Events by city · Switzerland · Geneva
47 upcoming events in Geneva you can go to alone, 42 of them free, from Wednesday 18 Nov to Wednesday 16 Jun 2027. Picked from city open data and official agendas. Check the official page before you go: times and prices can change.
Upcoming · by date
0 events in the next 14 days.
The association Mission Genève Durable runs a three-hour collaborative card workshop exploring what a sustainable and shared idea of happiness looks like, during Geneva's climate week. It includes a break and a potluck-style dinner, and entry is pay-what-you-can; group work means you will be talking with new people from the start.
On Wednesday 18 November Le Chaudron, the contemporary music centre in Geneva, hosts a free Jazz night with a carte blanche given to the Haute École de Musique de Lausanne. Under the direction of Etienne Mbappé, the evening is a tribute to the undisputed godfather of soul music, James Brown. The listing names the musicians: Etienne Mbappé on bass, Raphaël Descotes on vocals, Fabrizio Fresu on trumpet, Oleksandr Vorobiov on saxophone, Didier Yon on trombone, Simon Tinguely on guitar and Louis Gourmaud on drums. Entry is free and the page is in French. The venue is on Passage Marie-Claude Leburgue, in the 1205 postal district of the city, and the concert is a good chance to hear young players from the music school perform funky classics under an experienced leader. The concert starts at 20:30 and ends about 22:00. «Jazz night HEMU | Tribute to Godfather James Brown» Starts 20:30, ends about 22:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Ville de Genève - événements organisés par des organisations externes à la Ville de Genève (open data).
Milonga Brava's weekly Argentine tango evening in Sécheron starts with a workshop by guest teachers Lautaro Cancela and Vida Lisaite, followed by social dancing to a DJ. The listing gives entry as CHF 15 with an open bar, and tango etiquette makes it normal to come alone and dance with different partners.
Keyboardist Matthieu Llodra and guests open with a concert, then turn the night into a jam mixing jazz, funk and electro. Musicians are invited to get on stage; everyone else can dance, and the free entry makes it easy to drop in alone.
Four musicians and an MC lay down live beats while rappers, beatboxers and dancers take turns freestyling. Entry is free and the mic is open, so the crowd is part of the show.
On Friday 27 November 2026 from 17:30 to 20:30 a Wool & Wine workshop at the Maison de l'Avenir in Geneva teaches you to turn local sheep wool into Christmas baubles. The French listing says up to 35 people take part in each workshop, you leave with one or several baubles made from soft Geneva wool, and the workshop is followed by an aperitif that is included. The contribution is voluntary, with 25 francs suggested. The listing allows ages 8 to 99, so expect a mixed room; it will be at its most relaxed later in the evening. A hands-on craft is one of the easiest ways to meet people on your own, because everyone is busy with their hands and asking for help starts a conversation. The end time is approximate. «Atelier Wool & Wine» Starts 17:30, ends about 20:30. Source: OpenAgenda France / Genève open agenda (Etalab Open Licence 2.0).
Talking about the ecological crisis and social injustice does not have to be grave or guilt-laden. For one evening the association Second Degré puts four comedians on the stage of the Maison de l'Avenir in Geneva to take on these questions with laughter, irony and a good dose of critical spirit. Doors and a welcome drink at 18:00, show at 18:30; entry is free, seats are reserved online, and the evening is open from age 16. «Soirée de stand up – Humour et durabilité» Starts 18:30, ends about 19:30. Source: OpenAgenda — Ville de Genève - événements organisés par des organisations externes à la Ville de Genève (open data).
An evening workshop built around a small exhibition of art and climate-science pieces: you develop an idea for climate action, first alone and then with others, with an apéro break halfway through. It is free, open from age 16, and explicitly designed for meeting like-minded people, so coming solo is the norm.
A weekly beginners' Argentine tango class at the Plainpalais neighbourhood house, led by Esteban García and Dorotea Schepens, on a pay-what-you-like basis. Partners rotate in group classes, so you don't need to bring anyone — a lunchtime lesson is an easy way to meet people.
