The English-Speaking Community in Barcelona That Meets Every Week
Keep Calm is a free, volunteer-run community for English speakers in Barcelona. We meet through sport and social events, padel, football, volleyball, hiking, running and more, so you always have somewhere to go and people to go with. No Spanish needed, no need to bring anyone, and you definitely don't need to be sporty.
Why English speakers join Keep Calm
Barcelona is full of English speakers, but meeting them is harder than it should be. One-off events and apps get you a night of small talk; what builds real friendships is seeing the same people every week. That's the whole idea behind Keep Calm: regular, low-pressure activities where turning up alone is completely normal, because that's how almost everyone here started.
We're not-for-profit and run entirely by volunteers, so there's no membership fee and nobody is trying to sell you anything. You pay your share of a court or a lift ticket when you play, and that's it.
Our English-speaking groups in Barcelona
Everything below runs in English, week in, week out. Pick one that mildly appeals to you and come along; you can always add more later.
🎾 Padel →
Our most popular sport. Regular matches for every level, from first-timers to competitive players.
⚽ Friday Football →
Relaxed social football every Friday evening. Mixed levels, mixed nationalities, all in English.
🏐 Volleyball →
Beach and indoor sessions through the year. One of the easiest groups to walk into alone.
🥾 Hiking →
Weekend hikes to Montserrat, Collserola and the Costa Brava. Hours of conversation built in.
🏃 Running →
Group runs along the beach, through Ciutadella and up Montjuïc. All paces welcome.
🍻 Social Events →
Not sporty? No problem. Drinks, dinners and nights out built entirely around meeting people.
🎾 Tennis →
Weekly tennis sessions with players matched by level. A friendly rally, not a tryout.
🗣️ Language Exchange →
Practise your Spanish or Catalan with locals, and help them with their English in return.
How it works
- Join the main WhatsApp group. It's free and takes ten seconds.
- Pick your activity groups. Padel, football, hiking, socials, whatever appeals.
- Turn up. Events are posted every week. Come alone, leave with plans for next week.
Find your people in Barcelona
Join 2,000+ English speakers already meeting every week through sport and socials.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an English-speaking community in Barcelona I can join for free?
Yes. Keep Calm is a free, not-for-profit, volunteer-run community of over 2,000 English speakers in Barcelona. There are no fees to join and no membership cards, you just pay your share of a court or a ticket when you play. Everything runs in English across 20+ WhatsApp activity groups.
Do I need to speak Spanish to join?
No. Every event, group chat and announcement is in English. Plenty of members use the community as their social base while they learn Spanish or Catalan, and our language exchange group is a friendly place to practise.
How do I meet English speakers in Barcelona if I know nobody?
Join a group that already meets every week and keep showing up. Keep Calm runs weekly padel, football, volleyball, running and social events where arriving alone is completely normal, most members joined that way. Seeing the same faces every week is what turns strangers into friends.
Is Keep Calm only for expats, or also for locals?
Both. The community is a mix of expats, internationals and English-speaking locals. All our events and groups are for adults (18+), and everyone from newcomers on week one to long-term residents is welcome.
New in town? Start with our guide on how to make friends in Barcelona, or find your crowd on our pages for expats and digital nomads, Brits and Americans in Barcelona.