Come Alone by Meet & Mint Events you can go to on your own

Library nights · Genève

Library events in Genève, walk in alone.

13 upcoming free programs at 7 library venues in Genève — book clubs, talks, workshops and more. No booking for most, and nobody asks why you came on your own.

Bibliothèque de Genève6 upcoming

Tue1Dec
Free
LearningGenève
16:15–17:15

Des sources aux systèmes: dataset talk, Bibliothèque de Genève

Bibliothèque de Genève

On Tuesday 1 December 2026 at 16:15 the Bibliothèque de Genève at the Bastions site in Geneva hosts a talk by Isabella di Lenardo of EPFL titled Des sources aux systèmes: le dataset comme interface à l'ère de l'IA. The listing says that by bringing mixed corpora together in spatio-temporal datasets, the talk shows how AI and prompting turn data into an interface for questioning, exploring and producing new knowledge. It belongs to the 16-18 digital humanities programme run by the Bibliothèque de Genève and the University of Geneva's digital humanities chair, which is open to everyone. Entry is free, subject to available places. The talk lasts one hour and is followed by a time for discussion, running from 16:15 to 17:15. The library is closed to the public that day, but the Bastions site opens at 15:45 for this event. A lecture is easy to attend alone, since the audience shares one subject. «Et si les données devenaient une nouvelle manière d'explorer le savoir?» Starts 16:15, ends about 17:15. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque de Genève (open data). The listing gives entry as free subject to available places, with a one-hour talk followed by an exchange.

Sat12Dec
CultureGenève
11:00–12:00

Guided tour: The Night of the Escalade, Bibliothèque de Genève

Bibliothèque de Genève

On Saturday 12 December 2026 at 11:00 the Bibliothèque de Genève in Geneva offers a guided tour of the exhibition La nuit de l'Escalade. The listing says the visit tells the story of the most popular festival in Geneva and asks what really happened on that famous night in December 1602. It also looks at how Édouard Elzingre recreated the heroic scenes of the Escalade three centuries later, through accounts, images and legends. The tour is given in French and lasts one hour, from 11:00 to 12:00, and it meets in the Couloir des coups d'oeil on the first floor of the library, at Promenade des Bastions 8. After the visit, the group breaks and shares a chocolate cauldron. The listing states that entry is free, with a price of CHF 0. A commentated tour like this is easy to join alone, since everyone follows the same guide and the shared chocolate gives a natural moment to talk. «Découvrez l’histoire de la fête la plus populaire de Genève. Que s’est-il réellement passé cette fameuse nuit de décembre 1602 ?» Starts 11:00, ends about 12:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque de Genève (open data). The listing gives the price as CHF 0 and says free, in French, lasting one hour.

Thu14Jan
Free
LearningGenève
12:15–13:00

Lunchtime talk in English by illustrator Anna Haas, Geneva library

Bibliothèque de Genève

A free lunchtime talk in English at the city's historic library in the Parc des Bastions. Fribourg-based Anna Haas, trained in the Netherlands and Lucerne and winner of international awards, shows a body of work where illustration, editorial design, visual identities and digital projects meet, and talks about teaching and starting cultural projects. About 45 minutes, followed by an exchange with the audience; free entry while seats last. «Anna Haas» Starts 12:15, ends about 13:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque de Genève (open data).

Thu11Feb
Free
LearningGenève
12:15–13:00

Nask Studio on creating through dialogue, Geneva Library

Bibliothèque de Genève

For twenty years the design duo Nask, Nadja Zimmermann and Skander Najar, has fed its creativity on dialogue and the clash of ideas. This lunchtime session looks back at the role of meeting people in creative processes: as a source of meaning, rigour and humanity. About 45 minutes of talk followed by an exchange, at the Bibliothèque de Genève in the Bastions park, part of its Thursday-lunchtime series. Free admission, no booking, subject to available seats; arrive a little early. «Nask Studio» Starts 12:15, ends about 13:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Coolturalia (open data).

Tue23Feb
Free
LearningGenève
16:15–17:15

Digital humanities talk on diplomatic archives, Geneva Library

Bibliothèque de Genève

On Tuesday 23 February the Bibliothèque de Genève, in the Bastions park, hosts a lecture titled From diplomacy to the living archives of multilateralism. Florian Cafiero and Grégoire Mallard, from the Centre for Digital Humanities and Multilateralism at the Geneva Graduate Institute, ask how archives of multilateral negotiations can become dynamic infrastructure for research and diplomatic practice. The hour mixes a practical demonstration with conceptual thinking and ends with time for questions. It belongs to the library's 16-18 digital humanities programme, run with the University of Geneva's digital humanities chair, which looks at how digital tools change the study of history, art, diplomacy, theatre, linguistics and literature. Admission is free, with no registration, and seats are first come, first served. The talk is in French. It begins at 16:15 and ends about 17:15. «De la diplomatie aux archives vivantes du multilatéralisme» Starts 16:15, ends about 17:15. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque de Genève (open data).

