How to Make Friends in London: A Local's Guide
To make friends in London, pick one activity near home that meets every week and go at least four weeks in a row. Send one message to someone after each session. Friendship takes time together: Jeffrey Hall's research puts a casual friendship at about 50 hours, so a group you see every week works far better than one-off events.
By Siena Society. We host dinners for strangers in London every Thursday. Updated
Build your free 4-week plan
Tell us where you live, what you enjoy and when you're free. The planner builds a 4-week plan around one activity you repeat every week. It adds a dinner with strangers and one small follow-up goal for each week. It's free and you don't need to sign up.
Where in London do you live?
How old are you?
What do you enjoy?
Pick as many as you like.
When are you free?
Weekday evenings and weekend days.
Weekly budget for your activity
Your 4-week plan
Run club
Every Tuesday evening · Free
A group run at a chatty pace, often with a drink or a coffee after. Running shops, pubs and breweries host free weekly runs. Most clubs have a slower group.
You meet the same people every week.
Where to look
Search for "run club" and your borough on Strava or Instagram.
Try this search: "run club Westminster". Swap in Camden or City of London if that's closer.
First-session tip: Ask to join the slowest group. That group talks the most.
Week 1
Show up and learn two names.
- Tuesday evening: Run club
- Follow up: Say goodbye to one person by name and say you'll see them next week.
Week 2
Arrive early and say hello to someone you met last week.
- Tuesday evening: Run club
- Thursday evening: Siena dinner. A small table of people who have never met, usually six. We book the restaurant and send you the details on Wednesday.
- Follow up: Ask one person a question about something they told you last week.
Week 3
Stay ten minutes longer than usual.
- Tuesday evening: Run club
- Follow up: Ask one person to get a coffee or a drink straight after.
- Follow up: Send one message to someone from your Siena table.
Week 4
Take one friendship outside the activity.
- Tuesday evening: Run club
- Follow up: Invite one person to a plan outside the activity, like a market or a film.
Four weeks of this activity add up to about 6 hours together. Research by Jeffrey Hall links a casual friendship with about 50 hours together. At this pace, you reach 50 hours in about 34 weeks. Work out your own timeline.
For your age: Many people move to London for work at this age, so other people in the room are often new too. Say that you've just moved here. It gives people an easy question to ask you back.
Not for you? Swap the weekly activity:
Get the printable 4-week plan
One free A4 PDF with weekly check-in boxes and 20 recurring London activities. We also email you the link and an invite to a Siena dinner.
Week 2 of your plan
Book a Siena dinner and meet a table of new people
Thursdays at 7:30pm, usually six to a table. £12.99 a seat, and you pay for food and drinks at the restaurant.
Next Siena dinner: Thursday 29 October, 7:30pm. Booking closes Tuesday 27 October at 23:59. Book a seat
How to make friends in London in five steps
This is the method behind the planner above. It comes from research on how friendships form and from what we see at our own tables every Thursday.
- 1
Pick one activity and repeat it
Friendships grow from time spent together, again and again. In a 2018 study, Jeffrey Hall at the University of Kansas found that a casual friendship takes about 50 hours together. A friendship takes about 90 hours, and a close friendship takes more than 200. One-off events rarely add up to those hours. Choose one activity that meets every week and keep the same slot.
- 2
Choose a fixed group where you can
Courses, teams, choirs and volunteer shifts put you with the same people each week. You don't have to arrange the next meeting, because the activity does it for you. Hall also found that hours spent working side by side count for less than hours spent hanging out. So stay for the coffee or the drink after. The planner ranks fixed groups higher.
- 3
Add a dinner with strangers
A dinner puts you at one table with people who also came to meet someone new. In week two, the plan adds a Siena dinner on a Thursday. Other social dining clubs work in a similar way, and our London social dining finder compares them.
- 4
Follow up with one person every week
Most people skip this step. A short message after a session turns a familiar face into a plan. Each week of the plan has one small follow-up goal that fits how outgoing you are.
- 5
Give it four weeks, then judge
The first session often feels awkward. By the third week, people start to recognise you. If the group still feels wrong after four weeks, swap the activity and keep the day.
Is it hard to make friends in London?
Starting from zero in London is hard. The city as a whole is not especially lonely, though. In the 2021/22 Community Life Survey, 5% of Londoners said they felt lonely often or always. That was among the lowest of any English region (GLA summary of the Community Life Survey).
