Where to Meet New People in Bern Offline

Bern has plenty of regular meet-ups, from a Tuesday language evening to a Thursday board game night, and if you go regularly, you can see the same people again. This guide sorts the options by type, with concrete examples. We only list what the organisers describe on their own pages. Times change, so check the organiser's own page before you go.

The options at a glance

Option	Example	When	Rough cost
Language exchange	Language Exchange di Berna	Tuesday 19:00	Free (2026)
Language exchange	Language Exchange Bern	Thursday 19:00	Not stated
Board game night	ERUPT Board Game Meetup	Thursday 18:00, every two weeks	No table fee, food and drinks extra (2026)
Pub quiz	Pub Quiz Bern	Individual evenings at different venues	CHF 5 per person at the latest quiz (2026)
Running or walking	Bern-Fribourg Hash House Harriers	Every other Wednesday 18:45	Not stated
Tango practice	Tango Practica	Wednesday 20:15 to 22:15, see the calendar	CHF 10 (2026)
Food and culture	Frauenbeiz Bern	Once a month, usually the first Monday	Not stated
Shared dinner	Dreif-Treff	About twice a month on Saturdays	Not stated, low-cost according to the parish
Queer meet-up	BernPride Queer Hangout	About once a month on a Thursday, see the calendar	Free (2026)

"Not stated" means we did not find a price, not that it costs money.

Options by type

Languages

At the Language Exchange di Berna, people meet on Tuesdays at 19:00 in the Connect Bern space to speak German, English, French, Spanish and other languages. Taking part is free (2026). The page gives no street address and does not mention signing up, so before your first visit, ask Connect Bern about the address and how to join through the contact options on the page, such as WhatsApp.

The Meetup group Language Exchange Bern meets on Thursdays at 19:00 at the Maison, Theaterplatz 7. People talk in small groups with native speakers, and according to the group page, everyone is welcome. The page does not say which languages are on offer on a given evening or whether it costs anything. Check Meetup for an event on your chosen Thursday.

Games and quizzes

At a game table you have something to do and something to talk about straight away. At the ERUPT Board Game Meetup, people play every two weeks on Thursdays from 18:00 at the ERUPT Lounge, Parkterrasse 14, and you sign up on Meetup. According to the Meetup listings for the game nights, the usual CHF 10 table fee is waived; food and drinks are sold separately on site (2026).

Pub Quiz Bern runs public quiz nights at different bars and restaurants, and the dates are on its website. Some evenings can be sold out, so check there beforehand whether places are still available. At the latest quiz, at the Halle 16, taking part cost CHF 5 per person, and you signed up directly with Pub Quiz Bern or with the Halle 16 (2026). For several dates, the page mentions teams of two to six; if you want to come on your own, ask beforehand whether a team has room.

Running and dancing

The Bern-Fribourg Hash House Harriers meet every other Wednesday at 18:45 for runs and walks. English is the main language spoken. The meeting point changes and is updated in the relevant Meetup listing a few days before the run. According to the group, you can simply join at the meeting point. The group does not state a price.

At the Tango Practica at the Luna Negra, Zentweg 17a, people dance and practise on Wednesdays from 20:15 to 22:15, every two weeks according to the page. The dates in the calendar sometimes differ from that, so check beforehand that your Wednesday is on it. According to the organiser, dancers of all levels, backgrounds and roles are welcome, and you do not need to bring a partner. Entry costs CHF 10 (2026); the page does not mention signing up.

Eating together

The Frauenbeiz Bern hosts an evening of food and culture once a month, usually on the first Monday, at the Breitsch-Träff, Breitenrainplatz 27. According to its website, women are welcome on their own or in a group. Sign up beforehand by email; the page does not give a price.

The Dreif-Treff, run by the Pfarrei Dreifaltigkeit at Taubenstrasse 4, is a chance to meet people over a simple dinner, about twice a month on Saturdays after the church service. An open team cooks and serves. The parish describes the meal as low-cost but gives no amount, and it does not mention general sign-up. The dates are on the parish's page, so check when the next one is.

Queer community

BernPride describes the BernPride Queer Hangout as a space for the queer community to come together and connect. The meet-ups take place at the Lumis Kaffeebar, about once a month on a Thursday according to the calendar, most recently from 18:00; the dates are on the BernPride home page. Taking part is free (2026). You sign up by Instagram message or email, anonymously if you prefer.

Going alone

Pick one format and go three times before you judge it. The first evening is often the most awkward, and every time you return, you are more likely to see familiar faces. A shared activity can make it easier to start a conversation by giving you something to talk about: the language, the game, the route, the dance.

Good openers are deliberately ordinary: "Is this your first time too?", "How did you find out about it?", "Which language are you practising?" Ask one follow-up question and listen to the answer.

Making plans to meet again

A good conversation does not turn into a second meeting on its own. Before you leave, suggest something concrete: "Are you coming to the language evening again next Tuesday?" or "I'm going to the game night again in two weeks, want to come?" A specific suggestion is easier to answer than "We should do something sometime".

Try it this week

• Pick one format from the table above
• Put the date in your calendar and check it on the organiser's page
• Arrive five minutes early and talk to one person
• Before you leave, suggest a specific plan to meet again

For organisers

If you host evenings like these, you know the moment: people get on well and then lose touch. before is a web app for organisers. Guests check in at the door with a QR code in their browser, without installing an app, and anyone who likes takes a selfie. The day after, the afterparty is open from 10 am to 8 pm. Anyone who shared a selfie sees everyone else who shared one there and can press the button for meeting again for up to five people. At 8 pm everyone finds out at the same time who wants to see each other again, and only then does a chat open. One-sided wishes stay invisible, and nobody receives a rejection. Nobody needs a profile. More on the page before for organisers.