Thu18Mar
Free
LearningGenève
12:15–13:15

Free guided visit of the Geneva Library at Les Bastions, Geneva

Bibliothèque de Genève

On Thursday 18 March the Bibliothèque de Genève offers a free guided visit of its building in Les Bastions park, called The Library of Geneva through time. The tour follows the institution from its creation in 1559 to today, showing how it has kept changing while collecting, preserving and passing on a priceless heritage. Visitors go behind the scenes to learn about the library's missions and its history, which is closely tied to that of the city itself. The visit is led in French by Tiffany Sarre, a cultural mediator, lasts about an hour, and needs no registration, although places are limited to those available on the day. It starts at 12:15, which makes it a good lunch-break plan for a person on their own who likes old buildings and stories. «La Bibliothèque de Genève à travers le temps» Starts 12:15, ends about 13:15. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque de Genève (open data).

Bibliothèque de la Servette2 upcoming

Tue17Nov
Free
CultureGenève
19:00–21:00

Le goût des choses, documentary, Bibliothèque de la Servette, Geneva

Bibliothèque de la Servette

On Tuesday 17 November 2026 at 19:00 the Bibliothèque de la Servette in Geneva screens the documentary Le goût des choses by Alain Wirth, made in 2025. The film follows Pierre-Gilles and Antoine, who have taken up farming in the hills above Vevey on their Praz Bonjour farm, a permaculture and agroecological project. The record says the work is driven by passion and pride but also frustration, with a changing climate, pests, diseases and financial pressure. The screening is followed by a discussion with the director. It takes place as part of the exhibition Bonjour ça va, in collaboration with the LET's DOC documentary film festival and within the Climate Week of the City of Geneva. Admission is free, and the evening runs from 19:00 to 21:00. A film followed by a discussion is easy to enjoy alone, since the talk gives people a natural way to meet. «La projection sera suivie d'une discussion avec le réalisateur.» Starts 19:00, ends about 21:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèques municipales de la Ville de Genève (open data). The record gives the price as free and the session as 19:00 to 21:00.

Sat30Jan
Free
CultureGenève
17:15–19:00

«Persepolis» screening at the Servette library, Geneva

Bibliothèque de la Servette

Marjane Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud's animated adaptation of her graphic novel: Tehran 1978, eight-year-old Marjane watches the revolution and the fall of the Shah, then the Islamic Republic and the war with Iraq, until her parents send her to Vienna, where at fourteen she lives a second revolution of adolescence, freedom, love, exile and loneliness. Jury Prize at Cannes in 2007. Shown in French at the Servette municipal library, a short tram ride north of the station. Free, no booking, from age 10. «Persepolis de Marjane Satrapi et Vincent Paronnaud (2007)» Starts 17:15, ends about 19:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Coolturalia (open data).

Bibliothèque de la Cité1 upcoming

Thu19Nov
Free
CultureGenève
19:00–21:00

Ceci est mon corps, documentary, Bibliothèque de la Cité, Genève

Bibliothèque de la Cité

On Thursday 19 November 2026 at 19:00 the Bibliothèque de la Cité in Geneva screens the documentary Ceci est mon corps by Jérôme Clément-Wilz. The listing explains that, years after the violence he suffered in childhood, the filmmaker files a complaint and follows the thread of a long-buried memory. In a first-person cinematic act, he frees himself from control, silence and shame, facing the justice system, his family and himself. The listing calls it an intimate work that takes on rape culture with restraint and strength. The screening is followed by a discussion with the director. It is a collaboration with the documentary festival Let's Doc! and takes place as part of the exhibition Bonjour ça va : Petites histoires pour créer du lien. Entry is free, and the listing refers to the library agenda for details. The evening runs from 19:00 to 21:00. A film followed by a conversation is easy to attend alone, since the room shares one subject. «Projection suivie d'une discussion avec le réalisateur. Une collaboration avec le festival de documentaires Let's Doc !» Starts 19:00, ends about 21:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèques municipales de la Ville de Genève (open data). The listing gives the price as free and the time as 19:00 to 21:00.

Bibliothèque des Eaux-Vives (meeting point)1 upcoming

Sat30Jan
Free
OutdoorsGenève
10:00–12:00

Winter birds of the Eaux-Vives lagoon: a guided walk, Geneva

Bibliothèque des Eaux-Vives (meeting point)

Laurent Vallotton, ornithologist at Geneva's natural history museum, leads a two-hour walk to the lagoon by the Eaux-Vives beach, an artificial biotope where nature has taken over and which has become an important wintering ground for ducks, grebes and other waterbirds. Expect surprises and feathers of all kinds, and bring binoculars if you have them. Meet in front of the Eaux-Vives library on rue Sillem. Organised with the Muséum d'histoire naturelle. Free, all ages from 10; dress warmly. «Oh ! Les oiseaux : les hivernants de la lagune - Une balade ornitho pour en savoir plus sur les oiseaux d'ici et d'ailleurs» Starts 10:00, ends about 12:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Coolturalia (open data).

