Mighty Hoopla Lands in Sydney with an Exclusive Grindr EDGE Experience

On February 21, Mighty Hoopla, Europe’s largest LGBTQ+ music festival, makes its Australian debut at Bondi Beach during Sydney Mardi Gras. Grindr is partnering with the festival to bring EDGE, our new gAI-powered premium tier first piloted in Australia and New Zealand, to life on the ground.

Why This Partnership

Mighty Hoopla's debut in Australia lands during Mardi Gras, a defining moment for queer culture in Sydney. Grindr’s mission has always been rooted in the idea of the Gayborhood: creating space where our community can connect, express themselves, and feel like they belong. Sometimes, that connection happens on your phone. Other times, it takes place on the bright, sunny shores of Bondi Beach. 

EDGE brings that sense of belonging into the user experience, using smarter signals to help Grindr users find the right connections faster, with less friction and more intention.

Having piloted EDGE in Australia and New Zealand made this partnership feel especially deliberate: a chance to engage with the community helping shape the product, in an environment that matches its energy. We designed the activation to mirror how EDGE works, a layered experience that gets better the further in you go.

The activation is built in three tiers. Each one unlocks the next.

The Grindr Gayborhood

Open to all Mighty Hoopla festival-goers. The Gayborhood is Grindr's main presence at the festival, featuring games, interactive activations, and chances to win upgrades to Xtra, Unlimited, and a limited number of EDGE subscriptions.

The Bator Bar (Located between the Wet Dreams and Sandy Bottoms stages)

Reserved exclusively for paid Grindr subscribers. The Bator Bar is an elevated, club-inspired space inside the festival with DJs, an outdoor balcony overlooking Bondi Beach, product-led EDGE experiences, and additional giveaways. All of this is in service of what EDGE delivers in the app: a more intentional experience and functionality that serves your desires at every level.

Show your Xtra, Unlimited, or EDGE subscription in-app at the door to enter.

The EDGE Theatre

The festival's most exclusive space, located inside the Bator Bar and reserved for EDGE subscribers only. Expect surprise performances and unannounced programming. If you have EDGE, whether subscribed beforehand or earned on-site, you’re in.

How to Find the Bator Bar

Look for EDGE-branded signage, including Grindr masks and surfboards, along the main walkways. Follow them to the Bator Bar staircase, show your subscription at the door, and head inside to find the EDGE Theatre.

At a Glance

While there’s something for everyone, each level of our activation goes deeper, and the best parts are accessible only through Grindr.

• The Gayborhood: open to everyone
• The Bator Bar: open to paid Grindr subscribers. 
• The EDGE Theatre: exclusive to EDGE subscribers. 

See You at Bondi

Mighty Hoopla has been a cornerstone of the global queer calendar for nearly fifty years. Choosing Sydney for its first event outside Europe signals where queer culture is headed. Grindr being part of that feels right. We’re excited to continue showing up in Australia, a community that's already helping to shape what EDGE will become.

Mighty Hoopla Sydney. Bondi Beach. February 21. Get tickets.

See you down under. We’ll be edging in the meantime.