On Thursday 3 December 2026 at 19:30 the Orchestre de Chambre de Genève plays its Christmas concert POP! at the Victoria Hall in Geneva. The French listing describes a brass band, the Big Up' Band, conducted by Raphaël Merlin, joining the chamber orchestra for a programme of Quincy Jones, Stevie Wonder, Al Jarreau and Michael Jackson, with the lyrics projected above the orchestra so the whole audience can sing along, a sort of orchestral karaoke. The listing sends buyers to the city box office and the LOCG ticket site and gives no single price, so check the current rates there. A sing-along evening is easy to attend alone because the room does the socialising for you, and the Victoria Hall is a handsome place to start December. «POP! – Concert de Noël de l’Orchestre de Chambre de Genève» Starts 19:30, ends about 21:00. Source: OpenAgenda France / Genève open agenda (Etalab Open Licence 2.0).
Historian Jean-Charles Giroud traces graphic designer Herbert Libiszewski (1897–1985), who made his name in Paris in the 1920s before returning to Switzerland and excelling at tourism posters. The talk lasts about 45 minutes, followed by an exchange with the audience; entry is free while seats last. A short lunchtime format suits a solo visit.
On Thursday 10 December the Cathédrale Saint-Pierre in Geneva hosts Prophéties de Noël, a concert by the Haute école de musique de Genève. The listing says the evening, placed under the sign of spirituality, brings together two choral works by Swiss-French composers of the 20th century, the Cantate pour le temps de Noël by Frank Martin and La Vision d'Ézéchiel by Bernard Reichel, both inspired by biblical texts and carried by the same emotional intensity. The concert closes with an extract from Johann Sebastian Bach's Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248, the opening chorus Jauchzet, frohlocket. It is conducted by Daniel Huertas and performed by soloists from the vocal department, students from the instrumental departments and the large choir of the school. Entry is free on reservation, and the page is in French. The concert starts at 19:30 and ends at about 21:00. «Prophéties de Noël» Starts 19:30, ends about 21:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Haute école de musique de Genève (open data).
For the winter solstice, Amandine Casadamont and Madeleine Leclair create a live sound piece from vinyl records drawn from their collections, mixing world music traditions with experimental, concrete and ambient music. The 50-minute performance takes place in the museum's temporary exhibition hall, and entry is free. Listening together in a gallery is an easy, unhurried outing alone.
Mermoz Melchior, from the Batsheva Dance Company, leads a workshop in Gaga, Ohad Naharin's movement language based on listening to the body, sensation and the pleasure of moving. It needs no technical background, is free and is open from age 16, with booking by email. Moving alongside others is a natural icebreaker.
On Sunday 3 January at 11:00 the Ariana Museum in Geneva, Switzerland's museum of ceramics and glass, offers a guided tour of its exhibition on the collections of the Cirva, the glass research and creation centre. The exhibition looks at glass beyond its material, and a guide leads visitors through it and explains the pieces on show. Entry to the exhibition is free that day because it is the first Sunday of the month, and no booking is needed, though places are limited so it is wise to arrive a little early. The listing is in French and the museum is on Avenue de la Paix. The visit starts at 11:00 and ends at about 12:00, a gentle way to begin the new year alone. «Le verre, au-delà de la matière. Les collections du Cirva» Starts 11:00, ends about 12:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Musée Ariana - musée suisse de la céramique et du verre - Ville de Genève (open data).
What does «the future» mean to you? On the first Sunday of the year, the ethnography museum invites visitors on a participatory guided tour of its temporary exhibition, thinking together about the many ways societies imagine what is coming, from tarot cards to robots and art installations. A thoughtful, chatty hour and a half in French, ideal for meeting curious people. Free (CHF 0). «Visite commentée: Le futur, c'est quoi ?» Starts 14:30, ends about 16:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Ville de Genève - Musée d'ethnographie de Genève (open data).
