Activity · Play Together
Casual volleyball in Paris, in English
If you can high-five, you can play.
Short friendly rounds in the park, with teams that shuffle between games so you meet everyone on the court. There’s a proper break in the middle, and drinks nearby after.
In Paris
Turning up to a game without joining a club
Volleyball in Paris runs on clubs, and clubs run on a licence and a season that starts in September. Go looking for a game and that’s what comes back: the city’s own club listings, the big Paris teams, page after page of association sites, most of it in French. All of it makes sense if what you want is a team for the year. Less so on a Saturday when you’d just like to play.
This is the drop-in version. You take one session off the calendar, you play, and at the end of it you aren’t signed up to anything: no licence, no club card, no season. Turning up on your own is the normal way to arrive here, and most people do.
The last run was five Saturday afternoons across June and July, 14h00 to 16h00, on the public outdoor courts down in the 14th. Hard courts rather than sand, which is worth knowing if you had beach volleyball in mind: Paris does have sand, and nearly all of it sits behind an association membership. Spots and times move, so the event page is the one to go by.
People arrange pick-up games here on Meetup, in Facebook groups and on event calendars, which is why finding one takes more digging than it should. There’s no app that collects them. Ours sits on Luma, one session at a time.
The Format
What to expect
- Step 1
Meet at the net
We set up in a park and warm up with easy passes while people arrive.
- Step 2
Short rotating games
Friendly rounds with mixed teams, reshuffled between games. Mixing levels is deliberate.
- Step 3
Break, play, drinks
A proper break to sit and chat, more rounds after, and a wrap-up with drinks nearby for whoever wants.
Upcoming
Next volleyball
Straight from our live calendar. New events go up every week, and the email list hears about them first.
None scheduled right now.
The next one is usually a couple of weeks out. Sign up below and you'll be first in line.
Practical Info
Before you show up
- Level
- Genuinely mixed, from never-played to club players who promise to behave.
- Where
- Public outdoor courts. The last run was in the 14th; the exact spot is on the event page.
- Licence
- You don’t need one, and there’s no club to join afterwards either.
- How long
- Two hours on court in the recent sessions, 14h00 to 16h00, then drinks nearby for whoever’s up for it.
- What to bring
- Comfortable clothes and water. We bring the ball and the net.
- Language
- English on and off the court, with plenty of French mixed in.
Questions
Volleyball FAQ
I’ve never played volleyball. Can I come?
Yes. Games are casual, teams rotate constantly, and nobody keeps serious score.
Do I need a French volleyball licence to play?
No. The clubs that fill the search results run on a licence and a September-to-summer season, and that’s a real commitment. This isn’t that. You take one afternoon on the calendar, and when it’s over you’re not a member of anything.
Is this beach volleyball?
No. The recent sessions have been on hard outdoor courts rather than sand. Paris does have sand courts, but nearly all of them belong to associations, so you can’t simply walk onto one.
Is there an app for pick-up volleyball in Paris?
Not really. Games here get arranged on Meetup, in Facebook groups and on event calendars. Ours is on Luma, one session at a time, so there’s nothing to download.
What should I bring?
Comfortable clothes and water. The ball and net are covered.
Do I have to play non-stop?
No. There’s a long break in the middle, and sitting out a round to chat on the grass is completely normal.
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Same idea every time: come for the thing, stay for the people.
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