Make friends
How to meet new people in London
Making friends in London is hard when everyone already seems to have their people. The trick is something regular: a club, a class or a team where you see the same faces every week and the activity does the talking.
Everything here is easy to join on your own, and most of it runs every week.
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Rock choirRock Choir - large contemporary feel-good choir network with London groups; no audition. Termly fee; free taster sessions.
Midnight RunnersFree bootcamp-style social runs w/ music
104 London DebatersToastmasters debate club; table topics. Meets at The Windsor Castle, Francis Street SW1, 2nd & 4th Tuesdays; a separate online club meets 1st Tuesdays.
Supper club (Eatwith etc.)Eat at a host's table - book via platforms like Eatwith. Great for meeting people; prices vary by host (~£40-70pp). Confirm dietary needs when booking.
The Castle Climbing CentreBouldering + roped climbing in a Victorian water-pumping station; the largest Central London wall. PAYG entry + £3 first-visit registration. Beginner courses; booking essential for families/novices with no rope experience. Garden cafe.
5-a-side football leagueJoin a social league via GO Mammoth or book a pitch via Powerleague/Footy. Enter solo, small group, or team; seasons paid upfront.
Korfball (mixed-gender sport)England Korfball - unusual fully mixed team sport; clubs welcome total beginners. Find a club online.
Tango milongaBeginner classes + late-night milongas across London; drop-in. No partner needed to start.
Free meditation (London Buddhist Centre)London Buddhist Centre (Bethnal Green) - drop-in classes & intro courses, donation-based/free. Beginner-friendly, secular-welcoming.
Draughts board-game cafe100s of games + game gurus; small cover. Original site is Acton Mews E8; second branch at Waterloo SE1.
Ceilidh / barn danceNo skill needed - a caller walks you through every dance. Regular ceilidhs at halls citywide (e.g. Cecil Sharp House). ~£10-15. Great group night.Language evening classStructured beginner courses
General London business networking (BNI etc.)Structured referral & business networking groups meeting weekly; visit free before joining. Plus Chamber of Commerce events.
Dancehall / Amapiano classDrop-in style classes across the city
Get paired with a chess partner at your level in a Clapham pubA Chelsea Chess social night: a host sizes up your level when you arrive and matches you with someone similar, so complete beginners and regulars can both get a game.Sewing / repair cafe (learn to mend)Free community fix-it days
Learn to ride a horse on the edge of the marshesA half-hour beginner group lesson covering mounting, walk and trot, with hat and boots included.
Supper club – diaspora / regional kitchensHome cooks sharing a cuisine; deeply personal
Association of Illustrators meetupsIRL & online meetups for illustrators; AOI members get discounts. Register per event.
Back to Netball sessionsEngland Netball 'Back to Netball' - gentle coached re-introduction; book and pay per session online, turn up and play. No team needed.
Sea shanties – London Sea Shanty CollectiveCommunity shanty choir you can join; gigs & sing-alongs
Play, read or tell a story at a friendly monthly open mic in a Bethnal Green caféOn the last Thursday of the month The Gallery Cafe at St Margaret's House runs a free open mic with eight 8–10 minute slots for musicians, poets, comics and storytellers; half can be booked ahead, half are sign-up on the door.
Antiquarian Horological / watch-collecting societyFor people who collect & study clocks/watchesBumble For FriendsFriend-finding mode for activity buddies
See a film at the Kensal Rise cinema that gives its profits to charityThe Lexi is a small independent social-enterprise cinema with a bar, showing new releases, Q&As and themed seasons, with baby-friendly and relaxed screenings. Its profits go to charity.
Spend a day with Black professionals rethinking success, with coaching and headshots, in EalingA one-day event for Black professionals with talks from more than 20 Black leaders, founders and coaches, plus lunch, coaching, headshots and wellbeing checks, and plenty of time to meet the room.
Fives (Eton/Rugby fives)Niche handball-style wall game
FoodCycle community mealsCook & share surplus-food meals
Learn bridge from scratch with beginners' lessons in HammersmithThe Young Chelsea Bridge Club runs beginners' lessons and courses, then gentle supervised games for learners, alongside its regular duplicate sessions at the London MindSports Centre.
Gaelic football / hurling clubWelcoming Irish-sport clubs; beginners okMix with London business owners and hear three 8-minute keynotes off Pall MallAn after-work business mixer in a private room at the Tom Cribb pub: a welcome round of drinks, canapés, and three short keynotes to get conversations going.
Sober social / dry bar nightAlcohol-free socialising scene
Teens: drop in to a £2 music, media or circus session at the RoundhouseThe Roundhouse in Camden runs a youth programme for 11-30s in music, media (radio, film-making, content creation) and performing arts including spoken word, theatre, circus and dance — from £2 no-commitment drop-ins to tutor-led workshops and longer courses.
Crochet / knitting cafe group'Stitch & bitch' social groups in cafes
Talk fintech over a buffet lunch with 40 to 70 people in MayfairA long-running monthly networking lunch for people in and around London's fintech world: buffet lunch, a drink and a printed attendee list, then two hours of relaxed business chat. About a fifth of guests are first-timers.Join London's Salesforce women for talks, a quiz and networking by London BridgeThe monthly meeting of the London Salesforce Women in Tech community group: career stories from members, a networking break, then a quiz with prizes. Hosted this month by Slalom.
Water polo (adult beginners)Tough but social; clubs take beginnersSign language (BSL) tasterUseful, sociable, in-demand skill
AllBright (women's members' club)Domain lapsed — now a painting company, not the members club.Questions people ask
- How do you make friends in London?
- Join something that meets every week (a choir, a social sports league, a run club, a dance class or a climbing wall) so you keep seeing the same people. A regular activity takes the pressure off conversation.
- What are good social clubs to join in London?
- Rock Choir, Midnight Runners, 104 London Debaters, five-a-side and korfball leagues, and Lindy Hop or tango socials are all welcoming to newcomers who come alone.
- Can you go to these on your own?
- Yes. Most of them are designed for it: dance classes rotate partners, leagues place solo players into teams, and supper clubs seat you with strangers.
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