How to make friends in Malta
Where people meet every week
Language exchange evening
St Julian's
Tuesday Talk Time at Follow the Sun hostel in St Julian's and Tandem meetups mix Maltese learners with locals swapping languages. Free or a drink, just turn up.
Board game night at Gugar, Valletta
Valletta
Gugar Hangout at 89A Republic Street has shelves of board games and a no phones vibe. Pick a game, order drinks and settle in.
Book a padel court in Pembroke
Pembroke
Padel Malta runs floodlit courts in Pembroke and Birkirkara, bookable on Playtomic with open matches for singles. Around 10 euro a head for 90 minutes.
Street food walk through Valletta
Valletta
A guided tasting walk through the capital: pastizzi, ħobż biż-żejt, bigilla, Kinnie and a Cisk, with stories of the Knights between stops. Several operators, book ahead.
Cook pastizzi and ftira in a Maltese kitchen
Dingli
Half day classes in a home or farmhouse kitchen: pastizzi, rabbit, ftira, ravjul, then eat it all with wine. Around 65 to 90 euro. Gozo versions add a market visit.
Weekly pub quiz night
St Julian's
The Crafty Cat in Paceville runs trivia on Tuesdays, the Hatter and Coach and Horses have their own nights. A euro or two entry, teams of up to six, easy way to meet people.
Karaoke room night at The Eden
St Julian's
Private karaoke rooms at the Eden entertainment centre in Paceville, plus the bowling bar downstairs. Book a room for the group, bring your own playlist.
5-a-side football at Luxol
Pembroke
Luxol Sports Club in Pembroke rents artificial 5-a-side pitches by the hour, about 40 euro split between ten. A clubhouse bar afterwards. Lots of pickup groups online.
Sunset run on the Sliema promenade
Sliema
The flat, lit seafront from Tigné Point to Spinola Bay is a 6 km out and back that half of Sliema runs every evening. Join a Sunday Run Club or Malta Running Club session.
Bouldering at Crashpad, Qormi
Qormi
Over 1,100 square metres of bouldering wall in Qormi, open until 11pm on weekdays. Day passes and shoe hire, beginners welcome. Ġebla in Mrieħel is the other option.
Open water swimming group
Sliema
Groups meet at dawn at Exiles, Għar Lapsi and Balluta Bay for open water swims year round. Kit is a costume and a tow float. Water rarely drops below 15C.
Beach volleyball at Għadira
Mellieħa
Nets go up on the sand at Għadira and Golden Bay in summer and pickup games run until dark. Bring a ball and a group, or join whoever is short a player.
Stand-up comedy night, Sliema
Wild Comedy Malta runs English language open mics and showcases around Sliema and Valletta, and the Eden and Manoel host touring names. Tickets from about 10 euro.
Sunrise sea swim and coffee, Sliema
Start the day with a dip off the rocks at Sliema, Balluta or Marsascala as the sun comes up over the sea, then coffee on the front. Locals do it all year.
Potter's wheel course, Rabat
THAT Workshop in Rabat, Bristow Potteries in Attard and ALKA at Ta' Qali run beginner wheel and hand building courses. Around 100 euro for a short course including firing.
Salsa and bachata beginners class, Sliema
La Bachata by Fab, Dance Revolution and Plus53 run beginner nights in Sliema most weekdays, followed by socials. Around 10 euro a class, no partner needed.
Photography walk through Valletta, Valletta
Licensed guides run three hour mobile and camera photo walks through Valletta, Mdina and Birgu, teaching light and composition on the way. Or just go at 8am with friends.
Cowork for the day in Sliema, Sliema
Sliema, Gżira and Valletta have day pass coworking spaces with good wifi and social events. TechShift and other meetups gather the remote crowd monthly.
Beach clean-up with Żibel, Gżira
Malta's marine conservation NGO runs regular coastal and dive clean-ups, pulling tonnes of waste from bays like Manoel Island and Buġibba. Sign up on their site, gloves provided.
Conservation day in Majjistral Park, Mellieħa
The park team runs tree planting, wall repair and clean-up days in the national park. Good outdoor work with a coastal view and a group of regulars.
Sip and paint for two, Sliema
Two hour guided painting sessions with a glass of wine, held at gardens and restaurants around Malta. No experience needed, €40 to €50 a head.
Meeting people on Imxi
Post a plan
Padel on Thursday at 7, need two. A hike on Sunday morning. A table for the quiz. People ask to join and you say yes.
Or say what you are up for
No date needed: up for board games on weekday evenings. People who like the same thing see it and message you.
Keep the ones you click with
Add them as friends, start a crew for the weekly thing, and plan the next one in the same chat.
By what you are into
Questions
Is it easy to make friends in Malta?
