Meet&Mingles are our monthly socialising events and your opportunity to get to know people in the Leiden region!

Meeting other people can be difficult, especially when moving to a new country or city – that's why we organize our monthly Meet&Mingle evenings. They are a place where you can make new connections and friendships in a casual and cosy setting over a few drinks and even some games or a quiz.  

Meet&Mingles are (almost) always on the first Thursday of every month. Each month, the venues are in a different bar or café to introduce you to a bit more of Leiden and the region. 

Meet&Mingle events are free to attend, but registration is required as space is limited. 

Who is invited?

Everyone is welcome to these events, including Dutch people who want to make international friends. The average age of our guests is 25 - 40, and most are young professionals working in life sciences, health, space and education. Every month we have between 25 - 60 guests attend, so there are always plenty of people to mingle with! You are welcome to come alone or with a partner, friend or colleague.

Upcoming Meet&Mingle

A look to previous editions

All about Dutch!

In November 2024, as part of our communication campaign Praat Nederlands Met Me, we teamed up with our language partner Taalthuis to organise a taster evening focused on learning Dutch. 

The evening included fun conversation starters for all levels, as well as our regular drinks and snacks! Everyone was enthusiastic over the evening and we hope to organise a new edition soon! 

Leiden's Ontzet

Did you know that every year on 3 October, Leiden parties? On this date, we commemorate the liberation of Leiden from the Spanish siege in 1574 by Willem van Oranje and his Sea Beggars. 

In September 2024, 450 years later, we marked this occasion with a special Meet&Mingle event with the 3 October Committee and the Municipality of Leiden. The evening featured a fun quiz where internationals could test their knowledge of 3 October and win prizes, generously provided by the committee. Over drinks and tasty snacks internationals also mingled with local residents to hear stories of how they chose to celebrate this special day. 

Kick-start in Leiden

Leiden is a beautiful city full of history to discover. With our partner Op Step we went on a tour of the city on... kick bikes! We were blessed with good weather and had a lot of fun kicking our bikes around the city centre. New and old international residents had the chance to discover new hidden gems and bits of Leiden's history, concluding with well deserved bites and drinks.

A community of Life Sciences

In June 2024 we proudly partnered with Leiden Bioscience Park to bring our Meet&Mingle to the life sciences community during the first Dutch Bioscience Week.

The evening was a great success, with many fun activities where the residents of Leiden were able to engage with the creative forces behind the Bioscience Park.

Don't use for printing

Do you want to organise a Meet&Mingle with us?

We are open to discuss collaborations for our monthly Meet&Mingle, just reach out to Sibilla at sibilla@leideninternationalcentre.nl.