Come Alone by Meet & Mint Events you can go to on your own

Lisbon · newcomers, expats, students · checked 2 Nov 2026

Make friends in Lisbon, one repeatable thing at a time.

A good way to make friends in Lisbon is to keep going back to the same thing. A weekly language exchange, a board-game night, a morning walk or a Saturday run puts you next to the same faces more than once. This page lists ten repeatable formats, each with the organiser’s own page and the frequency and cost it states, plus the next seven days of Lisbon events.

Pick one that fits your week, go alone, and go back a second time before you decide. Bars and cafés are part of it: several of these meet over a drink. Web Summit is in Lisbon on 9–12 November 2026, and many visitors are in town on their own that week.

See the ten formats This week

Repeatable formats

Ten ways to meet people in Lisbon: each with a source

Every card comes from the pages linked on it, read on 2 Nov 2026. Where a page does not state a cost, we say so. Days and times can change, so use the link to confirm before you go.

Language exchange at ForkLore Café

What it is
A language exchange night at ForkLore Café, run by ForkLore Tribe Community on Meetup. The event page says the venue sets up dedicated tables for different languages and you can move freely between them; beginners and native speakers are both welcome.
How often
Every Wednesday, 19:30 to 21:30, listed until 9 January 2027. Venue: ForkLore Café, Mercado de Sapadores, loja 13, Rua da Penha de França.
Cost
Cost not stated on the event page.
Good to know
It is a Meetup event, so check the event page for the current sign-up details before you go.
ForkLore Tribe on Meetup: language exchange ↗

Board-game night: Game Night in Lisbon

What it is
A relaxed evening of board games such as Dixit, Codenames and Exploding Kittens. The organisers say they are happy to explain the rules if you do not know the games.
How often
Tuesdays at 19:00 (3, 10, 17 and 24 November are listed) at Amelia Café, Rua Ferreira Borges 101, Campo de Ourique.
Cost
The group calls it a free event; the event listings at Amelia state a 5 € minimum consumption.
Good to know
The organisers ask people to RSVP and keep their status updated, mention a waitlist almost every week, and check people in at the door.
Game Night in Lisbon (Meetup group) ↗

Morning walks: Walking in Lisbon

What it is
One-hour morning walks that loop back to the starting point. The host describes them as a walk and a conversation: “an explorer, not a tour guide”.
How often
Monday and Friday mornings, 09:00 to 10:00. Example: Monday 16 November from the park entrance at Praça António Sardinha.
Cost
The host asks for a 1 € contribution to cover Meetup fees.
Good to know
Walks leave on time, rain or shine, and the host does not use their phone once the walk starts.
Walking in Lisbon (Meetup event page) ↗

Monsanto Morning Walks

What it is
Small circular walks in Monsanto park, about an hour on the group page (walk #69: 5.6 km, about 90 minutes). The group says it welcomes chatty and quiet walkers alike.
How often
Once a week, per the group page. Next listed: Wednesday 4 November, 08:30, from the Ajuda sports complex (walk #69).
Cost
Free: the group says its walks “are, and will always be, free”. Donations are optional.
Good to know
Groups are kept small on purpose, and the organisers ask you to update your RSVP at least 24 hours ahead if you cannot come. Phones on silent during the walk.
Monsanto Morning Walks (Meetup group) ↗

Founders Running Club, Lisbon

What it is
Easy weekly runs that end with coffee and conversation. The organiser describes the club as bringing together founders, investors, tech and creative people and startup enthusiasts; you choose your own pace or follow a pacer.
How often
Every Saturday, 09:30 to 11:30, from Praça do Comércio, listed until 22 April 2027.
Cost
Cost not stated on the event page.
Good to know
The organiser’s description centres on founders and startup people. If that is not you, the walks above are an alternative. We cannot say who turns up.
Founders Running Club :: Lisbon (Meetup event page) ↗

ESN Lisboa: Art Circle

What it is
ESN Lisboa (Erasmus Student Network, a non-profit student organisation) runs the Art Circle for international students: sharing sessions, ice-breakers and creative activities around film, music, painting and photography.
How often
The page says “various meetings per month” and points to ESN’s social channels for the next date.
Cost
Art Circle: cost not stated. The ESNcard, which ESN says gives access to its events, costs 20 € and is valid for one year.
Good to know
Built for international and exchange students (the ESNcard page lists who can get one). If you are not a student, the other formats fit better.
ESN Lisboa: Art Circle ↗ESN Lisboa: ESNcard ↗

ESN Lisboa: Buddy Programme

What it is
ESN pairs incoming students with students who have lived in Lisbon for a while. The page says both newcomers and locals can sign up.
How often
Sign-up is ongoing; the page does not say how often buddies meet.
Cost
Cost not stated.
Good to know
You sign up through a button on the page or ESN’s Papaya app.
ESN Lisboa: Buddy Programme ↗

Volunteering: Voluntariado.pt

What it is
The national volunteering platform of CASES, with a list of volunteering actions and a list of accredited organisations. Its home page invites you to register and start helping. The site is in Portuguese.
How often
Depends on the organisation and action you choose; the page gives no single schedule.
Cost
Cost not stated.
Good to know
A regular volunteering role puts you next to the same people week after week, which is why it works for meeting people. Browse the “Ações de Voluntariado” list for current actions.
Voluntariado.pt (Portugal Voluntário) ↗

