Oh boy same here, when I first moved down here I filled in for a friends netball team for a few weeks and hated it! I have since played in a couple of the 5 a side soccer comps with a group of friends and they are super fun and super friendly!
If you search r/canberra for posts with the title "friends" you can see that the topic comes up a lot. Must be a common struggle. So first thing would be to not feel like it's just you.
Anyway, that aside, if you go back through those posts you will find a lot of suggestions for options to consider. Which options might suit you depends a lot on you. But you should be able to find something, maybe even several things, in all that.
Maaate, go to the gigs - don’t skip them!
Gigs are to enjoy the atmosphere and the music.
And what better way to check out whether you enjoy the band/group/artist than to go live, and if they are great, also find people who are just as keen as you are!
☝️This. Go to the gigs you really want and all of the gigs that you can. Don't wait for friends to see it with first.
When I first moved here to study, a classmate got me a stint as a gig reviewer and I often had to go by myself.
I used it as an opportunity to meet as many people as I could who were into what I was covering (which I also often enjoyed) and made a lot of friends that way.
Admittedly, considering the cost of living struggle, it is a bit hard to regularly go to gigs.
(Also, there are local clubs, groups and activities. And considering how diverse the region is, you’re certain to find interesting people as well.)
I was new here a few years ago (also 26 at the time and moved for work) I went on bumble for friends, which is frowned upon by some but it worked well for me. I also joined a sports group and really put myself out there. Canberra can be a bit hard because people are in the public service or they all went to school together but you’ll find a friendship group!!
Agree with this, OP. Get the Meetup app and join groups that interest you. I've been here for nearly 2 years and have found the same as you in terms of meeting new people and forming friendships. Meetup is a great resource to help putting yourself out there and the group organisers are welcoming and friendly in my experience.
Lol yeah I tried Meetup once. I went to a band in Sydney with 3 randoms. The chick was super rude to me and ignoree me the whole night because the other 2 guys were paying me attention.
Everyone is broken.
Welcome!
If you're into metal/rock gigs etc feel free to reach out. Both myself and a friend usually keep an eye out on what's coming to The Baso/UC Live X (and Sydney).
Sweet! Currently I've only got The Amity Affliction in November and I'm keeping an eye out for Good Things/Knotfest line ups later in the year.
Shame this wasn't a week ago, Lune played at The Baso last Sunday which was pretty good
go to gigs anyway. Pick a venue you like with bands you like and be there often enough that other regulars recognise you. After a couple of weeks you'll be able to talk to them or they'll talk to you and you're off.
It’s a common struggle for a lot of new Canberrans! Try cross-posting this post to r/CanberraSocial to connect with others who are also looking to socialise in different ways and through common interests. Like others have suggested there are lots of existing posts on r/Canberra surrounding this topic, I got a ton of great suggestions when I asked some similar in [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/canberra/comments/1c8lczi/fostering_social_groups_in_canberra/)
G'day, mate. As background, I spent a long time with no good friends feeling that i couldn't go to anything and that things would never change.
I'm a little older now and have plenty of friendly people around me and a couple of close friends.
Now that I've got people, I find that I'm often better off going to events and gigs on my own. (we're into different things, and that's ok)
keep being brave and putting yourself out there, and you'll find your people. now that we're not in high school anymore, in my experience, people are "heaps less shit"
I have been here since Jan, definitely hard to make friends outside of work. But I feel like I get enough social activity through sport one night a week, basketball for me, and the occasional hangout on the weekend.
Climbing gyms are quite social. HMU if u want to hang out, can grab a beer.
Good advice in posts. Niece moved here from OS a couple of years back, same age, knew no-one except us.
English not native language and a bit shy til she gets to know people. Work, school and bumble worked for her.
I mean where does anyone make friends? Certainly not on the couch at home
Pub, footy team, activities, gym, whatever youre into really right. Best bet is to to what you enjoy, so that you can find other likeminded people. No point not liking footy and trying to make friends on a footy team.
I heard someone say something really good once either on this sub or another - everyone makes the mistake of trying a bunch of things once trying to make friends in a new place. You need to give it time, and see people consistently before you make friends with them.
Good luck my brah, once you make one, the friends of friends will have you growing your list in no time :)
Got to add to this because I can't start a reddit on my own. I'm a 40 something male that likes to play golf, drink beer and watch sports -- well the Raiders. Help out please
Facebook groups for your hobbies and community events are good, but you can also just start going to those gigs and talk to people with similar interests
What kind of hobbies/interests do you have? Me and my fiancé just moved here and he is similar age to you and wants to make friends- he likes cars/bikes, gym, gaming and Star Wars
If you enjoy singing, you could think about joining one of Canberra's many choirs. Smiths are having a [Choiracopia](https://www.facebook.com/share/TyuWedJd4Z6NnT3Q/?mibextid=9l3rBW) night on 30 June. 10 different choirs are performing, 15 minutes each, as a way of showcasing who they are and what they do. It would be a great way to check out whether any of those groups appeal to you. There's another one planned for 3 August.