The Belonging Forum's 2026 Belonging Barometer found the same split. Only 5.9% of Londoners said they have no close friends, against 10.6% across the UK. Yet half of the ten UK constituencies where people most often say they feel lonely are in London. Bethnal Green and Stepney tops the list, with 39.8% (Belonging Forum, April 2026).
So people who already have a circle tend to do well here. People who arrive without one can struggle for a while. A few things make the start harder in London:
- Lots of people are new. In the 2021 Census, 40.6% of London residents were born outside the UK (ONS). Many more moved from elsewhere in the UK. That means plenty of people are looking, but few have empty evenings.
- People move flat often. London has the highest share of households renting privately of any English region, at 30.0% (ONS). A new flat can mean a new area, a new commute and new local spots.
- Distance adds up. A friend in Walthamstow and a friend in Brixton can be an hour apart. Plans that need two changes on the Tube are the first ones to get cancelled.
- Diaries fill early. "Let's do something soon" rarely turns into a plan in the calendar. A weekly activity removes the planning, because the next meeting is already set.
The places to meet people are already there. The same 2026 survey found that Londoners use parks, gyms, libraries and museums more than the UK average. Nearly four in ten spend free time in parks (39.8%, against 34.8% nationally). What usually goes missing is repeat contact with the same faces. The rest of this guide is about building that into your week.
How long does it take to make friends in London?
A casual friend takes months to make. Jeffrey Hall surveyed 355 adults who had moved in the previous six months and wanted friends in their new home. He then followed 112 first-year students at the University of Kansas through their first weeks (University of Kansas; the paper). These are his estimates of the time together each stage takes:
| Stage | Hours together | At 2 hours a week | At 4 hours a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual friend | About 50 | About 6 months | About 3 months |
| Friend | About 90 | About 10 months | About 5 months |
| Close friend | More than 200 | About 2 years | About 1 year |
Two of Hall's findings matter most in London. First, time spent working together counts for less than time spent hanging out. Colleagues you only see at your desk can stay acquaintances for years. Second, the hours have to be with the same people. Ten different meetups give you ten first conversations and very few second ones.
That's why the planner adds the coffee or drink after each session. Half an hour in the pub after a Tuesday run adds about 20 hours over a year.
20 recurring ways to meet people in London
Every option below meets again and again, so you can see the same people each time. We checked each price and schedule on the organiser's own page on 13 October 2026. Prices change, so check the link before you go.
| Option | What it is | When | Price | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| parkrun | Timed 5k in a park. Walk, jog or run, or volunteer | Every Saturday morning (Bushy Park starts at 9am) | Free | Your first week in London |
| GoodGym | Group runs to do physical jobs for community groups | Weekday evenings, e.g. Lambeth's Tuesday group run at 6:45pm | Free (optional donations from £7 a month) | Runners who want a purpose |
| Midnight Runners London | 8km bootcamp run with a social after | Tuesdays, 6:45pm, from The Raven, Tower Bridge | Free | Big, lively groups |
| Running Clubs London | Directory of London run clubs you can filter by area and day | Most days of the week | Free to search (some clubs charge membership) | Finding a club near home |
| GO Mammoth | Social sports leagues: netball, 5-a-side, volleyball and more. Join solo and they place you in a team | One evening a week for an 8 or 12-week season | From £7 a week as an individual | Same team every week |
| Inner London Ramblers | Led walks in London and the countryside, run by ten local groups | Several walks a week, weekdays and weekends | First three walks free, then £45 a year | 40s and beyond, and walkers |
| London Cycling Campaign | Easy group rides of 5 to 6 miles, about two hours | Kentish Town Pedals: first Saturday of the month, 10am | Free (book on Eventbrite) | Getting confident on a bike |
| Community Sauna Baths | Shared saunas and cold plunges in Camberwell, Hackney Wick, Peckham, Stratford and Walthamstow | Weekday and weekend sessions | From £9.50 (30 minutes at a weekend) | Easy chat with no plan needed |
| Hampstead Heath bathing ponds | Open-water swimming with a loyal year-round crowd | All year round | £5 a swim | Early risers |
| The Castle Climbing Centre | Bouldering course for beginners in Stoke Newington | Thursday evenings, four 2-hour sessions | £140 (includes bouldering membership while the course runs) | Small group, clear progress |
