Meeting People in Marseille: Where to Go

Meeting people in a city is easier when you attend a recurring event: a language exchange on Wednesday, a games afternoon on Sunday, a conversation in a café on Thursday. 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)	Language
Polyglot Club Marseille	Vieux-Port, Le Marmot	Language exchange	Wednesday and Friday, from 7 pm	2 € plus a drink (2026)	For example French, English, Spanish, Italian
English / French Language Exchange	Place Félix Baret, La Folle Époque	Language exchange	Every other Tuesday, 6 to 8 pm	Not stated	English and French
English Apéro	Venues vary, for example La Voie Maltée, cours Julien	Apéro in English, sometimes with live music	Regular evenings, dates on Meetup	2 € an evening, 10 € for a card of five evenings (2026)	Mostly English
Monthly Rounds in Marseille	Cours Jean Ballard, Loch Ness Pub	International evening in a pub	Second Friday of the month	Not stated	International group
Toastmasters Marseille	Vauban, rue Pointe-à-Pitre	Public speaking	Every other Tuesday, 7:15 pm	Not stated	Not stated
Chill Philo Café	Rue Samatan, FAMA	Café conversation about questions chosen together	Thursday evening, weekly according to the programme	Not stated	English, or French if everyone speaks it
Apéros littéraires du Vendredi	Boulevard Longchamp, AUX 35	Writing, reading and talking	Every other Friday, 7 pm	15 € for a trial session, then 25 € a session plus a 10 € annual membership (2026)	Announcement in French
Ludimars	Boulevard Longchamp	Board game night	Regular evenings, usually from 6 pm	5 €, 5.50 € with a drink worth up to 1.50 € (2026)	Announcement in French
Les Rencontres Ludiques	Cours Pierre Puget, Le Chaperon Rouge	Games, open to newcomers and the curious	Sunday afternoon	Access to the games 3 €, included with a membership card; 3.50 € per 90 minutes without an order (2026)	Announcement in French
Jeux de rôle pour toustes	Community space of the Centre LGBTQIA+ Marseille	Introduction to role-playing games	Fourth Friday of the month, 7 to 10 pm	Not stated	Announcement in French
Swing on Mars	Venues vary, practice often outdoors	Open practice and swing classes	Open practice on Thursdays, classes every week	Not stated	Website in French
Les Petites Cantines Marseille	Marseille 1st arrondissement, rue Barbaroux	Cooking together, then sharing the meal	Several lunches and evenings a week, brunch on the first Sunday of the month	Pay what you choose (2026)	Website in French
Timeleft	Restaurants and cafés; venues vary	Dinner or coffee with four to six strangers	Dinner Wednesday 8 pm, coffee Saturday 3 pm	Subscription, plus food and drinks (2026)	French or English, chosen when booking

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

Language exchange

Polyglot Club Marseille (Le Marmot, Vieux-Port)

A language exchange on Wednesdays and Fridays, from 7 pm, at Le Marmot, 22 rue Beauvau, near the Vieux-Port. People speak, for example, French, English, Spanish or Italian, and all levels and nationalities are welcome. Entry costs 2 €, to support the association, plus a drink (2026). You sign up on Meetup or via WhatsApp. Polyglot Club Marseille on Meetup

English / French Language Exchange (La Folle Époque)

Every other Tuesday, from 6 to 8 pm, a French and English language exchange at La Folle Époque, 10 place Félix Baret. The announcement invites you to practise a language or simply to talk in person. No price is given; you sign up on Meetup. English / French Language Exchange on Meetup

English Apéro (venues vary)

An apéro where people mostly speak English, sometimes with live music, at changing venues, for example La Voie Maltée, 7 rue Crudère, near the cours Julien, or Zoumaï, cours Gouffé. All nationalities and all language levels are welcome, and you can come on your own, as a pair or in a group. The evenings come round regularly; the venue and the dates are on Meetup. An evening costs 2 €, a card for five evenings 10 € (2026). English Apéro on Meetup

Monthly Rounds in Marseille (Loch Ness Pub, cours Jean Ballard)

An international evening at the Loch Ness Pub, 3 cours Jean Ballard, on the second Friday of the month. The announcement expressly welcomes people who have just moved to Marseille. No entry price is given. Monthly Rounds in Marseille on Meetup

