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

Not a date · Bilbao

Meet people in Bilbao without a dating app.

Meeting people does not have to be a profile. In Bilbao we list 26 upcoming events built around an activity, so conversation starts with the activity.

See this week's picks How to go alone

Picks

Tonight and this week in Bilbao nobody on a date

Six upcoming events, soonest first, free ones preferred and a mix of categories. Check the official page before you go.

Sat24Oct
Free
CultureBilbao
13:00–14:00

Basque folk dance in the square: Dantza Plazetan, Basurto, Bilbao

Centro Municipal de Basurto

Bilbao's year-round «Dantza Plazetan» programme brings Basque folk dance out onto the streets and squares of different neighbourhoods; this Saturday the Beti Jai Alai dance group performs at the Basurto municipal centre. It is free and open-air in spirit, with romerías, dance displays and music meant for passers-by to stop and enjoy. Standing in the circle of spectators is a relaxed way to meet a neighbourhood far from the tourist trail. «Dantza Plazetan 2026: Beti Jai Alai Dantzari Taldea» Starts 13:00, ends about 14:00. Source: Kulturklik — Basque Government / Open Data Euskadi (CC BY 4.0).

Official page ↗See who's going in Meet & Mint
Thu29Oct
Free
MusicBilbao
19:30–22:30

Jam session with the Bilbao Music School at Hika Ateneo

Hika Ateneo

One Thursday a month, the Hika Ateneo cooperative bar on the riverside quay in Bilbao fills with students and teachers from the Bilbao Music School for a live jam session, together with a pintxo-pote (a pintxo and a drink at a low price). If you feel like playing, just talk to the teachers. Entry is free, and a jam with pintxos is pure Bilbao sociability. «Jam Session: Bilbao Musika Eskola» Starts 19:30, ends about 22:30. Source: Kulturklik — Basque Government / Open Data Euskadi (CC BY 4.0).

Official page ↗See who's going in Meet & Mint
Thu12Nov
Free
MusicBilbao
20:00–22:00

Free rock and soul gig by Baz Francis at Residence, Bilbao

Residence

Residence, a bar in the Abando district of central Bilbao, hosts UK-based singer-songwriter Baz Francis, a rock and soul artist, founder of the bands Magic Eight Ball and Mansion Harlots, who has opened for Art Alexakis, Blind Melon and Chuck Mosley. Expect heartfelt songs in English and stories between them. Entry is free, and a pub gig makes it easy to strike up a conversation at the bar. «BAZ FRANCIS (Bilbao)» Starts 20:00, ends about 22:00. Source: Kulturklik — Basque Government / Open Data Euskadi (CC BY 4.0).

Official page ↗See who's going in Meet & Mint
Tue17Nov
Free
CultureBilbao
20:00–21:30

Free participatory Basque-language theatre on friendship

Bilboko Kafe Antzokia

Four friends meet on stage to celebrate the promises and disappointments that bind them, in a playful piece that invites the audience into the game. The show at Kafe Antzokia is free and performed in Basque.

Official page ↗See who's going in Meet & Mint
Sat28Nov
Free
SocialBilbao
20:00–21:30

Basque Folk Dance Romería in Plaza Santiago

Plaza Santiago

The Salbatzaile dance group hosts a romería, an open-air Basque folk dance gathering, in Plaza Santiago in the Old Town, as part of the city's free Dantza Plazetan programme. Street dances like this are open to passers-by, so joining in alone is natural.

Official page ↗See who's going in Meet & Mint
Thu24Dec
Free
OutdoorsBilbao
17:00–18:30

Christmas Eve folk-dance romería on Plaza Basarrate, Bilbao

Plaza Basarrate (Santutxu)

On the afternoon of Christmas Eve the Gaztedi dance group brings a romería, an open-air Basque folk-dance party, to the square of Santutxu. Dancers start, neighbours join the circles, and you can simply watch from the edge or take a hand in a line dance. A warm, local way to spend the hours before dinner. Free; the end time is not published, about an hour and a half is likely. «Dantza Plazetan 2026: Gaztedi Dantzari Taldea» Starts 17:00, ends about 18:30. Source: Kulturklik — Basque Government / Open Data Euskadi (CC BY 4.0).

