Making friends as an adult is harder than it was at school or uni. Nobody puts you in a class with the same 30 people for a year any more. Adelaide is friendly, but it is also a city where many people grew up here and already have their group from school. If you are new to town, recently single, or your old friends have drifted into kids and careers, here is what actually works.
The secret: the same faces, every week
Friendships grow from seeing the same people again and again, with something to do together so the conversation looks after itself. A one-off event rarely does it. Something weekly does. When you choose an activity, ask yourself: will I see the same people next week, and is there a reason to chat?
Ways to meet people in Adelaide
- Social sport. Mixed netball, indoor soccer, volleyball and touch footy leagues run all over Adelaide, and many take individual players and put them in a team. You get a team, a weekly game and often a drink afterwards.
- parkrun. A free, timed 5 km walk or run on Saturday mornings in parks around Adelaide. Plenty of people stay for coffee afterwards, and you can volunteer, which is the quickest way to get to know the regulars.
- Meetup groups. Hiking, board games, book clubs, language exchanges and “new to Adelaide” groups. Pick one that meets regularly and keep going back.
- Volunteering. Festivals such as the Adelaide Fringe need volunteers every year, and so do local charities, sports clubs and community gardens. Working side by side is an easy way to start talking.
- Short courses. Cooking, pottery, languages or photography. Choose a course that runs over several weeks rather than a single night.
- Dancing. Our own suggestion, and the one we know best. More on that below.
Why dance classes are so good for making friends
In most partner dance classes, people change partners every few minutes, so in one hour you meet everyone in the room without having to start a single awkward conversation. You learn together, laugh at the same mistakes, and by week three you know half the class by name. It is a common question whether you need to bring a partner. You don’t: about 60% of people come to QuickSteps on their own.
Classes are only half of it. What turns classmates into friends is going out dancing together afterwards. QuickSteps runs social dance nights every week, so there is always somewhere to use what you learn with people you already know.
How it works at QuickSteps
- Where: 255 Gouger Street, Adelaide, in the city, near the Central Market.
- Who: adults of every age, mostly complete beginners when they start. No partner needed.
- Classes: more than 60 group classes a week across 7 days, in salsa, bachata, rock ‘n roll, swing, West Coast swing, ballroom, Latin and more. See the timetable.
- Social nights: Midweek Mingle on Wednesdays at 8:30pm, Dance With Me Friday at 8:30pm, Bailamos (salsa and bachata) on Fridays from 9:30pm, plus a monthly dance party, the Winter Gala and the Summer Festival. See events.
- Price: your first group class is free. Unlimited group classes are $57 a week with a Groupie membership. See pricing.
Nervous about walking in alone? Start with a free private lesson. You meet a teacher one on one, learn the basics, and then join a free group class already knowing a few steps and at least one friendly face.
Give it six weeks
Whatever you pick, commit to going every week for six weeks. The first week everyone is a stranger. By the sixth, people say hello when you walk in, and somebody suggests a drink afterwards. That is how adult friendships start.