Speaking and debating

Toastmasters Marseille (rue Pointe-à-Pitre, Vauban)

A club where members practise public speaking and communication on a regular basis. It meets every other Tuesday at 7:15 pm, at 14 rue Pointe-à-Pitre, in Vauban. According to the group's page, guests can attend two or three meetings to get to know the club. No price is given. Toastmasters Marseille on Meetup

Chill Philo Café (FAMA, rue Samatan)

The Chill Philo Café (& Apéro) by Il Circolo Social Club is a relaxed conversation about questions chosen together, in a non-academic setting. It takes place on Thursday evenings at FAMA, 1 rue Samatan, every week according to the current programme. People speak English, unless everyone speaks French. Places are booked on Meetup; no price is given. Il Circolo Social Club on Meetup

Writing

Apéros littéraires du Vendredi (AUX 35, boulevard Longchamp)

A workshop for writing, reading and talking, based on playful prompts, every other Friday at 7 pm, at AUX 35, 35 boulevard Longchamp. The announcement also invites people who don't read or write regularly. A trial session costs 15 €, then 25 € a session plus a 10 € annual membership (2026). You sign up on Meetup or on the website of the Atelier d'Ailleurs, which runs the workshop. atelierdailleurs.com, the workshop on Meetup

Playing

Games nights at Ludimars (boulevard Longchamp)

The Ludimars shop, 61 boulevard Longchamp, regularly organises evenings, usually from 6 pm, for playing with new people; beginners and experienced players are welcome. Entry costs 5 €, or 5.50 € including a drink worth up to 1.50 €; subscribers pay 3 €, or 3.50 € with a drink, on top of a 20 € annual subscription (2026). You sign up on Meetup or directly at the shop. Games nights on Meetup, ludimars.com

Les Rencontres Ludiques (Le Chaperon Rouge, cours Pierre Puget)

An open games meet-up on Sunday afternoons at Le Chaperon Rouge, 16 cours Pierre Puget. The invitation is addressed to people who have just arrived, to the curious and to anyone who wants to meet people. Access to the games costs 3 €, included with a membership card. On top of that, playing costs 3.50 € per 90 minutes without an order; each order covers 90 minutes and is charged at least 3.50 € (2026). The dates are on the venue's page and on Meetup. Les Rencontres Ludiques at Le Chaperon Rouge, on Meetup

Jeux de rôle pour toustes (Centre LGBTQIA+ Marseille)

In its community space, the Centre LGBTQIA+ Marseille runs an introductory session that it describes as a "jeu de rôle ouvert à toustes" (a role-playing game open to everyone), on the fourth Friday of the month, from 7 to 10 pm. Beginners choose between three game ideas. No price is given; the dates are in the centre's calendar. Jeux de rôle pour toustes, the centre's calendar

Dancing

Swing on Mars (venues vary)

A swing association that gives classes every week in several venues and holds an open practice on Thursdays, often outdoors, at a spot that changes. For the classes, you need to sign up and become a member of the association. The programme page gives no prices. Check the day and the venue in the programme before you go. Swing on Mars programme, the venues

At the table

Les Petites Cantines Marseille (rue Barbaroux)

An association where people cook together and then share a meal, at 36 rue Barbaroux, in the 1st arrondissement. There are several sessions a week, at lunchtime and in the evening, and a brunch on the first Sunday of the month. You book online, you take part as a member, and everyone chooses how much to pay for the meal and for the membership (2026). marseille.lespetitescantines.org

Timeleft (restaurants and cafés)

An app that brings you together with four to six people you don't know yet. In Marseille, dinners take place on Wednesdays at 8 pm and coffee meet-ups on Saturdays at 3 pm. You can book on your own. When you book, you choose French or English, and Timeleft tries to seat you with people who made the same choice. You need a subscription, whose price depends on the plan you choose in the app, and you pay for what you eat and drink (2026). timeleft.com/marseille

Going alone

Pick one format and go at least two or three times before you decide. The first time is often the most awkward, and every time you return, you are more likely to see familiar faces. A shared activity makes it easier to start a conversation by giving you something to talk about: the language, the game, the dance, the dish you are cooking together.

Good openers are deliberately ordinary: "Is this your first time too?", "How did you hear 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 exchange again next Wednesday?" or "I'm going to play games on Sunday afternoon, 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.