Grindr Turns to IRL Events to Grow Its Brand and Advertising Business

Grindr is putting more of its marketing budget into real-world events. CMO Tristan Pineiro said the strategy gives people something to photograph and share, allowing event content to travel further on social media than Grindr’s own posts. It also creates partnership opportunities for brands that want access to Grindr’s users but are uncomfortable advertising directly inside a gay dating app.

During Pride Month, Grindr promoted Madonna’s new album with a surprise concert in Times Square. An in-app notification was sent 30 minutes before the show and Grindr said 50,000 people attended. The wider campaign included merchandise, app content and a London launch party. Grindr is now taking a branded bus around Europe and will hold its annual Pleasure Ball in New York in October.

The events may also support Grindr’s advertising business, which generated $73.6 million in 2025, up 37%. The company has around 15 million monthly users and 1.4 million paying subscribers. Grindr plans to use events, influencers and member referrals to promote Edge, its new AI-powered premium membership. Morgan Stanley estimates that converting just 0.25% of users at $200 per month could produce the equivalent of a full year of revenue growth.

Benjamin Cooper, Director of Consumer Content at Grindr, also discussed the company’s changing image at the GDI Conference in London. He said Grindr’s social channels now have 2.5 million followers and generate 32.7 million monthly impressions. He highlighted its Who’s the Asshole? podcast, the Host or Travel series and content covering gay communities around the world. Cooper said Madonna’s team approached Grindr after seeing the work it had done over the previous year to move beyond its reputation as simply a hook-up app.