Meeting People in Bordeaux: Where to Go

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Running, language exchange, public speaking, board games, swing: nine meet-ups in Bordeaux to meet people offline. Where, when, how much.

On a café terrace under the plane trees of a small stone square in the late afternoon, a few people push two tables together; one brings over a chair from the next table, two others laugh, with glasses of water and cups of coffee on the tables

Meeting people in a city is easier when you attend a recurring event: a run on Tuesday evening along the quays, a language exchange on the first Tuesday of the month, a round of board games. You see the same faces again, and a stranger quickly becomes someone you know. This guide only lists events that the organiser describes on its own page.

The options at a glance

Name	Area, venue	Format	When	Price (year)	Signing up
Bordeaux Language Exchange	Quai Virginie Hériot, Flocus	Language exchange	First Tuesday of the month, 8 pm	Free entry, order one drink (2026)	On Meetup, required
My English Language Meetup in Bordeaux	Depends on the announcement, for example Books & Coffee, rue Saint-James	Conversation in English	Regular meet-ups, no fixed day	Free (2026)	On Meetup
Toastmasters Bordeaux	Place Saint-Christoly, Athénée Municipal	Public speaking and improvisation	Selected Wednesdays and Thursdays, 7 pm	Free visit (2026)	Via the Meetup announcement, recommended
A2 Running	The quays, Miroir d'Eau	Group runs	Tuesday and Thursday, 7:30 pm	Free according to the website (undated)	No sign-up
GetFitNow Running Club Bordeaux	Place Pey-Berland, Tiki Bar	Group run, a 7.8 km loop	Sunday, 10 am	Not stated	Through the contact on the page
Sine Qua Non Squad Bordeaux	Quai des Chartrons, Hangar 14	Running and movement in a group	Once a month	Not stated	WhatsApp group linked on the page
Bordeaux Meeting Jeux de Société	Rue de la Rousselle, Atelier B	Board games	Several dates a year, no fixed schedule	Not stated	On Meetup
Swingtime	Jardin Public; Connemara Irish Pub	Swing dance socials	Several dates a year, see the calendar	Not stated	Not stated
Atelier des Citernes	Rue de la Compagnie du Midi	Open stage	Every Thursday	Not stated	To perform: on site or through Facebook

"Not stated" means we found no price, not that it costs money.

Talking

Bordeaux Language Exchange (Flocus, quai Virginie Hériot)

A language exchange on the first Tuesday of the month at 8 pm, at Flocus, quai Virginie Hériot. According to its page, the group is aimed at international students and people who have recently moved to the city; English and French are spoken, and all levels are welcome. Entry is free, and the group asks everyone to order at least one drink (2026). Signing up on Meetup is required. Bordeaux Language Exchange on Meetup

My English Language Meetup in Bordeaux (Books & Coffee and other venues)

A group run by the MyES English school, which organises meet-ups for speaking English, open to all levels and described as free (2026). One example is a Coffee Corner about books and English conversation at Books & Coffee, rue Saint-James. There is no fixed day: the next dates are on Meetup. My English Language Meetup in Bordeaux on Meetup

Toastmasters Bordeaux (Athénée Municipal, place Saint-Christoly)

A public speaking club, with prepared speeches and improvisation exercises. It meets at 7 pm on selected Wednesdays and Thursdays, several times a month, at the Athénée Municipal, place Saint-Christoly; the dates are in the club's calendar on Meetup. The club's language is French; now and then a meeting is announced in French and English. Guests are welcome and can try a meeting for free (2026); signing up is recommended, through the Meetup announcement or the club link it gives. Toastmasters Bordeaux on Meetup, the club's website

Running

A2 Running (Miroir d'Eau)

A running association that meets on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:30 pm at the Miroir d'Eau, on the quays. According to its website, the sessions are free and open to everyone, with no sign-up and no membership needed; this information is undated. The club also has a page on Strava. a2running.com, A2 Running on Strava

GetFitNow Running Club Bordeaux (Tiki Bar, place Pey-Berland)

The GetFitNow running club meets on Sundays at 10 am at the Tiki Bar, place Pey-Berland, for a 7.8 km loop, and says all levels are welcome. You sign up through the contact on the page; no price is given. GetFitNow Running Club Bordeaux

Sine Qua Non Squad Bordeaux (Hangar 14, quai des Chartrons)

Once a month, the association Sine Qua Non runs a group session of running and movement in Bordeaux, open to women and men, at all levels. According to its calendar, the meeting point is in front of Hangar 14, quai des Chartrons. The date and time of each session are in the association's calendar, which also links to its WhatsApp group for Bordeaux; no price is given. assosinequanon.org

Playing and dancing

Bordeaux Meeting Jeux de Société (Atelier B, rue de la Rousselle)

A group that presents board games as a way to meet new people. The games take place several times a year at Atelier B, a board game venue on rue de la Rousselle, with no fixed rhythm: the dates are on Meetup, where you sign up. No price is given. Bordeaux Meeting Jeux de Société on Meetup

Swingtime (Jardin Public and Connemara Irish Pub)

Swingtime announces swing dance meet-ups open to the public, such as Swing In Kiosque in the Jardin Public and the Thursday Swing Party at the Connemara Irish Pub. There are several dates a year; check the Swingtime calendar for the next one. For these meet-ups, the page gives no price and no conditions for taking part. Swingtime events

On stage

Open stage at the Atelier des Citernes (rue de la Compagnie du Midi)

The Atelier des Citernes, rue de la Compagnie du Midi, advertises an open stage every Thursday. If you want to perform, you sign up on site or through the Facebook page given in the calendar. The time, the price and the language are not stated; check the calendar for the next sessions. Atelier des Citernes calendar

Going alone

A shared activity makes it easier to start talking, because it gives you something to talk about: the route, the language, the game, the music. The first evening is often the most awkward, and each time you come back, you are more likely to see familiar faces.

Good openers are deliberately ordinary: "Is this your first time too?", "How did you find out about it?", "Do you come often?" 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 running again next Thursday?" or "I'm going to the language exchange next month, 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.