A free lunchtime talk in English at the city's historic library in the Parc des Bastions. Fribourg-based Anna Haas, trained in the Netherlands and Lucerne and winner of international awards, shows a body of work where illustration, editorial design, visual identities and digital projects meet, and talks about teaching and starting cultural projects. About 45 minutes, followed by an exchange with the audience; free entry while seats last. «Anna Haas» Starts 12:15, ends about 13:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque de Genève (open data).
On Thursday 14 January at 18:30 the International Museum of the Reformation in Geneva, in the Cour de Saint-Pierre, hosts a lecture entitled Une unanimité de façade ? Totalité contre individualité. It starts from Ferdinand Hodler's monumental fresco L'Unanimité, delivered in 1913 to the city of Hanover to mark its adoption of the Reformation in 1533 and showing about a hundred citizens raising an arm in one movement. The painting was taken down in 1914 after Hodler protested against the bombing of Reims cathedral. The talk asks whether the Reformation was a source of pluralist democracy, and argues that over the long term it was above all a ferment of political controversy. Entry is free with a collection at the exit, a registration link is on the museum's site, and the language is French. The evening runs from 18:30 to 21:00, and a lecture is an easy event to attend alone. «Une unanimité de façade? Totalité contre individualité» Starts 18:30, ends about 21:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Musée international de la Réforme - MIR (open data).
Cultural mediator Tiffany Sarre leads an hour-long tour of the Geneva Library at the Bastions, tracing its history from its founding in 1559 to its missions today. The tour is free and in French, with no registration needed. Guided groups make it easy to chat with fellow visitors.
Students of the Renaissance ensemble perform music by Cavalli, Monteverdi, Bertali and Rittler, joined by sackbut teacher Stefan Legée and conducted by early-music star Christina Pluhar. Entry is free. A concert of this kind draws a mixed crowd where going alone is completely ordinary.
Historians Pierre-Etienne Bourneuf of the Geneva Graduate Institute and Olga Hidalgo-Weber of the University of Geneva trace how institutions from the Red Cross to the League of Nations built the city's image as a capital of peace, and what challenges that image faces today. RTS journalist Alexis Favre moderates the one-hour conversation. Entry is free within the seats available.
The Petit-Saconnex toy library sets out a varied selection of board games for an evening of play, with librarians on hand to explain the rules and a few snacks. It is free with no registration. The organisers expressly invite people to come alone as well as with friends, so finding a table to join is easy.
At 20:00 three improvisers chain as many stories as they can, each inspired by the last, with volunteers from the audience. At 21:00 the stage opens to anyone for a supportive improv jam, whatever your level. Entry is free with a hat at the exit, and joining a jam is a quick way to meet people.
After a sold-out talk on the French baroque, conductor Leonardo García-Alarcón, director of the Cappella Mediterranea, continues his tour of Europe's great musical currents with an hour on the Spanish baroque: from its roots in sixteenth-century Roman polyphony to its spread, and transformation, in the Americas after the conquest, with musical examples along the way. At La Cité Bleue, the concert hall in the Champel district. Free; reserve a seat through the venue's online ticket link. «Le baroque espagnol» Starts 18:00, ends about 19:00. Source: OpenAgenda — La Cité Bleue Genève (open data).
The toy library hosts five evening game nights a season for teens over 16 and adults, with staff presenting new releases and classics from the collection. Players of every level are welcome and entry is free. Games tables bring strangers together within minutes.
The Geneva troupe Les Fabulateurs improvise a long-form story from scratch: characters are built, a story unfolds, and then it all starts again, identical except for one small detail, and the audience watches the consequences ripple through the plot and the relationships. That is the butterfly effect of the title. Ninety minutes at the Impro Comedy Club in Plainpalais, a small room where going alone is the norm. Entry is free with a hat passed round at the exit. «L'EFFET PAPILLON ! Le spectacle d'impro où un détail change tout…» Starts 20:00, ends about 21:30. Source: OpenAgenda — Coolturalia (open data).
