Eventbrite

Something started showing up in our data that we couldn't stop looking at. Mahjong events up 235%. Trivia nights up 403%. Birdwatching meetups (yes, birdwatching) up 131%. Plant swaps up 117%. Not the categories you'd expect to lead a 2026 growth chart! Turns out this isn't a hobby story. It's a dating story. 77% of Gen Z now say they're meeting romantic matches in real life—and it's happening through pottery classes, book clubs, pilates socials, and mahjong nights. The line between "dating event" and "hobby event" is dissolving, and the shared interest has become the point of entry. We wrote up the whole picture in The Modern Meet-Cute Index and shared a selection of events in our blog. If you're curious about where the next generation is actually meeting each other (or where you might) take a look! https://lnkd.in/efREWraR

There's a lot we can learn from Tampa Bae Social, a Tampa-based event series founded by Temeka Washington that's building real community through hobby-based events and shared experiences. Their growing popularity taps into the IRL meet-cute revival, a trend from our Modern Meet-Cute Index. Hosted through craft nights, cake decorating classes, and hands-on workshops with local small businesses, every Tampa Bae Social event is designed to lower the pressure of showing up solo. Attendees create, laugh, and connect side by side, with the activity itself doing the work of breaking the ice. Connection happens naturally because no one's expected to make small talk before they've even sat down. How are you designing events where solo attendees already feel like they belong?

Another month, another stacked lineup. 🤘👾 June's product updates bring smarter workflows, better event discovery, and more ways to save time, so you can focus on the moments that matter. Check out the full setlist with the 🔗 below, and stay tuned for the next release!

When USA TODAY Youth Mental Health Reporter Rachel Hale hit eight hours of screen time in a single day, she realized her current screen restriction measures weren't cutting it. So, she buried her iPhone 17 in a desk drawer and committed to a full month with a "dumb phone." Living without a smartphone meant getting lost on the subway, missing last minute dinner reservations at NYC hot spots, and disrupting the iMessage group chat flow with green texts. But it also forced her to slow down. This shift is something we're tracking closely at Eventbrite. Gen Z is leading a full-blown analog revival. In fact, we declared this “The Offline Summer” after seeing a spike in locally-rooted, intentionally offline gatherings like block parties, picnics, and potlucks. People are trading scrolling for in-person connection. The takeaway? We don't need to throw our phones away. We just need a better balance between intentional screen time and being fully present IRL. 👉 If you went offline for a weekend, what’s the first real-world thing you’d do? Read Rachel’s full journey here: https://lnkd.in/eqMGN5eg

Better discovery starts here. 📆 Calendar View is one of the many updates we've introduced to help organizers create better attendee experiences. And we're not stopping there! From new event management tools to expanded discoverability features, we've continued shipping product updates throughout June. Head to the 🔗 in comments to explore the latest.

In a new article for Observer, Eventbrite GM Andrea Parodi explores how the 2026 World Cup is challenging the idea that personalized, on-demand experiences have replaced the need for shared cultural moments. ⚽️ As fans turn a global broadcast into real-world gatherings, the tournament is revealing the growing value of experiencing something together, and what organizers and venues can learn from it. Click the 🔗 in comments below to read the full article!

Summer like it’s 1996 💽 People are trading group chats for group hangs, doomscrolling for farmers markets, and feeds for face-to-face connection. The numbers back it up: 🧺 Picnics: +146% 🌻 Community gardens: +32% 🍅 Farmers markets: +24% 🎉 Block parties: +14% Whether you’re hosting a neighborhood gathering, a community market, or a picnic in the park, people are looking for more than something to do… they’re looking for somewhere to belong. Read more about the trends shaping The Offline Summer and see what’s bringing people together IRL with the 🔗 in comments!

Eventbrite GM Andrea Parodi sat down with Jeremy Young, Editor-in-Chief of Hypebot, to discuss the value independent venues bring to local communities and culture, Eventbrite’s role as presenting sponsor at NIVA ’26 in Minneapolis earlier this month, and how ongoing conversations with venues and independent organizers are directly shaping what gets built next. 🎟️🎶 Read the full article with the link in comments!

The live events industry is powered by independent organizers, venues, and creators—and we love learning from them. At NIVA '26, we caught up with Andrew J. Coate, co-founder of The Argo, to talk about building memorable live experiences, fostering community, and what he's seeing across the industry. Here are a few highlights from our conversation. We'd love to hear from you, too. 🧡

The May setlist has officially taken center stage! 🎸 We’re proud to present a lineup of features that include new ways to connect with attendees, manage your events, and keep things running smoothly behind the scenes. Take a look at what’s new, and stay tuned! We’re already working on the next act 🔥👀