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

Not a date · Paris

Meet people in Paris without a dating app.

If dating apps have worn you out, try the opposite: a group, a task and a host. We list 85 upcoming events in Paris where nobody expects a date.

See this week's picks How to go alone

Picks

Tonight and this week in Paris 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
MusicParis
16:00–17:30

Free brass quintet concert by Q5 at the Jean-Pierre Melville library

Médiathèque Jean-Pierre Melville

The young international brass quintet Q5, founded in 2019 in Romania, plays two trumpets, horn, trombone and tuba at the Jean-Pierre Melville media library in the 13th arrondissement. Their programme mixes classical pieces by composers such as Mozart, Bach and Lully with traditional tunes, film music and covers. Entry is free, and a short Saturday-afternoon concert among the bookshelves is a lovely thing to do alone. «Concert du quintette de cuivres Q5» Starts 16:00, ends about 17:30. Ville de Paris — « Que faire à Paris ? » open data (ODbL).

Official page ↗See who's going in Meet & Mint
Tue27Oct
Free
LearningParis
18:30–20:30

Talk: where our plastic waste really goes

Fondation Maison des Sciences de l'Homme

What does the way we handle plastic waste say about our society? Researchers look behind the promise of recycling at the tensions between environment, industry and politics. Part of the 'Plastics: a systemic poison' series. Free.

Official page ↗See who's going in Meet & Mint
Thu29Oct
Free
CultureParis
19:00–21:00

Meet the painter Andreas Eriksson at the Swedish Institute

Institut Suédois

Swedish artist Andreas Eriksson, whose layered paintings of rock, moss and bark fill the exhibition 'Soleil et Lune', talks with curator and institute director Sara Arrhenius in a Marais townhouse. Free.

Official page ↗See who's going in Meet & Mint
Sat31Oct
Free
SocialParis
11:00–12:00

Halloween literary café on scary books, Batignolles library, Paris

Bibliothèque des Batignolles (salle bleue)

The monthly literary café of the Batignolles library, in the town-hall building of the 17th arrondissement, falls on Halloween this year, so librarians and readers will talk over tea or coffee about the books that frighten them. It is for adults, free and open without booking, in the library's blue room. Bring a title to recommend, or just listen. «Café littéraire des Batignolles» Starts 11:00, ends about 12:00. Ville de Paris — « Que faire à Paris ? » open data (ODbL).

Official page ↗See who's going in Meet & Mint
Sat31Oct
Free
CultureParis
18:00–20:00

Phantom of the Paradise: free Halloween screening, Paris 20e

Médiathèque Marguerite Duras

For Halloween the Marguerite Duras media library in the 20th arrondissement shows Brian De Palma's cult rock opera Phantom of the Paradise (1975) on the big screen: a young composer whose music is stolen by the producer Swan escapes from prison, disfigured and voiceless, to haunt Swan's new rock palace. In English with French subtitles, 92 minutes. Free, no booking, for teens from 14 and adults. «Projection Phantom of the Paradise de Brian De Palma» Starts 18:00, ends about 20:00. Ville de Paris — « Que faire à Paris ? » open data (ODbL).

Official page ↗See who's going in Meet & Mint
Sat31Oct
Free
MusicParis
18:30–23:00

Halloween night Bal Pop’ with Sora Yaa Band at the CENTQUATRE, Paris

Le CENTQUATRE-PARIS (104)

On Halloween night the CENTQUATRE, the huge arts centre in a former municipal undertakers' building in the 19th arrondissement, throws one of its free Bal Pop' dances: Ameth Sissokho and the Sora Yaa Band, born in the Goutte d'Or, mix African groove, blues and ballads, and DJ Cucurucho follows with afro, Caribbean, Latin and Arabic sounds. The Bal Pop' is a modern guinguette where neighbours, friends and dance lovers mix. Entry is free, with a bar and snacks on site. «Ameth Sissokho & Sora Yaa Band / DJ Cucurucho - Bal Pop'» Starts 18:30, ends about 23:00. Ville de Paris — « Que faire à Paris ? » open data (ODbL).

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 Paris:

How to go alone

Five steps for your first time

  1. Start with one hosted event; "Free brass quintet concert by Q5 at the Jean-Pierre Melville library" fits.
  2. Read the official page first: date, price, language and whether a place has to be reserved.
  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 Paris.

FormatWhy conversation startsWorks well if youTypical costCommitmentIn Paris now
Dinners with strangersA shared table and a host who seats youLike longer one-to-one conversationThe price of a mealOne evening, often booked ahead2 listed
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-in7 listed
Game nightsThe game provides the topic and something to doEnjoy light competition or puzzlesFree or a small table feeDrop-in, two to three hours10 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

Where do people in Paris meet without swiping?

Pick an activity rather than a venue. Paris has 85 listed events (music, culture, learning); start with "Free brass quintet concert by Q5 at the Jean-Pierre Melville library" and "Talk: where our plastic waste really goes" and go twice.

Is it normal to turn up alone in Paris?

It is common. Drop-in formats assume that most people arrive solo, and organisers are used to seating newcomers.

Will I meet someone romantic at these events in Paris?

These are not dating events and we make no promises about romance: nobody is expected to be on a date. People mostly make friends and acquaintances, and anything beyond that happens naturally.

What does it cost to go out alone in Paris?

Many are free: 74 of the 85 events we list for Paris, 21 of them in the next 30 days. Others list a price on the official page.

How do I start in Paris if I find talking to strangers hard?

Start with a structured event, like a workshop or a conversation table, where there is always something to do or say. Give it an hour. Meet & Mint shows who else is going so you recognise a face.

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How it works

Meet & Mint in Paris: 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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