Laurent Vallotton, ornithologist at Geneva's natural history museum, leads a two-hour walk to the lagoon by the Eaux-Vives beach, an artificial biotope where nature has taken over and which has become an important wintering ground for ducks, grebes and other waterbirds. Expect surprises and feathers of all kinds, and bring binoculars if you have them. Meet in front of the Eaux-Vives library on rue Sillem. Organised with the Muséum d'histoire naturelle. Free, all ages from 10; dress warmly. «Oh ! Les oiseaux : les hivernants de la lagune - Une balade ornitho pour en savoir plus sur les oiseaux d'ici et d'ailleurs» Starts 10:00, ends about 12:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Coolturalia (open data).
Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud's animated adaptation of her graphic novel: Tehran 1978, eight-year-old Marjane watches the revolution and the fall of the Shah, then the Islamic Republic and the war with Iraq, until her parents send her to Vienna, where at fourteen she lives a second revolution of adolescence, freedom, love, exile and loneliness. Jury Prize at Cannes in 2007. Shown in French at the Servette municipal library, a short tram ride north of the station. Free, no booking, from age 10. «Persepolis de Marjane Satrapi et Vincent Paronnaud (2007)» Starts 17:15, ends about 19:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Coolturalia (open data).
For twenty years the design duo Nask, Nadja Zimmermann and Skander Najar, has fed its creativity on dialogue and the clash of ideas. This lunchtime session looks back at the role of meeting people in creative processes: as a source of meaning, rigour and humanity. About 45 minutes of talk followed by an exchange, at the Bibliothèque de Genève in the Bastions park, part of its Thursday-lunchtime series. Free admission, no booking, subject to available seats; arrive a little early. «Nask Studio» Starts 12:15, ends about 13:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Coolturalia (open data).
Voltaire moved into the Villa Les Délices at 61 and wrote Candide there between 1755 and 1760. Cultural mediator Lucas Arpin leads a one-hour lunchtime visit through the philosopher's life and his Geneva years in the house that is now the Voltaire museum of the Bibliothèque de Genève. The visit is free, in French, without registration and open to everyone from age twelve, subject to space. «Voltaire, l'artisan des Lumières» Start time as published; the end time is approximate. Source: OpenAgenda public agendas via Opendatasoft — Licence Ouverte / Open Licence (Etalab).
On Tuesday 23 February the Bibliothèque de Genève, in the Bastions park, hosts a lecture titled From diplomacy to the living archives of multilateralism. Florian Cafiero and Grégoire Mallard, from the Centre for Digital Humanities and Multilateralism at the Geneva Graduate Institute, ask how archives of multilateral negotiations can become dynamic infrastructure for research and diplomatic practice. The hour mixes a practical demonstration with conceptual thinking and ends with time for questions. It belongs to the library's 16-18 digital humanities programme, run with the University of Geneva's digital humanities chair, which looks at how digital tools change the study of history, art, diplomacy, theatre, linguistics and literature. Admission is free, with no registration, and seats are first come, first served. The talk is in French. It begins at 16:15 and ends about 17:15. «De la diplomatie aux archives vivantes du multilatéralisme» Starts 16:15, ends about 17:15. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque de Genève (open data).
At Les Délices, filmmaker Jean-Stéphane Bron and historian Marie-Luce Desgrandchamps explore how fiction, from «Belle du Seigneur» to the series «The Deal», shapes the image of diplomatic Geneva, moderated by journalist Alexis Favre. Students of the Haute école de musique offer a musical welcome at 18:00 and the talk follows. Free entry, subject to available seats. «"Belle du Seigneur" à "The Deal": la Genève internationale, un théâtre du monde?» Starts 18:00 with music, talk from 18:30, ends about 19:30. Source: OpenAgenda — Coolturalia (open data).
