TL;DR
- Luma hides a significant share of public events from its discover page, with 76.9% not featured.
- Cities like New Delhi have especially high hidden shares.
- Meetup’s hidden event share isn’t tracked here, but Luma’s is visible via Hidden Events.
- You can use the event checker to see if a Luma event is hidden.
- Hidden Events surfaces many public Luma events you won’t find on Luma’s own discover page.
Luma and Meetup both power local events, but the way they surface, or hide, public listings is different. Luma’s discover page misses a surprising share of public events. If you rely on it, you could miss out. Here’s how the hidden event landscape really looks, and how you can find what Meetup and Luma leave out.
What does it mean for an event to be hidden on Luma or Meetup?
A hidden event on Luma is public but doesn’t appear on Luma’s discover page. Meetup’s hidden share isn’t tracked here, but Luma’s numbers are clear. Hidden Events defines “hidden” as any public event that’s not on Luma’s featured listings, even though anyone with the link can RSVP. This means many events are technically open, but you won’t see them on Luma’s main site.
If you’re an organizer or attendee, this matters: you might think you’ve seen all the options, but you’re really just seeing what’s featured. To check if a Luma event is hidden, try the event checker. This tool lets you paste any Luma link and instantly see if it’s missing from discover. With Meetup, the process is more opaque, there isn’t a direct way to see what’s hidden or not, since Hidden Events doesn’t track Meetup data.
Key takeaway: On Luma, hidden events are public but not shown on the main listings, making them easy to miss unless you know where to look.
How many Luma events are hidden compared to those featured?
A striking 76.9% of public Luma events in 27 cities are hidden from Luma’s discover page. Out of 3513 tracked events, 2703 are not featured, while just 810 make it to the main listings. Meetup’s hidden share isn’t measured here, but these numbers show how much you’re missing if you rely on Luma’s discover feed.
To see the full list, check all the Luma events we track. Cities with especially high hidden shares include New Delhi, where 90.7% of events are hidden. Even the city with the lowest share, Lisbon, still sees 55.3% of events not featured.
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Total public Luma events | 3513 |
| Hidden events | 2703 |
| Hidden share (%) | 76.9% |
| Featured events | 810 |
| Cities tracked | 27 |
If you want to explore by city, you can jump straight to San Francisco events, Austin events, or NYC events.
How does the hidden share differ between cities?
Cities differ a lot in how many of their public Luma events are hidden. New Delhi has the highest hidden share, with 90.7% of its events not featured on Luma’s discover page. The next highest are Miami and Seattle, with 90.1% and 89.3%, respectively. Even in Lisbon, 55.3% of public events are hidden.
This means your odds of missing events are much higher in some cities. If you’re in New Delhi, you should absolutely check Miami events on Hidden Events. For a broader look, see Vancouver events or Sydney events. If you want to compare cities, the table above gives a sense of just how much is hidden in each place.
Key takeaway: City matters: in some places, almost all public events are hidden from Luma’s main listings.
How does Luma’s hidden event rate compare to Meetup and Eventbrite?
Luma’s hidden event rate is measurable: 76.9% of public events tracked by Hidden Events are not on Luma’s discover page. Meetup and Eventbrite aren’t tracked by Hidden Events, so their hidden shares aren’t available here. But if you’re comparing platforms, it’s clear Luma’s discover page misses a lot.
If you’re considering which platform is more transparent, check our guide to luma vs eventbrite for a direct comparison. You can also see what Luma says at Luma’s help center and explore Meetup and Eventbrite for their own approaches. For people who want to see every public event, Hidden Events fills the gap for Luma but doesn’t cover Meetup or Eventbrite listings.
What tools help you find hidden Luma events?
You can find hidden Luma events using several tools on Hidden Events. The event checker lets you check if a specific Luma event is hidden. The city events widget makes it easy to embed a city’s upcoming events on your own site. If you’re an organizer, the add-event page lets you add your Luma calendar, events show up in about 10 minutes.
If you’re searching for specific types of events, our guide to how to find networking events google and our guide to how to find hackathons offer practical tips. And if you want to see how Hidden Events stacks up against other options, check our guide to luma alternatives.
Key takeaway: With the right tools, you can surface public Luma events that would otherwise stay hidden.
How can you be sure your event is listed in more places people look?
To make sure your public Luma event is found, add your calendar via the add-event page. Hidden Events refreshes every four hours, and your event should show up in about 10 minutes. If you want a step-by-step, our blog guide walks you through it.
This way, your event appears on Hidden Events and surfaces for people who use the site to find what Luma’s discover page misses. If you want to embed your events elsewhere, the city events widget is a handy option. And if you still have questions, Luma’s help center can help with platform-specific issues.
Ready to see what’s happening in your city? Browse all the Luma events we track and catch the events that don’t appear on the main discover page.
About the author. Himanshu Saleria, Founder, Hidden Events. I love meeting people. I’ve been attending events, hosting them, and picking up patterns along the way for what makes a gathering worth showing up to. Hidden Events surfaces what I’ve been finding. Himanshu Saleria on LinkedIn