Unlock London's Social Scene: Unexpected Ways to Meet Your People

London is a city of opportunity and adventure. For new residents who have moved to the city from various locations, the prospect of finding new friends can be daunting. Although we live in a digital world and we have never been more connected, making relationships face-to-face is hard, especially in a huge city like London.

If you are looking for a starting point to make some new friends in London, you have come to the right place. We will share exactly how to make new friends in the buzzing city, including outside tips from those who have made friends for life. Take a look at the following suggestions:

Join fitness classes

There is nothing like bonding with someone over a joint appreciation for health and fitness. If you are a workout lover who is seeking a new gym class location, you should also use this opportunity to make new friends. The chances are if you love spin classes, then you will meet people who equally love spin as much as you at a class.

London has some great fitness studios that foster a real sense of community for all of its members. Don't be afraid if you are starting a new gym class. Been considering Pilates, or even Zumba to break out some moves? Going by yourself gives you the best opportunity to step outside of your comfort zone and make new friends.

Start a new hobby

Speaking of stepping outside of your comfort zone, there are of course thousands of hobbies outside of fitness. Hobbies are a great way to create a sense of identity and find something you do selfishly for your enjoyment. Work might take up a lot of time, but allocate at least an hour a week to invest in a new hobby, whether it’s winter or summer activities. This will take your mind off stress, and also pave the way to meeting like-minded people. Here are a few hobbies to consider taking up in London:

• Painting
• Instrument playing
• Roller skating
• Book clubs
• Run clubs
• Sowing
• Cooking classes

These are just a few suggestions, but you are guaranteed to find classes suited to just about any hobby you can think of.

Join free meet-up groups

If you think you are the only new person settling into the city of London, you would be mistaken. Thousands of people move into the city or on the outskirts to make a name for themselves, all with no family or connections to confide in the city. For this reason, meetup groups have been set up for new faces to make friends. You can use the platform Meet Up to find new friends for life!

Make use of free events

There are at least a dozen free events that take place in London monthly. From free boozy promotional events to art exhibitions, you can have the best day out meeting people in London and seeing new things without spending a penny on the experience. Check out platforms like Eventbrite to find free tickets to events.

Use Facebook groups

Facebook is a great place to find communities specific to the type of people you wish to meet. Are you a massive gaming fan looking for friends to meet up with in real life? Or are you a fashion design student who wants to meet other designers to share hijab designs with? You will likely find a Facebook group dedicated to individuals who love these things too, and are happy to meet up.

Be sure to speak up in the groups, whilst asking and answering questions. Making yourself known will mean people become more comfortable meeting up in groups if they know your true intentions.

Overall, London truly is the place to make connections for life. The key is to put yourself out there and be open to new experiences. You might attend some events that are not quite for you, and that's okay! Keep moving on to the next event until you find a group of people that you connect with and can spend time doing different activities with.