| London City Voices | Community choir with no audition, rehearsing in central London | Weekly, 6:30pm to 8pm: West End on Mondays, the City on Wednesdays, Waterloo on Thursdays | First rehearsal free, then £17 a session (on a £7.50 a month plan) or £370 a year | Meeting people without having to chat all night |
| Hoopla Impro | Level 1 improv course for complete beginners | One evening a week, 2 hours, for 6 or 8 weeks | £185 for 6 weeks, £240 for 8 weeks | Getting past small talk fast |
| City Lit | Adult education college near Covent Garden, with evening courses from Spanish to pottery | Weekly, e.g. Spanish for beginners, 10 Monday or Wednesday evenings | £239 for 10 weeks (concession £155) | Learning something with the same class each week |
| Thames21 | River clean-ups and restoration days across London | Several dated events a week, often daytime | Free | Weekday free time, outdoors |
| The Felix Project | Sorting and delivering surplus food to charities, in a warehouse, kitchen or van | Flexible shifts with no minimum commitment | Free (travel expenses reimbursed) | A useful task to talk over |
| Draughts | Board game café with over 1,000 games, in Waterloo and Stratford | Board game meetup every other Monday | £9.95 a person for up to 3 hours at peak times (£7.95 off-peak) | Quiet starters and small groups |
| Tuesday Night Chess Club | Casual chess at the Duke of Kent pub in Ealing, beginners welcome | Every Tuesday, 7:30pm | Free (over 18s) | West Londoners who like a game |
| Savour Societies | Small restaurant tables for strangers, each with a theme. Tables go ahead once four guests book | Tables listed on the site, with days and times | From £5.50 a seat (early bird), food paid at the restaurant | Trying social dining cheaply |
| Timeleft | Dinners with strangers, plus drinks, coffee, runs and walks | Dinners on Wednesdays and Fridays at 7pm | Membership in the app from £13.99 | Lots of formats in one app |
| Siena | Dinner with a small table of strangers at a restaurant Siena picks, usually six people. For friendship | Every Thursday, 7:30pm | £12.99 a seat, no membership needed. Food and drinks paid at the restaurant | Meeting a new group at once |
If money is tight, parkrun, GoodGym, Midnight Runners, the cycling rides, Thames21 and a Felix Project shift cost nothing. Free groups often have a strong crowd of regulars, so go back to the same one.
Apps can help you find more groups. Meetup is free to download and lists London groups for most interests, from public speaking clubs to social groups for people in their 30s and 40s. Bumble For Friends is free, with an optional Premium from £4.99 a month. An app works best when it gets you back to the same group more than once.
Where to meet people in London, area by area
London works like several cities joined together. Pick something within 30 minutes of home, or of work if you go in most days. You'll still go in February, when it's dark before 5pm.
Age is a useful guide to what an area offers. The table shows the median age of residents in the 2021 Census. Half of residents are younger than this and half are older. London as a whole was 35 and England was 40.
| Borough | Part of London | Median age |
|---|---|---|
| Tower Hamlets | East | 30 (lowest in England) |
| Hackney | East | 32 |
| Newham | East | 32 |
| Lambeth | South | 33 |
| Southwark | South | 33 |
| Wandsworth | South | 33 |
| Islington | North | 33 |
| Camden | North and central | 34 |
| Hammersmith and Fulham | West | 34 |
| Westminster | Central | 35 |
| Lewisham | South | 35 |
| Waltham Forest | East | 35 |
| Haringey | North | 36 |
| Ealing | West | 36 |
| Barnet | North | 37 |
| Croydon | South | 37 |
| Kensington and Chelsea | West | 39 |
| Richmond upon Thames | South-west | 41 (joint highest in London) |
East London: Hackney, Tower Hamlets, Newham, Waltham Forest
This is the youngest part of London. Tower Hamlets had the lowest median age of any local authority in England in 2021, at 30. Social life here runs on run clubs, canal towpaths and parks like Victoria Park and London Fields. It's the easiest area to find people in their 20s and early 30s.
It's also where loneliness figures are highest. Bethnal Green and Stepney, Poplar and Limehouse, Stratford and Bow, and Hackney South and Shoreditch are all in the UK's top ten for people who often feel lonely (Belonging Forum). The person next to you at a run club may well be looking for friends too. For dinner ideas, see our Shoreditch group dining guide.
South London: Lambeth, Southwark, Wandsworth, Lewisham, Croydon
South London has big open spaces, like Clapham Common, Brockwell Park, Tooting Common and Peckham Rye. Sports leagues, run clubs and park groups use them all year. Lambeth, Southwark and Wandsworth all have a median age of 33.
The south-west does well on friendship. Battersea, Tooting, Clapham and Brixton Hill, and Putney are among the UK constituencies where people are least likely to say they have no close friends. Richmond Park came top of the whole country on the Belonging Forum's Belonging Index (Belonging Forum).