Free entries to national museums and monuments

What it is
A national scheme of 52 free entries a year to state museums, monuments and palaces for residents in Portugal. Lisbon sites on the list include Mosteiro dos Jerónimos, Museu Nacional do Azulejo, Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga, Torre de Belém, Palácio Nacional da Ajuda and Panteão Nacional.
How often
Up to 52 free entries a year, on any day of the week, according to the page.
Cost
Free within the 52 entries.
Good to know
You show your cartão de cidadão and give your tax number (NIF) at the ticket office, so it mainly suits residents who hold that card. The notice is dated 31 July 2024: confirm the current terms. Visiting the same room gives you an easy opening line afterwards.
Museus e Monumentos de Portugal: free-entry scheme ↗

Choir: Coro Sinfónico Lisboa Cantat

What it is
One of the choirs of Associação Musical Lisboa Cantat, founded in 1977.
How often
Rehearsals on Sundays 20:30 to 23:00 and Tuesdays 20:45 to 23:00, per its admission conditions.
Cost
Cost not stated.
Good to know
Joining is by audition and asks for choral experience or musical training and availability for concerts. A choir is a commitment, not a drop-in.
Coro Sinfónico Lisboa Cantat ↗

Left out on purpose. BLX (Lisbon municipal libraries): its site showed our automated reader a bot-check page, which we do not bypass. Free-entry days at Lisbon city museums (EGEAC): the pages we read give opening hours but no free-entry terms. The city council’s volunteering page (lisboa.pt): it blocked our reader. Running-club directories and an online language-exchange member directory: no organiser page with a current schedule we could read. Online-only groups are not listed. If you run a regular group in Lisbon, tell us the page and we will check it.

This week in Lisbon

Next 7 days: free events first

Computed from our Lisbon listings when this page was built (Monday 2 Nov 22:21); each card links to the official page. Up to eight shown.

Saturday 7 NovFree
10:00–11:00

Sábados no Museu: free guided visit, Medeiros e Almeida Museum

Museu Medeiros e Almeida
Official page ↗
Saturday 7 NovFree
15:00–16:30

Guided visit: the faces behind the Chapel of St John the Baptist

Museu de São Roque
Official page ↗
Sunday 8 NovFree
15:00–16:30

Literatura Portuguesa, fantastic tales, Pessoa e Companhia, Lisbon

Associação Pessoa e Companhia
Official page ↗
Sunday 8 NovFree
18:00–20:00

Free documentary and artist talk at MACAM, Lisbon

MACAM - Museu de Arte Contemporânea
Official page ↗
Tuesday 3 Nov
20:00–21:30

Cristina Clara presents her new album live, São Luiz, Lisbon

São Luiz Teatro Municipal
Official page ↗
Tuesday 3 Nov
21:00–23:15

Duran Duran in concert at MEO Arena, Lisbon

MEO Arena
Official page ↗
Wednesday 4 Nov
13:30–14:00

Peça do mês: a lunchtime look at the Manípulos, São Roque Museum

Museu de São Roque
Official page ↗
Wednesday 4 Nov
21:00–22:30

Helena Caldeira presents Abalar at Teatro Maria Matos, Lisbon

Teatro Maria Matos
Official page ↗

All Lisbon events

How to go alone the first time

  • Start with the easiest format. A group walk or a museum visit needs no conversation at all, and gives you a natural line afterwards: “did you like that room?”
  • Arrive a little early. In a small group it is easier to join before it fills. Our tip, not an organiser’s rule.
  • Have two openers ready. “How long have you been in Lisbon?” and “what brought you here?” work at language exchanges, because everyone there is practising speaking.
  • Set a time to leave. Deciding in advance (“I’ll stay an hour”) takes the pressure off; you can always stay longer.
  • Go twice before you judge. The second visit is when faces start to repeat, which is what turns an event into a circle.
  • Bars and cafés are fine. You can order what you like, including a soft drink. We can’t vouch for any event or for who attends; choose public places, tell a friend where you are, and plan your own way home.

Sources

Where this comes from

Checked 2 Nov 2026. We show no time, price or rule that we could not read on an organiser page. Event cards come from our own listings, each linking to its official page.

Questions people ask

How do I make friends in Lisbon as a newcomer?

Go to the same repeatable thing for a few weeks: a language exchange (Wednesdays at ForkLore Café), a board-game night (Tuesdays), a morning walk or a Saturday run. Seeing the same faces is what turns a first chat into a friendship. Each format on this page has an organiser page.

Do I need to speak Portuguese?

Not for the language exchange, the game night or the walks and run listed here: the organisers’ pages are in English. The Voluntariado.pt platform is in Portuguese, so a little helps there.

What is free in Lisbon?

Monsanto Morning Walks says its walks are free. The national scheme gives residents 52 free entries a year to state museums and monuments. The game night is described as a free event with a 5 € minimum consumption, and Walking in Lisbon asks for 1 €. Our events list marks which events are free.

Is it okay to go to these on my own?

Yes, they are open events and you can go alone. We can’t promise who will be there or vouch for any event, so pick public places, and read the organiser’s page for the current time and rules.

Where can I see what is on this week?

The “This week in Lisbon” block on this page is rebuilt from our Lisbon listings. The city’s Agenda Cultural de Lisboa (agendalx.pt), our Lisbon events page and the new-in-Lisbon guide go further.

More for Lisbon

New in Lisbon: your first month · Events in Lisbon · Lisbon answers · Board-game nights in Lisbon · Walks and hikes in Lisbon · Run clubs in Lisbon · Book clubs in Lisbon · Night Summit alone, Lisbon · Tonight Solo: Lisbon

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