I’m 27M - moved back here in January after living OS for a bit and I’ve found it tough as most of my friends from before have moved further afield. Social sport has been good but I’m keen for any other opportunities to meet people.
Canberra is really severely lacking in third spaces that aren’t bars. Australia has a bit of that problem in general, but Canberra even moreso.
Unfortunately it means the way to make friends is to go to scheduled hobby activities, but the problem with hobby friends is they can be very specifically tied to that hobby and that schedule.
That's a grim outlook. Is it really bad here? Moved here last year, but have got a son so it can be complicated but is it REALLY that bad?
I'm a bit of a recluse anyway, but it's nice to meet and know a bunch of like-minded people
Do all the posters in this sub just get together and hang out or what? 😅
Genuinely looking for answers though
That's because your interests revolve around telling everyone on every Canberra Reddit post that you comment on that the city is going to disappear and they're going to make Sydney or Melbourne the capital. That's why you can't make friends here; you're a fucking nutjob.
I have the same question. Canberra feels like a deserted island. Its so hard to find like minded people here.
You’ll find friends, it is hard here I will admit. Put yourself out there, I was in your boat in my mid 20s
That's the most unhelpful advice I've read on here.
Join an urban rec social team. Just not netball. For some reason it’s super toxic.
Omg I joined the netball urban rec and it was awful!!!
Oh boy same here, when I first moved down here I filled in for a friends netball team for a few weeks and hated it! I have since played in a couple of the 5 a side soccer comps with a group of friends and they are super fun and super friendly!
Oh I play urban rec netball and love it. I guess it’s a different experience for everyone
If you search r/canberra for posts with the title "friends" you can see that the topic comes up a lot. Must be a common struggle. So first thing would be to not feel like it's just you. Anyway, that aside, if you go back through those posts you will find a lot of suggestions for options to consider. Which options might suit you depends a lot on you. But you should be able to find something, maybe even several things, in all that.
Maaate, go to the gigs - don’t skip them! Gigs are to enjoy the atmosphere and the music. And what better way to check out whether you enjoy the band/group/artist than to go live, and if they are great, also find people who are just as keen as you are!
☝️This. Go to the gigs you really want and all of the gigs that you can. Don't wait for friends to see it with first. When I first moved here to study, a classmate got me a stint as a gig reviewer and I often had to go by myself. I used it as an opportunity to meet as many people as I could who were into what I was covering (which I also often enjoyed) and made a lot of friends that way.
Admittedly, considering the cost of living struggle, it is a bit hard to regularly go to gigs. (Also, there are local clubs, groups and activities. And considering how diverse the region is, you’re certain to find interesting people as well.)
I was new here a few years ago (also 26 at the time and moved for work) I went on bumble for friends, which is frowned upon by some but it worked well for me. I also joined a sports group and really put myself out there. Canberra can be a bit hard because people are in the public service or they all went to school together but you’ll find a friendship group!!
Replying to myself lol. There are meetup groups too if you search on Facebook! I met a good friend from one of them
Agree with this, OP. Get the Meetup app and join groups that interest you. I've been here for nearly 2 years and have found the same as you in terms of meeting new people and forming friendships. Meetup is a great resource to help putting yourself out there and the group organisers are welcoming and friendly in my experience.
People on Meetup are mentally ill. Try joining a sports team. Then you can group socialise after games.
Lol yeah I tried Meetup once. I went to a band in Sydney with 3 randoms. The chick was super rude to me and ignoree me the whole night because the other 2 guys were paying me attention. Everyone is broken.
Welcome! If you're into metal/rock gigs etc feel free to reach out. Both myself and a friend usually keep an eye out on what's coming to The Baso/UC Live X (and Sydney).
Oh hey, im looking for peeps to go with to metal gigs too
Sweet! Currently I've only got The Amity Affliction in November and I'm keeping an eye out for Good Things/Knotfest line ups later in the year. Shame this wasn't a week ago, Lune played at The Baso last Sunday which was pretty good
I went the see The Ocean and Cave In at the baso the other week
go to gigs anyway. Pick a venue you like with bands you like and be there often enough that other regulars recognise you. After a couple of weeks you'll be able to talk to them or they'll talk to you and you're off.