North London: Islington, Camden, Haringey, Barnet
North London has Hampstead Heath, Regent's Canal and a lot of pubs and evening classes. It gets older as you go further out: Islington's median age is 33 and Barnet's is 37.
Shyness is common here. Holborn and St Pancras had the highest share in the UK of people who limit time in parks, cafés and other third spaces because of low confidence (13.4%). Islington South and Finsbury, and Islington North, were also in the top ten (Belonging Forum). If walking in alone feels hard, choose a class or a group with a leader who welcomes new people.
West London: Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing, Kensington and Chelsea, Richmond
West London is older on average. Kensington and Chelsea's median age is 39, and Richmond upon Thames is 41, the joint highest in London. The river shapes a lot of social life here, with Thames Path walks, rowing clubs and riverside pubs.
Groups here tend to be local, and regulars often live nearby. A walking group or a volunteer shift is a good way in, especially in your 40s and beyond.
Central London: Westminster, the City, Holborn
Most Londoners pass through the centre, even if they don't live there. That makes it the easiest place for a weeknight activity straight after work. Choirs, adult education colleges, climbing walls and language exchanges all cluster here.
Two central options from the table: London City Voices rehearses in the West End on Mondays, in the City on Wednesdays and at Waterloo on Thursdays. City Lit runs evening courses on Keeley Street, near Covent Garden.
Just moved to London? Your first month
Hall's first study looked at people in exactly this spot: adults who had moved in the last six months. Being new helps. "I've just moved here" is an easy opener, and it gives people a question to ask you back. Here's a simple first month:
- Week 1: Go to one free, open event. A Saturday parkrun or a Tuesday Midnight Runners session works well. Tell two people that you've just moved here.
- Week 2: Sign up for something with a fixed group. GO Mammoth places solo players in a league team, and City Lit evening courses run for 8 to 12 weeks.
- Week 3: Book a dinner with strangers. Everyone at the table came to meet people, so you don't have to break into an existing group.
- Week 4: Invite one person you've met to something small, like a coffee or a walk on a common.
Set the planner to "Not sure yet" if you're still looking for a flat. Once you've settled, pick an activity near your new home. You'll keep going to things that are close by.
Making friends in London at every age
Making friends in London in your 20s
Friends from university or a first job often scatter after a year or two. East and south London have the youngest populations, so run clubs and social sports leagues there are full of people your age. Pick a team over a one-off event. A league season gives you the same faces every week for months. If you live in a flatshare, bring a flatmate to the first session. It makes walking in easier.
Making friends in London in your 30s
In your 30s, weekends fill up with plans you already have. Protect one weeknight instead. Courses and teams suit this age, because they start on a set day with a set group. If close friends have moved out of London, say so. It's an easy way into a conversation.
Age matters at a dinner table too. At Siena we seat people with others of a similar age, in 10-year bands. A 34-year-old won't be the oldest at the table by a decade.
Making friends in London in your 40s, 50s and beyond
Choirs, walking groups and volunteering mix people of every age, and the regulars often stay for years. Daytime and weekend slots also open up more choice. Inner London Ramblers lets you try three walks for free before you join. London City Voices has no audition, and your first rehearsal is free. At a Siena dinner, we seat you with people of a similar age.
How to make friends in London as an introvert
You don't need to work a room. Pick activities with a task, so the conversation can start from what you're doing. Volunteering, a choir, a climbing wall and a parkrun volunteer role all work. Small groups are easier than big ones. A table of six is easier than a bar of sixty.
- Arrive ten minutes early. The room is quieter, and the organiser has time to introduce you.
- Set one small goal, like learning one name. The planner's follow-up goals change with how outgoing you say you are.
- Go back to the same thing. The second visit is easier than the first, and the fourth is easier again.
- Bring two questions with you. Our dinner conversation starters work at any table.
- Leave when you've had enough. An hour you'll repeat next week does more than a long night you dread.
If you're not sure whether you're lonely or just tired, try the loneliness test. It uses the four questions the ONS asks. The social life score takes 90 seconds, and the dinner guest quiz is a lighter way to see how you like to socialise.
How to turn a familiar face into a friend
Most London friendships stall at "we should get a drink sometime". The person who suggests a day and a place is usually the one who makes it happen. Send the message within a day or two, while the conversation is fresh. Some messages you can copy:
- After the first session: "Good to meet you at the run on Tuesday. See you next week?"
- After a few weeks: "A few of us are getting a drink after on Thursday. Fancy it?"
