Many events in Zurich take place weekly or monthly, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Running or walking, then drinks | Zurich Hash House Harriers | Thursday evening, first Saturday of the month | CHF 5 with snacks (2026) |
| Dinner with strangers | Timeleft | Wednesday and Friday 19:00 | Subscription plus your own bill (2026) |
| Queer dinner | Regenbogenznacht, HAZ Queer Zürich | Selected dates in the calendar | CHF 8 to 12 for the food (2026) |
| Shared lunch | Zmittag für Alle | Every other Tuesday 12:00, not in school holidays | CHF 12 for adults (2026) |
| Language exchange | Zürich Sprachaustausch | Saturday 20:00 to 22:00 | CHF 10 (2026) |
| Board game night | Zurich Fun Gamers | Several times a month | From CHF 5, depending on the format (2026) |
| Board game night | Games Night!! | First Friday of the month | From CHF 10 (2026) |
| Dance class | SPORTEGRATION Dance Class | Friday 19:15 to 20:45 | Free (2026) |
| Open singing | open space stimme, Opernhaus Zürich | Selected Tuesdays 19:00 | Free (2026) |
Options by type
Running or walking
The Zurich Hash House Harriers meet on Thursday evenings and on the first Saturday of the month at different locations in Zurich. You run or walk a marked trail and socialise afterwards. The meeting point is posted for each date on Meetup, and you do not need to sign up. A run costs CHF 5 including snacks (2026). More about the group is on zh3.ch.
Eating with others
Timeleft matches you with four to six people you have not met for dinner in a Zurich restaurant on Wednesdays and Fridays at 19:00; on Saturdays at 15:00, small groups meet for coffee. The app shows the venue twelve hours beforehand. You need a subscription to book, and the price depends on the plan you choose; you pay for food and drinks at the venue (2026).
The Regenbogenznacht hosted by HAZ Queer Zürich is a shared dinner in the Zollküche at the Regenbogenhaus from 19:00 to 22:00. HAZ welcomes people who want to meet and talk to other queer people. Volunteers from the community cook, the food costs CHF 8 to 12, and drinks are sold at cost (2026). With only about 40 places, you have to register for the meal. The dates are in the HAZ calendar.
Zmittag für Alle is a shared lunch hosted by the Reformed church in Schwamendingen, every other Tuesday outside the school holidays from 12:00, in the parish hall at Stettbachstrasse 58. According to the parish, people of all ages and religious backgrounds are welcome, and conversation and spending time together are part of the idea. Adults pay CHF 12 (2026). Register by the Thursday of the week before, by phone or email; the dates are on the parish's page.
Language exchange
At the Zürich Sprachaustausch people sit at language tables every Saturday from 20:00 to 22:00 in the 2. Akt Sportsbar at Selnaustrasse 2. It is run by Pub Crawl Zurich. Tickets cost CHF 10 (2026) and can be bought online.
Board game nights
At a game table you have something to do and something to talk about straight away. The Zurich Fun Gamers run several formats: DOPI, a social gaming evening on selected Saturdays for CHF 10, and other game nights during the week, some for CHF 5 and others for more (2026). Some dates are cancelled, so check yours on Meetup. They play at different venues, such as the 25hours Hotel Zürich West and in Oerlikon.
The Zurich Board Games Meetup Group also lists Games Night!!, an open game night with an international crowd on the first Friday of the month, most recently at Hirschengraben 52. The "Games & Drinks" ticket last cost CHF 10 (2026).
Dancing and singing
The SPORTEGRATION Dance Class takes place on Fridays from 19:15 to 20:45 at the Quartierzentrum Schütze, Heinrichstrasse 238. The class is open to anyone aged 16 and over. According to the organiser you need no dance experience, all levels are welcome, and taking part is free (2026).
At open space stimme at the Opernhaus Zürich people sing together on selected Tuesdays at 19:00, usually in the rehearsal studio at Kreuzstrasse 5. It is open to anyone aged 16 and over, you need no experience and no registration, and entry is free (2026). The dates are in the opera house calendar.
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 trail, the game, the language, the song.
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 again next Saturday?" or "I'm going to the game night on the first Friday, 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.