Brussels is an easy city to make new friends. With a high turnover of newcomers every month, the city is teeming with people who want to meet other people to make the most of this city.
Most newcomers are likely here to work in or to influence the EU institutions. This group will concentrate efforts on Place du Luxembourg (also known as 'Plux'), the Thursday evening drinking fest near the European Parliament.
However, there is more to the city than perfecting a trauma bond with fellow Eurocrats.
A shortcut for making friends starts with one of three key ingredients: have an interest (the more niche the better), have something to teach, or have something you want to learn or experience.
Alternatively, you can think about the four areas of your life where you are likely to overlap with others. These are the hobbies that keep you in shape, make you money (usually work), advance your knowledge, or keep you creative.
Once you've done some thinking and made your list, what are some useful ways to find like-minded people as a newcomer to the capital of Europe? Here's a list on how to make friends away from the influencing people.
1. Ask friends back home
Leaning on friends back home is a good place to start. Many overlook this opportunity, but it is highly unlikely your friendship group won't know someone already in Brussels. These people, part of a wider circle of friends, are a good first start to the city.
They can guide you through the nuances of the city and potentially introduce you to others who share your interests.
Most are happy to share what they know about the city, especially if they’ve been in your shoes before. But don't forget to return the favour when it is your turn to share your knowledge.
2. Attend a conference, talk, or workshop
Yes, a conference. These aren't reserved just for work-related themes, with plenty of conferences on niche topics taking place in Brussels, in English, often with a pan-European theme.
Eventbrite is a great resource to browse free upcoming conferences and other events worth going to in the city. The advantage of attending a conference is that you know everyone there will have an interest in the topic.
Most of these will feature coffee breaks, workshops or after-conference drinks. These are perfect opportunities to strike up a conversation. Useful openers include: "what did you think about the last session?" or "how did you find out about this conference?".
From there conversation can drift to where your accent is from, views on Brussels, and tips on other opportunities to learn about the conference topic.
3. Explore meetup groups
In most cities, meetup.com groups can be hit or miss. But in Brussels, they tend to attract a wide variety of people, especially newcomers looking to connect.
The website is a useful source of groups for walks, day trips, card nights, book clubs, crafting sessions, or language practice.
If you can't find a group for you, then start one. The system is very good at sharing new groups with those who may be interested. Pretty soon you'll have newcomers to your group.
Often, groups have multiple events a month, which makes it a good way to get a regular social activity in your diary when you are new to the city.
If you are unsure about joining a group as a newcomer, reach out to the group owner and ask them if newbies are welcome. The tone of their response will tell you whether or not the group is for you.
4. Get back in the classroom
Shared learning experiences often lead to lasting connections, which is why taking a class can be a great way to meet people.
In a city as international as Brussels, most people will be learning or perfecting a language with many evening language schools in the city. This is a great way to meet people and help each other to perfect learning the language outside the classroom.
Eventbrite is once again a good port of call for lessons, Wecandoo is another - tailored towards more craft workshops.
If your Dutch language is good enough, you can also explore lifelong learning courses (and if your language level is low, you can improve that through this route too). These courses cover more practical elements such as cooking, photography, and DIY.
There is an extensive database of courses available for those with or without a job on the VDAB website. Another useful route is through CVO Semper. French language courses are more likely to be geared toward job seekers.
Bonus tip: focus on making friends with Belgians
This is important if you plan to stay in Brussels for the long term, and is another reason to break out of the Plux bubble. Belgians will allow you to go deeper and really get to know the city.
But more importantly, they will cushion you against where this article started - the high turnover of residents in the city. While many people come and go in Brussels, staying connected with them can lead to lasting friendships as well as new places to visit.
Moving to a new city can be isolating, but it also offers a rare chance to redefine yourself, and the interests you want to focus on. The more you focus on your interests, the more likely you are to find people who can go on to become friends.
Brussels has more to offer than just institutions, so start discovering the people who make it as vibrant as it is.