- Taking it outside the activity: "I'm going to Broadway Market on Saturday morning. Want to come?"
- After a dinner: "Lovely to meet you on Thursday. You mentioned the climbing wall, I'd be up for trying it."
Some people won't reply. In a busy city that's normal. Keep going to the activity and ask someone else next week.
Where a Siena dinner fits
Siena is a London dinner club for making friends. Every Thursday at 7:30pm, we put together small tables of strangers at a restaurant we pick. Most tables have six people, and they range from five to eight. A seat costs £12.99, with no membership needed, and you pay for your own food and drinks at the restaurant. Regular guests can choose Premium, which includes dinners.
We build each table from your answers to twelve short questions. We look at your city, your languages and your age, so you sit with people within a similar 10-year band. We balance genders and use personality questions about your social rhythm, what makes great company and the topics you enjoy. You're never seated again with someone from a past table. Booking closes on Tuesday at 23:59, and we send the restaurant name and address on Wednesday. Cancel at least 24 hours before for a full refund.
A dinner works well next to a weekly activity. The activity gives you the same faces each week, and the dinner adds a new group. It's less suited to you if you want something free or a weekend plan. Compare other formats in the London social dining finder, read how dinners with strangers work, or see our Timeleft London review. When you're ready, book a seat.
More weekly activities, sorted by interest
The planner picks from these activity types. Each one runs every week in many parts of London. Open a group to see where to look and a tip for your first session.
Sport and fitness
Run club
A group run at a chatty pace, often with a drink or a coffee after. Running shops, pubs and breweries host free weekly runs. Most clubs have a slower group. Search for "run club" and your borough on Strava or Instagram.
Tip: Ask to join the slowest group. That group talks the most.
Free
parkrun
A free, timed 5k in a park every Saturday at 9am. You can walk, jog or run. London has dozens of parkrun events. Many groups go for a coffee after the finish. Register once on the parkrun website and pick the event closest to you.
Tip: Volunteer one week as a marshal or a timekeeper. Volunteers get to know the regulars fast.
Free
Social sports league
A weekly team game in a mixed league for beginners and casual players. Netball, dodgeball, softball, volleyball and five-a-side all run in social leagues across London. Search for "social sports league London" and sign up as a free agent. Leagues place solo players on a team.
Tip: Stay for the drink after the game. Most teams go to a pub nearby.
£10 to £25 a session
Local sports club
A club team with a weekly training night and a match at the weekend. Football, hockey, cricket and rugby clubs often run a social team next to their league sides. Search for your sport, the word "club" and your borough. Ask about their social or development team.
Tip: Go to the club social after the match, even if you didn't play.
Under £10 a session
Pay-and-play football or basketball
You book one spot and join a mixed game with other solo players. Apps and leisure centres list open games most evenings. Search for "pay and play football" or "pickup basketball" and your borough.
Tip: Book the same slot every week. The same regulars come back.
Under £10 a session
Bouldering
Climbing on short walls without ropes. People chat between climbs and share tips. Most climbing walls run beginner sessions and social nights. Search for "bouldering" and your borough. Ask the wall about intro sessions.
Tip: Go at the same time each week. Ask someone how they would climb a route.
£10 to £25 a session
Tennis, padel or pickleball social
Drop-in social sessions where a host mixes players into new games. Park courts and clubs run social sessions on weeknights and weekend mornings. Search for "social tennis", "padel social" or "pickleball" and your borough.
Tip: Tell the host you're new. Hosts rotate partners, so you play with everyone.
£10 to £25 a session
Cycling club social ride
A group ride at a steady pace with a café stop halfway. Many clubs run no-drop rides, so nobody gets left behind. Search for "no-drop ride" or "social ride" and your area. Bike shops often host rides too.
Tip: The café stop is where people talk. Sit with a different rider each week.
Free
Lido or pond swimming
A regular swim at an outdoor lido or a swimming pond with the same early crowd. Several London lidos and ponds stay open all year. Some have swim clubs for regulars. Search for "lido" or "swimming pond" near your area.
Tip: Swim at the same time every week. Regulars notice new faces and start to say hello.
Under £10 a session
Beginners' dance class
A weekly class in swing, salsa or another partner dance. Partner classes rotate partners every few minutes, so you meet the whole room. Search for "beginner swing dance" or "beginner salsa" and your area. Most schools run term courses and drop-ins.
Tip: You don't need a partner. The teacher balances the room by rotating everyone.
£10 to £25 a session
Run and volunteer group
A group run to a local project, a short task like gardening or a litter pick, then a run back. GoodGym runs groups like this in boroughs across London. Search for "GoodGym" and your borough.