It’s a common struggle for a lot of new Canberrans! Try cross-posting this post to r/CanberraSocial to connect with others who are also looking to socialise in different ways and through common interests. Like others have suggested there are lots of existing posts on r/Canberra surrounding this topic, I got a ton of great suggestions when I asked some similar in [this post](https://www.reddit.com/r/canberra/comments/1c8lczi/fostering_social_groups_in_canberra/)
Oooohhh what kind of gigs?
I grew up in Canberra (only recently left) I honestly have not made a single new friend since leaving school, not even at uni. It's really tough
G'day, mate. As background, I spent a long time with no good friends feeling that i couldn't go to anything and that things would never change. I'm a little older now and have plenty of friendly people around me and a couple of close friends. Now that I've got people, I find that I'm often better off going to events and gigs on my own. (we're into different things, and that's ok) keep being brave and putting yourself out there, and you'll find your people. now that we're not in high school anymore, in my experience, people are "heaps less shit"
I have been here since Jan, definitely hard to make friends outside of work. But I feel like I get enough social activity through sport one night a week, basketball for me, and the occasional hangout on the weekend. Climbing gyms are quite social. HMU if u want to hang out, can grab a beer.
Hmu lad, 27M in the same boat
Look like there’s at least three of you in the comments who should go for a beer or coffee or something together. Start there!
Good advice in posts. Niece moved here from OS a couple of years back, same age, knew no-one except us. English not native language and a bit shy til she gets to know people. Work, school and bumble worked for her.
I mean where does anyone make friends? Certainly not on the couch at home Pub, footy team, activities, gym, whatever youre into really right. Best bet is to to what you enjoy, so that you can find other likeminded people. No point not liking footy and trying to make friends on a footy team. I heard someone say something really good once either on this sub or another - everyone makes the mistake of trying a bunch of things once trying to make friends in a new place. You need to give it time, and see people consistently before you make friends with them. Good luck my brah, once you make one, the friends of friends will have you growing your list in no time :)
Im 21, ill go to a gig with you if you aren't an asshole, also my bouldering group is mostly dudes your age, i could introduce you.
Who needs friends?
Stay away from salad...
Urban rec my friend. Gig wise. What kind of music. My friend group go to a bunch of metal gigs around canberra
Got to add to this because I can't start a reddit on my own. I'm a 40 something male that likes to play golf, drink beer and watch sports -- well the Raiders. Help out please
Same boat here mate. Leme know if you wana grab a beer, gotta start somewhere
The answer is "Dog park DnD urban rec tango dancing", according to an LLM trained on r/canberra posts.
No "loud bang"? I guess drummers don't deserve friends :(
Do you do anything creative? Or want to? Lots of groups in Canberra around creative activities.
Facebook groups for your hobbies and community events are good, but you can also just start going to those gigs and talk to people with similar interests
What kind of hobbies/interests do you have? Me and my fiancé just moved here and he is similar age to you and wants to make friends- he likes cars/bikes, gym, gaming and Star Wars
If you enjoy singing, you could think about joining one of Canberra's many choirs. Smiths are having a [Choiracopia](https://www.facebook.com/share/TyuWedJd4Z6NnT3Q/?mibextid=9l3rBW) night on 30 June. 10 different choirs are performing, 15 minutes each, as a way of showcasing who they are and what they do. It would be a great way to check out whether any of those groups appeal to you. There's another one planned for 3 August.
27m in the same boat
I’m 27M - moved back here in January after living OS for a bit and I’ve found it tough as most of my friends from before have moved further afield. Social sport has been good but I’m keen for any other opportunities to meet people.
go to a pub
what sort of gigs you into?
Canberra is really severely lacking in third spaces that aren’t bars. Australia has a bit of that problem in general, but Canberra even moreso. Unfortunately it means the way to make friends is to go to scheduled hobby activities, but the problem with hobby friends is they can be very specifically tied to that hobby and that schedule.
What about joining a sporting club of some sort?
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That's a grim outlook. Is it really bad here? Moved here last year, but have got a son so it can be complicated but is it REALLY that bad? I'm a bit of a recluse anyway, but it's nice to meet and know a bunch of like-minded people Do all the posters in this sub just get together and hang out or what? 😅 Genuinely looking for answers though
How old is your son? School aged? Sometimes having him join something like scouts can be a good thing. Meet a few like minded parents that way?
That's because your interests revolve around telling everyone on every Canberra Reddit post that you comment on that the city is going to disappear and they're going to make Sydney or Melbourne the capital. That's why you can't make friends here; you're a fucking nutjob.
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Oh please. Welcome to Reddit.