Together

In beginners’ group classes partners usually rotate, so there’s no need to bring one. Check with the school in advance.

At pickup games teams are split on the spot, and players settle disputed calls themselves — no referees. No need for a crowd of your own.

At outdoor tables and open halls people usually play winner stays on: just ask who’s next and join the queue.

Run clubs usually split into pace groups and put newcomers in the right one. You don’t need your own crowd to start.

On hikes with open sign-up an organiser leads and the route is shared: a group forms on the way, since everyone walks in one direction.

Many quizzes put together mixed teams from people who come without their own crowd — ask the organisers in advance.

Mafia clubs make up tables from everyone who signs up, and the host explains the rules to newcomers. Getting acquainted starts on night one.

At language exchange meetups tables are usually split by language, so a conversation partner turns up easily. No crowd of your own needed.

At a book club everyone arrives with the same book, so there is something to talk about even among strangers.

Exercises run in pairs and circles with partners swapping, so by the break everyone knows everyone’s name.

People come to a choir to sing, not to mingle, and that makes mingling easy: the same section-mates stand beside you every week.

A clean-up gives you a shared job from minute one: conversation starts with “where does this go?”

People come to morning practice on their own: nobody talks on the mat, and introductions happen over tea afterwards.