Tip: Run next to someone new on the way back. The task gives you something to talk about.
Free
The same gym class every week
One fitness class at the same time each week, so you see the same regulars. Spin, circuits and boxing fitness classes all build a regular crowd. Check the timetable at your gym or your council leisure centre. Pick one slot and keep it.
Tip: Arrive early and set up next to the same person each week.
£10 to £25 a session
Martial arts or boxing club
A club class where you train in pairs with the same members each week. Boxing, judo, Brazilian jiu-jitsu and karate clubs all run beginners' classes. Search for "beginners boxing club", "judo club" or "jiu-jitsu" and your area.
Tip: Ask a regular to partner with you for drills.
£10 to £25 a session
Rowing or paddling club
A learn-to-row or kayak course on the Thames, a dock or a canal. Clubs run beginners' courses and then a regular group for new members. Search for "learn to row London" or "kayak club" and your area.
Tip: Stay to help wash the boats. The clubhouse chat comes after.
£10 to £25 a session
Ultimate frisbee
A fast, friendly team game with no referee. Players call their own fouls. London clubs run open pickup sessions and beginners' leagues in parks. Search for "ultimate frisbee London beginners".
Tip: Tell people it's your first time. Players explain the rules as you go.
Under £10 a session
Outdoors
Walking group
A led walk through London parks or out into the countryside, often with a pub lunch. The Ramblers run London walking groups, including groups for people in their 20s and 30s. Search for "walking group London" or look for walks near you on the Ramblers website.
Tip: Walk beside a different person every hour. Talking side by side feels easy.
Free
Community gardening
Growing food and flowers with neighbours in a shared garden. Community gardens, city farms and food-growing projects all need regular volunteers. Search for "community garden volunteer" and your borough. City farms list volunteer days on their websites.
Tip: Ask for a job you can do with someone else. Weeding in pairs leads to talk.
Free
Conservation volunteering
Outdoor workdays that look after parks, canals and nature reserves. Charities and park friends groups run regular tasks like path repair and tree planting. Search for "conservation volunteering London" or contact the friends group of your nearest park.
Tip: Bring a flask and stay for the tea break. The group chats most then.
Free
Arts and making
Improv class
A beginners' course in improvised comedy. The games make you work with everyone in the room. Most courses run for six to eight weeks with the same group. Search for "beginners improv course London". Some schools run a taster class first.
Tip: Go to the pub after class. Improv groups often keep meeting after the course ends.
£25 or more a session
Life drawing
A relaxed drawing session with a model, often in a pub or a studio. Most sessions are drop-in and welcome every level. Search for "life drawing" and your area.
Tip: Look at each other's sketches in the break. It starts a conversation with no pressure.
£10 to £25 a session
Pottery course
A weekly wheel or hand-building class with the same small group. Most courses run for six to eight weeks. Search for "pottery course" and your borough. Popular courses book up early, so join the waiting list.
Tip: Ask a classmate to look at your piece. Everyone's first bowls go wrong.
£25 or more a session
Knitting or craft circle
A group that meets to knit, sew or crochet while they chat. Craft circles meet in pubs, cafés, libraries and yarn shops. Search for "knitting group" or "craft night" and your area. Libraries list their groups online.
Tip: Bring a simple project. Ask someone to show you a stitch.
Free
Photography walk
A group walk through one part of London to take photos together. Photography groups pick a new area of London for each walk. Search for "photowalk London" or photography groups on Meetup.
Tip: Ask someone how they took a shot. People like to explain their settings.
Free
Amateur theatre group
A local drama group that puts on a few shows a year. Groups need actors, and also people for sets, lights and front of house. Search for "amateur dramatics" and your borough.
Tip: Offer to help backstage first. It's the quickest way to join in.
Under £10 a session
Music
Community choir
A weekly sing with a group that learns songs together and performs a few times a year. Many community choirs have no audition. You don't need to read music. Search for "community choir no audition" and your borough.
Tip: Ask the person next to you which part they sing. Sit next to them again the week after.
Under £10 a session
Music jam session
An open session where musicians play together, often in a pub. Folk, jazz and blues sessions run every week in pubs across London. Listeners are welcome too. Search for "folk session", "jazz jam" or "blues jam" and your area.
Tip: Go to the same session every week. The regulars soon learn your name.
Free
Open mic night
A night where anyone can sign up to play music, read poetry or try comedy. Pubs, cafés and bars run open mic nights on a fixed weeknight. Search for "open mic" or "poetry night" and your area.