Easier with a regular thing than without one. Weekly socials, run clubs, padel, quiz nights and language exchanges are where most people find their group, and in a country this small you keep running into the same people.
Where do expats meet in Malta?
Mostly in Sliema, Gżira, St Julian's and Valletta: English Café Malta's weekly socials, language exchanges, pub quizzes, the run clubs on the Sliema front and the Sunday group hikes. Meetup and Facebook groups such as Expats in Malta list more.
Do I need to speak Maltese?
No. English is an official language of Malta and you can get by on it everywhere. Learning some Maltese at a language exchange is a good way to meet people anyway.
Is Imxi a dating app?
No. Imxi is for finding people to do things with: a hike, a quiz team, a padel four, a night out.
Find people into the same thing
Post a plan for what you want to do, or say what you are up for. People into the same thing ask to join, you chat, you go.
Socials and meetups coming up
This weekendTalk Time: make friends and speak English
Follow The Sun Boutique Hostel, St Julian's · Tue 6 Oct, 7:30pm, and 10 more dates to Tue 15 Dec
A relaxed weekly conversation meetup for practising English and meeting people from all over. Every Tuesday.
The Cinemates Film Club: The Odyssey
Eddie's Cafe, Republic Square, Valletta · Tue 6 Oct, 7pm
The Cinemates film club meets at Eddie's Cafe in Valletta to talk about The Odyssey.
Karaoke Night
The Room by Jungle Joy, Spinola Park, St Julian's · Wed 7 Oct, 7:30pm, and 11 more dates to Wed 23 Dec
Pick a song, grab the mic and meet an international crowd. Every Wednesday at Spinola Park.
Malta Coffee Friday
TuttoBuono, Triq Ġorġ Borg Olivier, Mellieħa · Fri 9 Oct, 11am
Malta Digital Nomads meet for a Friday coffee and a chat in Mellieħa. This week's theme is eating well while travelling.
Blue Grotto group trip
Meeting point: McDonald's, Tigné Seafront, Sliema · Sat 10 Oct, 11am, and 2 more dates to Sat 24 Oct
A Saturday outing with English Café Malta to the Blue Grotto, with coastal views and a boat ride into the sea caves. The group meets outside McDonald's on the Tigné seafront at 11:00. The fee is €25.
Malta Pub Crawl, Paceville
Mercury House, St George's Road, St Julian's · Sat 10 Oct, 9pm, and 10 more dates to Sat 19 Dec
A Saturday night round of Paceville's bars and clubs with a group of people from around the world.
Marsaxlokk and St Peter's Pool group trip
Meeting point: McDonald's, Tigné Seafront, Sliema · Sun 11 Oct, 9:30am, and 2 more dates to Sun 25 Oct
A Sunday trip south with English Café Malta to the fishing village of Marsaxlokk and on to St Peter's Pool. Meet outside McDonald's on the Tigné seafront at 09:30.
Monday Games Night and Welcome Party
The Room by Jungle Joy, Spinola Park, St Julian's · Mon 12 Oct, 7:30pm, and 11 more dates to Mon 28 Dec
A weekly welcome night with beer pong, cards, Jenga and Twister. Come on your own and leave with a group. Every Monday.
Malta Tech Talks #12: Storage Engineering and Infrastructure 101
Pendergardens Business Centre, St Julian's · Wed 14 Oct, 6pm
An evening of talks on storage, from local disks and filesystems to Kubernetes and the cloud, with time to meet other engineers.
The Thursday Social by Malta Mates
Club Lounge, Triq Nicolò Isouard, Sliema · Thu 15 Oct, 7pm
Malta Mates' weekly get-together for newcomers and locals, a few steps from the Sliema promenade.
The Cinemates go wine tasting
The Marquiz Winery, Madliena, Swieqi · Fri 16 Oct, 6:30pm
The Cinemates film club swaps the cinema for an evening of wine tasting at The Marquiz Winery in Madliena.
Horror Movie Quiz Night
Railway Pub and Wine, Triq Fleur-de-Lys, Birkirkara · Wed 28 Oct, 7pm
A pub quiz for horror film fans at the Railway Pub in Birkirkara in the week of Halloween. Tickets start at €8.
Saturday International Party
QUBE Vodka Bar, Paceville, St Julian's · Sat 7 Nov, 9pm
English Café Malta's Saturday night party at QUBE in Paceville, a night of dancing with an international crowd. Tickets are about €9.
Science in the City pub quiz: UniverSilly Challenged
POPP Social Club, Pjazza Annunzjata, Sliema · Sun 8 Nov · Free entry
A science pub quiz with comedy, live music and hands-on challenges at POPP Social Club in Sliema, part of the Science in the City festival. Free with booking.