On Wednesday 3 March 2027 at 16:30 the Musée d'ethnographie de Genève, at Boulevard Carl-Vogt 65, hosts a lecture in the temporary exhibition room as part of the Master in ethnomusicology. The speaker is Filippo Bonini Baraldi, a principal researcher at the Instituto de Etnomusicologia of NOVA University in Lisbon. The title is still to be confirmed in the listing. The scientific committee of the master organises a cycle of six lecture meetings during the 2026-2027 academic year, aimed at students and open to the general public. Each session brings a guest from the field of ethnomusicology to share an experience in a formal presentation of about thirty minutes, followed by an interview prepared and led by the students. Entry is free. A museum lecture with a discussion is a quiet way to meet curious people when you come alone, since the questions and answers give you plenty to talk about afterwards. «Conférence du Master en ethnomusicologie | Filippo Bonini Baraldi» Starts 16:30, ends about 18:30. Source: OpenAgenda — Ville de Genève - Musée d'ethnographie de Genève (open data).
At La Cité Bleue in Geneva, rare-book specialist Nicolas Ducimetière gives a free talk on the women who shaped Paul Verlaine's life and poetry, tied to the play «Verlaine en prison». It is an accessible hour of cultural history for adults and teenagers alike, and free registration is available online. «Verlaine et les femmes» Starts 18:00, ends about 19:00. Source: OpenAgenda — La Cité Bleue Genève (open data).
In the Jeudis midi series at the Bibliothèque de Genève, graphic designer Mathilde Veuthey talks about printed design as a field for experiment, shaped by the punk energy of the 1970s and 80s. Entry is free within the available places, with about 45 minutes of talk followed by an exchange. «Mathilde Veuthey» Starts 12:15, ends about 13:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque de Genève (open data).
On Thursday 18 March the Bibliothèque de Genève offers a free guided visit of its building in Les Bastions park, called The Library of Geneva through time. The tour follows the institution from its creation in 1559 to today, showing how it has kept changing while collecting, preserving and passing on a priceless heritage. Visitors go behind the scenes to learn about the library's missions and its history, which is closely tied to that of the city itself. The visit is led in French by Tiffany Sarre, a cultural mediator, lasts about an hour, and needs no registration, although places are limited to those available on the day. It starts at 12:15, which makes it a good lunch-break plan for a person on their own who likes old buildings and stories. «La Bibliothèque de Genève à travers le temps» Starts 12:15, ends about 13:15. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque de Genève (open data).
On Thursday 18 March the Bibliothèque de Genève and the University of Geneva history centre host a public discussion at Les Délices. The talk, called Genève internationale: l'envers du décor, asks who really makes the international city work. Behind the polished image of diplomacy are thousands of often invisible people, from cleaning staff to senior officials and wealthy businessmen, and the conversation explores backstage hierarchies and social divides in a global city. Two researchers, Marine Julie Pierre of the University of Copenhagen and Sabine Pitteloud of UniDistance Suisse, speak, with journalist Alexis Favre moderating. Entry is free and open until the room is full. Students of the music college offer a musical welcome at 18:00, and the discussion itself starts at 18:30 and lasts about an hour. The evening is in French. «Genève internationale: l'envers du décor» Starts 18:00, ends about 19:30. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque de Genève (open data).
The Petit-Saconnex toy library hosts an evening of board games from its varied collection, free and without registration, with snacks and friendly librarians to explain the games. The invitation explicitly welcomes people coming alone, with friends or with family (children from 7, under-12s accompanied). «Soirée jeux de société» Starts 19:30, ends about 22:30. Source: OpenAgenda — Ludothèque du Petit-Saconnex (open data).
In the digital humanities series of the Bibliothèque de Genève, Clarisse Bardiot of Université Rennes 2 shows how programmes, photographs and video recordings can be used to write the history of more than 2,000 Avignon Festival productions since 1947. Entry is free, open to everyone while places last, and the one-hour talk is followed by time for questions and conversation. «De la scène aux données» Starts 16:15, ends about 17:15. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque de Genève (open data).
At Les Délices, Voltaire's former home in Geneva, cultural mediator Lucas Arpin leads a free one-hour visit in French about Diderot and D'Alembert's Encyclopédie, the great publishing project of the 18th century, and Voltaire's sometimes stormy contribution to it. It is open to everyone from age 12 with no registration, within the limit of places, so it fits neatly into a lunch break alone. «Voltaire et l'Encyclopédie» Starts 12:15, ends about 13:15. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque de Genève (open data).