Tip: Go as a listener first. Talk to a performer about their set afterwards.
Free
Food and drink
Cooking course
A multi-week class where you cook in pairs and eat together at the end. Cookery schools and adult colleges run evening courses by cuisine or skill. Search for "cooking course London" or your borough's adult learning service.
Tip: Ask to cook with a different partner each week.
£25 or more a session
Wine, beer or coffee tasting course
A weekly course with a small group that tastes and compares notes. Wine schools, breweries and roasteries run courses over several weeks. Search for "wine course London", "beer tasting course" or "coffee cupping".
Tip: Compare tasting notes with the person next to you.
£25 or more a session
Learning
Evening course at an adult college
A term-long class in a subject you like, from art history to coding. London's adult education colleges run hundreds of evening courses each term. Search for "adult evening courses London" or your borough's adult learning service.
Tip: Get to class five minutes early. Small talk before the start is easy.
£10 to £25 a session
Language exchange
An evening where people practise languages in pairs, half the time in each language. Exchanges meet in bars and cafés. Most are free or ask you to buy a drink. Search for "language exchange London" on Meetup or Eventbrite.
Tip: Go to the same night every week. Find one partner and practise together each time.
Free
Books and writing
Writing group
A group that meets to write together and share work. Some groups write in silence for an hour and then chat. Others swap pages for feedback. Search for "writing group" and your area, or ask at your local library or bookshop.
Tip: Share one short piece in week two. Feedback starts real conversations.
Free
Games and quizzes
Pub quiz
A weekly quiz night at the same pub, played in small teams. Quiz hosts often help solo players join a team. Search for "pub quiz" and your area. Pick one pub and go back every week.
Tip: Ask the host to put you on a team. Then join the same team the week after.
Under £10 a session
Board game night
An evening of board games where the hosts put you at a table with others. Board game cafés and pub game clubs run open nights. Search for "board game night" or "board game café" and your area.
Tip: Ask someone to teach you their favourite game. People like to explain the rules.
Under £10 a session
Chess club
Casual or league chess in a pub, a café or a club room. Many London chess clubs welcome beginners and play every week. Search for "chess club" and your area. Pub chess nights are often free.
Tip: Ask your opponent to go over the game with you afterwards. Most players enjoy it.
Under £10 a session
Volunteering
Food bank or community kitchen
A regular shift sorting food, cooking or serving with the same team. Food banks, community fridges and community kitchens need weekly volunteers. Search for "food bank volunteer" or "community kitchen volunteer" and your borough.
Tip: Take the same shift every week. You then work with the same team.
Free
Befriending an older neighbour
Regular time with an older person who lives near you, through a local charity. Some schemes pair you with one person. Others run group social clubs. Search for "befriending volunteer" and your borough, or contact Age UK London. Most schemes run a short check and training first.
Tip: Go to the volunteer socials too. You meet the other volunteers there.
Free
Museum or heritage volunteering
Regular shifts welcoming visitors at a museum, a gallery or a historic site. Large museums and small local heritage sites both recruit volunteers. Search for "museum volunteer London" or check the volunteering page of a museum you like.
Tip: Ask for shifts with the same team each week.
Free
Wellbeing
Yoga class
A weekly class with the same teacher and the same regulars. Some studios run community classes at a lower price. Search for "community yoga" or "donation yoga" and your area.
Tip: Stay for a tea after class if the studio has a café or a lounge.
£10 to £25 a session
Meditation group
A drop-in sit with a short talk and tea afterwards. Meditation centres across London run drop-in evenings, many by donation. Search for "drop-in meditation" and your area.
Tip: Stay for the tea. People talk most after the sit.
Under £10 a session
Work and career
Meetups for your field
Talks and drinks for people in your line of work, from design to data. Most series run monthly, so follow two or three to fill each week. Search Meetup or Luma for your field and "London".
Tip: Ask a speaker one question after their talk. Then find them at the next one.
Free
Co-working day
One working day a week in a shared space with a regular crowd. Many co-working spaces sell day passes and run a weekly lunch or drinks. Search for "co-working day pass" and your area. Go on the same day each week.
Tip: Eat lunch in the shared kitchen, away from your desk.
£10 to £25 a session
Frequently asked questions
How do you make friends in London?
Pick one activity near home that meets every week, such as a run club, a choir, a course or a sports league. Go at least four weeks in a row and send one message to someone after each session. Add a dinner with strangers to meet a new group at once. Research by Jeffrey Hall suggests a casual friendship takes about 50 hours together, so repeat contact with the same people matters most.