Les Délices1 upcoming

Thu18Mar
Free
LearningGenève
18:00–19:30

Panel talk on the people behind international Geneva, Les Délices

Les Délices

On Thursday 18 March the Bibliothèque de Genève and the University of Geneva history centre host a public discussion at Les Délices. The talk, called Genève internationale: l'envers du décor, asks who really makes the international city work. Behind the polished image of diplomacy are thousands of often invisible people, from cleaning staff to senior officials and wealthy businessmen, and the conversation explores backstage hierarchies and social divides in a global city. Two researchers, Marine Julie Pierre of the University of Copenhagen and Sabine Pitteloud of UniDistance Suisse, speak, with journalist Alexis Favre moderating. Entry is free and open until the room is full. Students of the music college offer a musical welcome at 18:00, and the discussion itself starts at 18:30 and lasts about an hour. The evening is in French. «Genève internationale: l'envers du décor» Starts 18:00, ends about 19:30. Source: OpenAgenda — Bibliothèque de Genève (open data).

Restaurant La Sportive1 upcoming

Thu19Nov
Free
LearningGenève
15:00–17:00

Café quartier: Un trésor d'images, La Sportive, Genève

Restaurant La Sportive

On Thursday 19 November 2026 at 15:00 the restaurant La Sportive at rue de Carouge 45 in Geneva hosts a neighbourhood café talk called Un trésor d'images, held in collaboration with the Bibliothèque de Genève. The listing explains that millions of images of Geneva's past, patiently collected over generations, are gradually being made available to the public by the Centre d'iconographie of the Bibliothèque de Genève. The image curator, Eloi Contesse, presents what the collection contains and explains how to access it. The event is organised by the City of Geneva, and questions can go to the local social team for Plainpalais, Jonction and Acacias. Entry is free and no registration is needed, so people can simply turn up. The end time is estimated at about two hours after the start. A talk at a neighbourhood café is easy to attend alone, since seating is informal and everyone shares an interest in local history. «Eloi Contesse, conservateur des images, présentera leur contenu et expliquera comment y accéder.» Starts 15:00, ends about 17:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Ville de Genève - événements organisés par la Ville de Genève (open data). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing says the talk is free with no registration and gives rue de Carouge 45 as the place.

Victoria Hall1 upcoming

Sun13Dec
MusicGenève
17:00–19:00

Alcina, Francesca Caccini's opera, at Victoria Hall, Geneva

Victoria Hall

On Sunday 13 December 2026 at 17:00 Victoria Hall in Geneva presents Alcina, a staged reading of Francesca Caccini's La liberazione di Ruggiero dall'isola d'Alcina, performed by the Geneva ensemble I Gemelli. The listing describes a baroque work by a woman composer first presented in Florence in 1625, a ballet in which voices are queen, with two sorceresses facing each other among enchanted plants, sirens and sea monsters. Four centuries later I Gemelli continues its exploration of baroque women composers, a path begun in 2019, and keeps its distinctive choice of performing without a conductor on stage. The cast includes Emiliano Gonzalez Toro, Mathilde Etienne, Cristina Fanelli, Lorrie Garcia and Juan Sancho. A talk at the Bibliothèque de la Cité at 14:00 precedes the concert. The listing mentions the City of Geneva ticket office and does not give a price. The performance ends at 19:00. A concert like this is easy to enjoy alone, since people are there for the same music. «Quatre siècles après sa création, "La liberazione di Ruggiero" de Francesca Caccini renaît sous l’impulsion d’I Gemelli» Starts 17:00, ends about 19:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Victoria Hall - Ville de Genève (open data). The listing names the ticket office of the City of Geneva and gives no price figure.

New in Genève?

How to use the library as a newcomer

  1. Get a card — it is usually free. Bring photo ID and a proof of address (rental contract, utility bill). Rules differ per library, so check the branch page first.
  2. Events rarely need a card. Talks, book clubs and language cafés are open to everyone; just walk in a few minutes early.
  3. Use it as your base. Free wifi, a quiet desk, notice boards with local groups, and often newspapers and courses in several languages.
  4. Go back to the same program. The second visit is when people remember your name.

Phrases in the local language for your evening: Phrases for tonight · Book clubs and silent reading

Questions people ask

Are library events in Genève free?

Almost all of them. The 13 upcoming programs on this page are public library events in Genève; most need no booking and no library card. Workshops with limited places say so on the official page.

Can I go to a library event in Genève alone?

Yes. Most people at library book clubs, talks and language cafés come alone, there is a host who starts the conversation, and nobody asks why you are there. Arrive a few minutes early.

How do I get a library card in Genève?

Usually it is free: bring photo ID and a proof of address (a rental contract or a utility bill) to any branch. Rules differ per library, so check the branch page before you go.

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