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

Not a date · Rennes

Meet people in Rennes without a dating app.

If dating apps have worn you out, try the opposite: a group, a task and a host. We list 122 upcoming events in Rennes where nobody expects a date.

See this week's picks How to go alone

Picks

Tonight and this week in Rennes nobody on a date

Six upcoming events, soonest first, free ones preferred and a mix of categories. Check the official page before you go.

Sun15Nov
Free
CultureRennes
16:00–18:20

Made in the USA, documentary and talk, Champs Libres, Rennes

Auditorium des Champs Libres

On Sunday 15 November 2026 at 16:00 the Auditorium of Les Champs Libres in Rennes shows the documentary Made in the USA by Sólveig Anspach and Cindy Babski, a French film from 2001 that runs 105 minutes. The film follows the case of Odell Barnes, aged 31, who was executed by lethal injection on 1 March 2000 at the Huntsville penitentiary after nine years of fighting for his file to be re-examined. According to the listing, support groups around the world raised funds for a counter-investigation, which found that the original inquiry had been sloppy, yet the judicial authorities refused to take the new elements into account. The screening is a Doc du dimanche, followed by a meeting with Virginia Manhard-Lubin, an associate member of the Virginia State Bar, led by Mirabelle Fréville. It is part of the Justice(s) cycle. Entry is free. A film followed by a discussion is easy to attend alone, since the audience shares the subject. «Un doc du dimanche suivi d'une rencontre avec Virginia Manhard-Lubin» Starts 16:00, ends about 18:20. Source: OpenAgenda — Musée de Bretagne (open data). The listing gives no end time, so the end shown is estimated. The listing gives the price as free and describes the film as 105 minutes long.

Official page ↗See who's going in Meet & Mint
Tue17Nov
Free
CultureRennes
17:00–18:30

Meeting with writer Velibor Čolić, Les Champs Libres, Rennes

Hors les murs (Les Champs Libres)

On Tuesday 17 November 2026 at 17:00 the Clôteaux-Bréquigny library of Rennes holds a meeting with the writer Velibor Čolić, taking place away from the library itself at Les Champs Libres on Cours des Alliés. The listing explains that the event is part of a residency of the Rennes theatre company Kali&Co. Čolić is presented as a writer originally from the former Yugoslavia, and the conversation centres on his latest novel, Guerre et pluie, described as a story that is both hallucinated and droll, set in wartime. Entry is free, and the meeting runs from 17:00 to 18:30. The listing is tagged as part of the Dialogues européens programme. An author talk like this is easy to attend alone, since everyone in the room has come to listen and perhaps ask a question about the book. «Rencontre à la Bibliothèque Clôteaux-Bréquigny avec l'écrivain.» Starts 17:00, ends about 18:30. Source: OpenAgenda — DCL (open data). The listing gives the entry as free and the session as lasting from 17:00 to 18:30.

Official page ↗See who's going in Meet & Mint
Tue17Nov
Free
CultureRennes
18:00–19:30

Les sources de l'affaire Dreyfus à Rennes, Les Champs Libres

Hors les murs (Les Champs Libres)

On Tuesday 17 November 2026 at 18:00 the Archives Départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine auditorium, listed at Les Champs Libres in Rennes, hosts a talk called Les sources de l'affaire Dreyfus à Rennes. The listing recalls that in 1894 a first trial convicted Alfred Dreyfus of treason, and that in the summer of 1899 Rennes lived under extreme tension as journalists, activists and curious visitors arrived for the retrial. The talk asks how the city, its residents, the authorities and the press lived through that historic trial. The Archives départementales d'Ille-et-Vilaine, the Archives de Rennes and the Musée de Bretagne present the sources, including photographs, correspondence, press articles, police reports and records of the war council hearings. It belongs to the new permanent exhibition L'affaire Dreyfus à Rennes. Entry is free within the limit of available places, and reservation is advised by writing to the email address given in the listing. The evening runs from 18:00 to 19:30. A talk like this is easy to attend alone, since everyone is there to listen and learn. «Entrée libre dans la limite des places disponibles. Réservation conseillée en écrivant à rencontres.archives@ille-et-vilaine.fr» Starts 18:00, ends about 19:30. Source: OpenAgenda — Musée de Bretagne (open data). The listing gives free entry subject to available places, with reservation advised by email.

Official page ↗See who's going in Meet & Mint
Tue17Nov
Free
LearningRennes
20:30–22:30

The science behind video games: talk with David Louapre

Auditorium des Champs Libres

Science communicator David Louapre explains how probability, biology, economics and psychology shape the design of video games. The evening talk at Les Champs Libres is free and ends with a book signing, a natural moment to chat with fellow curious minds.