Is it hard to make friends in London?
Starting from zero in London is hard. Londoners as a whole are no lonelier than average, though. In the 2021/22 Community Life Survey, 5% of Londoners felt lonely often or always, among the lowest of any English region. Newcomers find it harder: 40.6% of residents were born outside the UK, 30% of households rent privately, and long trips across town make plans easy to cancel.
How long does it take to make friends in London?
At two hours a week with the same group, a casual friendship takes about six months. Jeffrey Hall's 2018 study estimated about 50 hours together for a casual friend, about 90 hours for a friend and more than 200 hours for a close friend. Four hours a week roughly halves those times.
Where can I meet people in London for free?
parkrun is a free 5k every Saturday morning in parks across London. GoodGym group runs, Midnight Runners on Tuesdays at Tower Bridge and London Cycling Campaign group rides are free too. Thames21 runs free river volunteering days, and the Felix Project offers food-sorting shifts. Go back to the same one each week so faces become familiar.
I've just moved to London. Where should I start?
In week one, go to a free open event like parkrun and tell people you've just moved. In week two, sign up for something with a fixed group, like a course or a sports league team. In week three, book a dinner with strangers. In week four, invite one person you've met to a coffee or a walk.
How do you make friends in London in your 30s?
Protect one weeknight, because weekends fill up with plans you already have. Choose a course, a team or a choir that starts on a set day with a set group. Social dining clubs that group people by age, such as Siena, put you at a table with people at a similar stage of life.
How do you make friends in London as an introvert?
Choose activities with a shared task, such as volunteering, a choir or a parkrun volunteer role, so the conversation starts from what you're doing. Small groups are easier than big ones. Arrive early, set one small goal like learning one name, and go back to the same activity each week.
Which areas of London are best for meeting people?
East London has the youngest population: Tower Hamlets had a median age of 30 in the 2021 Census, the lowest in England. South-west London scores well on friendship, with Battersea, Tooting and Putney among the UK constituencies where people are least likely to have no close friends. Central London is easiest for after-work activities. The best area is the one within 30 minutes of where you live.
Which apps help you make friends in London?
Meetup is free to download and lists London groups for most interests. Bumble For Friends is free, with an optional Premium from £4.99 a month. Timeleft and Siena arrange dinners with strangers. Timeleft sells a membership in its app from £13.99. Siena charges £12.99 a seat with no membership needed, and regular guests can choose Premium, which includes dinners.
What is a Siena dinner?
Siena is a London dinner club for making friends. Every Thursday at 7:30pm it seats small groups of strangers, usually six, at a restaurant it picks. A seat costs £12.99, and food and drinks are paid at the restaurant. Booking closes on Tuesday at 23:59, the restaurant is shared on Wednesday, and you can cancel up to 24 hours before for a full refund.
Sources
We checked every price, schedule and figure on this page against these sources on 13 October 2026. Prices change, so check the organiser's page before you book.
- Hall, J. A. How many hours does it take to make a friend? Journal of Social and Personal Relationships (2018)
- University of Kansas: study reveals how many hours it takes to make a friend (6 March 2018)
- GLA: Community Life Survey 2021/22, London summary (PDF)
- Belonging Forum: London's belonging paradox, Belonging Barometer 2026 (PDF, 30 April 2026)
- ONS: International migration, England and Wales, Census 2021
- ONS: Housing, England and Wales, Census 2021
- ONS: How life has changed in your area, Census 2021 (borough pages)
- Wikipedia: parkrun
- Wikipedia: Bushy Park parkrun (start time)
- GoodGym: about
- GoodGym: donations
- GoodGym Lambeth: Tuesday group run
- Midnight Runners London: Tuesday bootcamp run (Heylo)
- Running Clubs London directory
- GO Mammoth: London netball leagues
- Inner London Ramblers: new to Ramblers
- Ramblers: membership
- London Cycling Campaign: Kentish Town Pedals
- Community Sauna Baths: Hackney Wick prices
- City of London: Hampstead Heath swimming tickets
- The Castle Climbing Centre: Bouldering Fundamentals
- London City Voices: pricing
- Hoopla Impro: beginners course
- City Lit: Spanish beginners module 1
- Thames21: events
- The Felix Project: volunteering
- Draughts: FAQs and prices
- DesignMyNight: Tuesday Night Chess Club, Duke of Kent
- Savour Societies
- Timeleft: London
- Timeleft on the UK App Store
- Meetup: events near London
- Bumble For Friends on the UK App Store
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