Kumquat plays neo-traditional Irish music with fiddle, bodhrán, accordion and Irish and classical flutes, a lively set made for anyone who feels like dancing. The one-hour concert at La Musicale, the music library of the Bibliothèque de Genève, is part of its free «Quatre Saisons» series, and entry is free within the limits of available seats, perfect for an evening out alone. «Kumquat» Starts 19:00, ends about 20:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque de Genève (open data).
Les Fabulateurs build a long-form improvised play from the audience's suggestions, and at the interval spectators propose plot twists; the favourite is worked into the second half and turns the story upside down. Entry is free with a hat collection at the end, and joining in with suggestions from your seat is a fun, low-pressure way to feel part of the room when you come alone. «TWIST ! Le spectacle d'impro où vous faites rebondir l'histoire» Starts 20:00, ends about 21:30. Source: OpenAgenda — Ville de Genève (open data).
A cultural mediator leads an hour-long visit behind the scenes of the Bibliothèque de Genève in the Parc des Bastions, tracing how the library founded in 1559 has collected and passed on the city's heritage. The tour is free, in French and without registration within the limits of available places, and a small guided group is an easy, curious way to get to know Geneva on your own. «La Bibliothèque de Genève à travers le temps» Starts 18:00, ends about 19:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque de Genève (open data).
The Petit-Saconnex toy library hosts an evening of board games with a varied selection, free of charge and without registration, with snacks and friendly game librarians to explain the rules. The organisers explicitly welcome people coming on their own as well as friends, colleagues and families. Sitting down at a game table is one of the simplest ways to start chatting with strangers. «Soirée jeux de société» Starts 19:30, ends about 22:30. Source: OpenAgenda — Ludothèque du Petit-Saconnex (open data).
In this public lecture series of the ethnomusicology master’s programme, anthropologist, artist and author Thomas Burkhalter gives a short talk and is then interviewed by students in the museum’s temporary exhibition hall. Entry is free and the cycle is open to the general public. A stimulating late afternoon for anyone curious about music from around the world. «Conférence du Master en ethnomusicologie | Thomas Burkhalter» Starts 16:30, ends about 18:30. Source: OpenAgenda — Ville de Genève - Musée d'ethnographie de Genève (open data).
At Les Délices, the house where Voltaire lived in Geneva, cultural mediator Lucas Arpin leads a one-hour lunchtime visit on magic and superstition seen through critical thinking. It starts from a Geneva witchcraft trial that Voltaire analysed a century later and asks what fanaticism means then and now. The visit is free, in French, open to all from age 12 and needs no registration, within the limit of available places. «Des sorcières aux Lumières: Voltaire et la superstition» Starts 12:15, ends about 13:15. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque de Genève (open data).
Once a month mahjong fans, beginners and experienced players alike, meet at the Plainpalais neighbourhood centre in Geneva, and they are happy to teach anyone who wants to learn. The evening is free and open to everyone from age 12. Bring a little something for the shared potluck buffet. «Soirées Mahjong» Starts 18:30, ends about 22:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Ville de Genève - événements organisés par des organisations externes à la Ville de Genève (open data).
How it works
The next event in Geneva is "Participatory workshop on sustainable, shared happiness" on Wednesday 18 Nov at 17:30. 0 events are listed in the next two weeks, and 47 up to Wednesday 16 Jun 2027.
42 of the 47 upcoming events listed here are marked free. The rest are low-cost or ticketed; the price is on each official page, so check it before you go.
Right now: learning (16), culture (12), social (9), music (8), sports (1). Common venues are Bibliothèque de Genève, Les Délices, Le Chaudron - Centre des Musiques Actuelles.
Yes, that is the point of this list. We pick talks, concerts, walks, language cafés and workshops where many people arrive on their own and there is a natural moment to start talking. Nobody checks whether you came with a friend.
Many of these events are also in the Meet & Mint app, where every event has its own chat and you can join alone. If one is not there yet, tap "+" in the app to add it and gather a group to go together.
Get this list as JSON or RSS (CC BY 4.0, details).
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