Finding events and places

Choose where you are exploring

Abonten shows you events and places for a location. On the web, the location appears in the header and on the home page; in the app it is at the top of the Home tab. You can:

• let the app use your device location (you will be asked for permission once), or
• type a town or area and pick it from the suggestions.

The app remembers the last location you chose.

When Abonten isn't in your area yet

Abonten opens city by city. If you are exploring somewhere it hasn't launched yet, the top of Explore says so, for example "Abonten isn't in Kumasi yet". Anything already listed nearby still shows below it, and you can still search, open links and buy tickets anywhere. From there you can:

• tap Tell me when it launches to get one notice (in the app, and as a push notification if you allow them) when Abonten launches there. You need to be signed in. You can undo it with Stop waiting, and we keep only the city or rough area you asked about, never your exact position;
• explore a city Abonten is open in, under Explore what's happening elsewhere (a short list you can choose from, or one city we suggest); or
• list your own events or place there, if you run them.

Browse

• Home / Explore shows featured (promoted) listings, events happening soon, and places by category.
• Events lists upcoming events for your location, with filters for category, date range, price (free or paid), distance and sort order.
• Places groups venues, restaurants, bars and other businesses by category. A place page shows opening hours (and whether it is open right now), services, photos, contact buttons, a map and upcoming events there.
• Around you (web) and Nearby sorting use your device location to order results by distance.

Listings that Abonten has hidden or removed for breaking the rules never appear in results.

Search

Type in the search box to see suggestions as you go. Results are grouped into events, places and organizers; type @ and a name to look for an organizer by username. Search understands everyday words and dates in the language you use the app in ("tomorrow", "this weekend", "demain"), ignores accents, and suggests close spellings when nothing matches. Your last eight searches are kept on your device for quick access.

The map

Event and place lists have a map view with a pin for each listing; tap a pin to see a card and open the listing. Maps need an internet connection; on Android the map is provided by Google.

Event pages

An event page shows the flyer, organizer, date(s) and time, venue with a map, description, tags, ticket types and prices, ratings and reviews, and similar events. Buttons let you buy tickets or register, save the event, share it, message the organizer, and report it.

Multi-date events show each occurrence; you choose the date when you buy.

Place pages

A place page shows photos, verified/claimed badges, opening hours, services, contact options (call, WhatsApp, website, directions), reviews and upcoming events at that place. You can save the place, share it, request a booking, message the place, and report it. If you own the business and the listing is not yours, use claim this place — see Claiming and verifying a place.

Getting there

In the app, Directions on an event, a place or a ticket lets you choose Google Maps, Apple Maps (iPhone) or Waze; the app you used last is listed first. To book a ride or meet a friend, Share location sends the name, address and a map pin through WhatsApp, SMS or any other app, and Copy address lets you paste it into Bolt, Uber or Yango. On the website, directions open in Google Maps.

Saving and sharing

• Save (heart) an event or place to find it again under your profile's Favourites tab. Favourites are private to you.
• Share copies or sends a link. On the app the share sheet offers your installed apps, including WhatsApp. Links open the listing on the web, and in the app if it is installed.

Reminders (app only)

In the app you can set a reminder for an event from its page and choose how long before it starts. Abonten sends the reminder as a notification to every device you are signed in on, and the phone keeps a local alarm as a backup in case it is offline.

Abonten Weekly and picks for you

• Abonten Weekly (abontenhub.com/weekly, and in the app) is a short, hand-picked guide to the week's events and places for your area. When no guide has been published for the current week, it shows what is on that week instead.
• For you shows picks based on what you have bought, saved and followed. If you allow it, Abonten can also send you at most one suggestion a day and three a week — see Notifications.

Something wrong with a listing?

Use Report on the event or place, pick the reason (spam, fraud or scam, misleading, harassment, inappropriate, fake listing, safety, copyright, impersonation, other), describe the problem and attach a screenshot if you have one. Reports go to Abonten's moderation team.