Official page ↗See who's going in Meet & Mint
Wed18Nov
Free
MusicRennes
18:30–20:00

Free listening talk on the Trans Musicales line-up, Rennes

Café des Champs Libres

On Wednesday 18 November 2026 at 18:30 the Café des Champs Libres in Rennes presents the programme of the 48th Trans Musicales, the city's well-known winter music festival. Thomas Lagarrigue walks through the musical trends carried by the European artists on this year's bill, with commented listening to some of the acts who will play. The session is organised with the festival itself, as part of a European dialogues series. Entry is listed as free, and the venue offers a hearing loop for anyone who needs one. A listening talk is a comfortable way to spend an evening alone, since you sit in a group, hear new music and can compare impressions with the person next to you afterwards. The talk is in French, and it is a useful way to choose which concerts to book. «Quelles sont les tendances musicales portées par les artistes européen·nes de la 48ème édition des Trans Musicales ?» Starts 18:30, ends about 20:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Carte Sortir ! Rennes Métropole (open data).

Official page ↗See who's going in Meet & Mint
Mon23Nov
Free
SocialRennes
19:00–22:00

Knight Clubbers chess evening at Le Coup De Folie, Rennes

Le Coup De Folie

On Monday 23 November 2026 at 19:00 Le Coup De Folie in Rennes hosts a chess evening organised by Knight Clubbers, a group that runs chess gatherings in bars. The venue is at 27 Rue Legraverend, and the evening is held on a Monday. The listing describes a relaxed atmosphere where people can play a few games and share a drink. Beginners and experienced players are both welcome, whatever their level, and chessboards are provided, so there is nothing to bring. The listing presents it as an event for people who come alone or in company. Entry is free, and free registration is recommended through the Knight Clubbers page for the evening, which is linked from the listing. The gathering runs from 19:00 to 22:00. A chess night in a bar suits a solo visit well, because the game itself is the reason to sit down. «Débutants comme joueurs confirmés sont les bienvenus, et les échiquiers sont fournis.» Starts 19:00, ends about 22:00. Source: OpenAgenda — Knight Clubbers, rencontres d'échecs en bar (open data). The listing says entry is free, boards are provided, and free registration is advised.

Official page ↗See who's going in Meet & Mint

Formats

Where you talk without pressure

These formats give you a task or a topic, so you never have to open with small talk. Pages for Rennes:

How to go alone

Five steps for your first time

  1. Choose a single event with a clear start time and a host. "Made in the USA, documentary and talk, Champs Libres, Rennes" is a good candidate.
  2. Check the details on the official page, since schedules and prices change.
  3. Turn up a little before the start and mention to the organiser that you came alone.
  4. Ask people how they found the event. Stay for the first hour, then leave or stay as you like.
  5. Go a second time. Familiar faces turn a first outing into a routine. In Meet & Mint you can see who else is going.

Alternatives to dating apps

What actually works, compared

A neutral comparison of five ways to meet people through shared activities. None needs a profile; the last column shows what we list for Rennes.

FormatWhy conversation startsWorks well if youTypical costCommitmentIn Rennes now
Dinners with strangersA shared table and a host who seats youLike longer one-to-one conversationThe price of a mealOne evening, often booked ahead1 listed
Run clubsYou move at the same pace and talk on the movePrefer doing something active to small talkOften free or low costWeekly; talking is optionalnone in our data yet
Language cafésEveryone is practising, so starting a chat is expectedWant a ready-made reason to talkFree or the cost of a coffeeDrop-in9 listed
Game nightsThe game provides the topic and something to doEnjoy light competition or puzzlesFree or a small table feeDrop-in, two to three hours5 listed
VolunteeringA shared task and a teamWant to meet people with similar valuesFreeRegular shifts matter more than one visitnone in our data yet

Questions people ask

How do I meet people in Rennes without a dating app?

Go to a hosted group activity where the activity does the introducing. We list 122 upcoming events in Rennes (learning, music, culture); the soonest include "Made in the USA, documentary and talk, Champs Libres, Rennes" and "Meeting with writer Velibor Čolić, Les Champs Libres, Rennes".

Is it normal to turn up alone in Rennes?

It is common. Drop-in formats assume that most people arrive solo, and organisers are used to seating newcomers.

Will I meet someone romantic at these events in Rennes?

These are not dating events and we make no promises about romance: nobody is expected to be on a date. People mostly make friends and acquaintances, and anything beyond that happens naturally.

Are there free things to do alone in Rennes?

Yes. 61 of the 122 upcoming events we list in Rennes are free, including 38 in the next 30 days. Language cafés, library programmes and many walks cost nothing.

What if I'm shy or new to Rennes?

Choose a format with a task: a game, a class, a walk. You can talk about the task, and silence is fine. Stay for an hour, then decide. Meet & Mint lets you see who is going and say hello in the group chat first.

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How it works

Meet & Mint in Rennes: how it works

  1. Find an event on Come Alone or in the Meet & Mint map and open the official page for the details.
  2. Join alone in the app: you see how many people are going and can read the group chat.
  3. Say hello before in the chat, so the first minutes at the venue are with names you know.
  4. Meet at the event and decide afterwards whether to go again. Nobody is on a date.

Meet & Mint

See who's going, then go together

Meet & Mint shows events and people near you on one map. Join an event alone, chat with the group, meet at the event. Free on iPhone and Android.

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