Official page ↗See who's going in Meet & Mint

Formats

Where you talk without pressure

These formats give you a task or a topic, so you never have to open with small talk. Pages for Bilbao:

  • Language cafés in Bilbao: The topic is built in: everyone is there to practise, so asking a stranger a question is the point.
  • Game nights in Bilbao: The game gives your hands something to do and everyone something to talk about.
  • Padel and pickleball in Bilbao: Doubles games where partners rotate, so one session puts you on court with several different people.
  • Walk and talk: Walking side by side is easier than sitting face to face. (all cities; nothing for Bilbao yet)
  • Book clubs and silent reading: Either you discuss one book, or nobody has to talk at all. (all cities; nothing for Bilbao yet)
  • Library nights: Free, low-key programmes in a place where it is normal to be alone. (all cities; nothing for Bilbao yet)
  • New in town guide: A practical first-weeks guide with events for newcomers.
  • Answers for Bilbao: short answers to common questions about going out alone, with names and dates.

How to go alone

Five steps for your first time

  1. Choose a single event with a clear start time and a host. "Basque folk dance in the square: Dantza Plazetan, Basurto, Bilbao" is a good candidate.
  2. Open the official page and check the date, price, language and whether you need to book.
  3. Be early. Say to the host that you are new; introducing newcomers is part of their job.
  4. Bring one easy opener: ask what brought people here, or whether they have been before. Give yourself a one-hour minimum, then decide.
  5. Return to the same group once more before deciding; regulars make it easier, and Meet & Mint shows who plans to attend.

Alternatives to dating apps

What actually works, compared

A neutral comparison of five ways to meet people through shared activities. None needs a profile; the last column shows what we list for Bilbao.

FormatWhy conversation startsWorks well if youTypical costCommitmentIn Bilbao now
Dinners with strangersA shared table and a host who seats youLike longer one-to-one conversationThe price of a mealOne evening, often booked aheadnone in our data yet
Run clubsYou move at the same pace and talk on the movePrefer doing something active to small talkOften free or low costWeekly; talking is optionalnone in our data yet
Language cafésEveryone is practising, so starting a chat is expectedWant a ready-made reason to talkFree or the cost of a coffeeDrop-in3 listed
Game nightsThe game provides the topic and something to doEnjoy light competition or puzzlesFree or a small table feeDrop-in, two to three hours1 listed
VolunteeringA shared task and a teamWant to meet people with similar valuesFreeRegular shifts matter more than one visitnone in our data yet

Questions people ask

What is a good way to make friends in Bilbao that is not an app?

Join something recurring with a host and a task: a language café, a game night, a walk or a class. For Bilbao we currently list 26 events, for example "Basque folk dance in the square: Dantza Plazetan, Basurto, Bilbao" and "Jam session with the Bilbao Music School at Hika Ateneo".

Is it weird to go to an event alone in Bilbao?

No. Many of the formats we list, such as language cafés and game nights, are designed for people who arrive alone, and hosts expect newcomers. Tell the host you are new and they will usually introduce you.

Is this a way to find a partner?

No, they are ordinary group activities where nobody is on a date. That is the point: pressure is low, and if a connection happens it grows out of shared interest, not out of a profile.

Does meeting people in Bilbao cost money?

Often not. 15 of 26 listed events in Bilbao are free (4 within 30 days). Paid formats such as padel sessions or board-game cafés state the price on their page.

I'm new to Bilbao and shy. Where do I start?

Pick something where you do things rather than only talk, such as a game night or a guided walk. Commit to one hour. In Meet & Mint you can chat with the group before you arrive, which makes the first minutes easier.

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How it works

Meet & Mint in Bilbao: how it works

  1. Find an event on Come Alone or in the Meet & Mint map and open the official page for the details.
  2. Join alone in the app: you see how many people are going and can read the group chat.
  3. Say hello before in the chat, so the first minutes at the venue are with names you know.
  4. Meet at the event and decide afterwards whether to go again. Nobody is on a date.

Meet & Mint

See who's going, then go together

Meet & Mint shows events and people near you on one map. Join an event alone, chat with the group, meet at the event. Free on iPhone and Android.

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