US cities.