New friends, groups and dates
Meet someone new in person, safely and without the awkwardness
Practical checklists, first-meetup ideas and etiquette for meeting a new friend, a group or a date face to face for the first time.
Browse by topic
Safety
Checklists and red flags for meeting someone new in person: public places, telling a friend, getting home on your own terms and leaving gracefully.
Ideas
First meetup ideas and conversation starters for new friends and dates, from a daytime coffee to an activity that takes the pressure off.
Hosting
How to host a small group meetup: choosing a public place, inviting people, keeping everyone comfortable and wrapping up well.
Etiquette
The unwritten rules of meeting new people: being on time, cancelling politely, following up and saying no kindly.
Latest guides
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First Date Ideas That Aren’t Drinks: 30 Easy Swaps (2026)
First date ideas that aren’t drinks, chosen to keep what the pub date does well (a seat, an easy end time, a cheap exit)…
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Fun Conversation Starters: 70 Playful Openers for 2026
Fun conversation starters that work in real life: 70 playful openers sorted by format (this-or-that, hypotheticals, hot takes, story prompts and mini games) and…
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Cheap First Date Ideas 2026: 30 Low-Cost Plans and Lines
Thirty cheap first date ideas that work for dates and new friends alike, from free galleries and park loops to crazy golf and rainy-day…
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How to Host a Trivia Night: Run Sheet + Rounds (2026)
How to host a trivia night at home, in a community space or as a fundraiser: a four-week plan, round formats, question-writing rules, scoring,…
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Group Ice Breaker Games: 15 by Group Size (2026)
15 group ice breaker games sorted by group size, from a table of four to a room of twenty, with how long each takes,…
About FirstMeetup
Everything to think about before a first meetup with someone new: what to check, where to meet, what to say and how to leave. Facts are checked and linked, dates are shown, and there are no paid placements.
Our app, live now
MeetNow is live on the web
Post a small plan at a public place, or ask to join one near you. Starting in Malta; it works anywhere. It runs in your browser on any phone or laptop, so there is nothing to install.
- Open MeetNow at app.trymeetnow.com.
- Browse the plans near you: a coffee, a run, a dinner, with the time, the place and who pays set upfront.
- Ask to join, or post your own plan. The host picks who comes.
The iPhone and Android apps are on the way. Until then, use MeetNow on the web.
MeetNow is our own app, from the makers of this site. Why we mention MeetNow