Hey all — running a couple of weekly bilingual language exchange meetups in Oaxaca if anyone's looking to meet people and practice Spanish/English (or whatever language you're working on) or just making friends.

🧠🎤 Trivia Night + Open Mic — Océano (Matamoros 201, Centro) 6pm social meeting 8 PM trivia, 9 PM open mic. Come solo or bring a team for trivia, then stick around for the open mic — comedy, poetry, music, whatever you've got. Good mix of locals and travelers, relaxed vibe, no pressure to be fluent in anything.

🎤🌎 Karaoke + Language Exchange — Wombat, every Thursday, 6 PM language exchange, 9 PM karaoke.

Both are free, bilingual, and open to all levels — beginners welcome. Good way to actually meet people in Oaxaca instead of just passing through.

Happy to answer questions in the comments if anyone wants details.

You can find more details and more events in Oaxaca "que onda oaxaca"

Just wanted to share this in case anyone here is looking for something to do on a Wednesday night in Oaxaca (or wants to practice Spanish/English in a low-pressure setting).

Every Wednesday at Océano there's a language exchange starting at 6pm — it's pretty social, mixed tables of locals and visitors, good way to practice and actually meet people instead of just doing a language app alone in your room.

Around 8pm sign-ups open for an open mic that starts at 9. It's open to basically anything — songs, poems, spoken word, whatever you've got. You don't need to be a "performer," people just show up with something to share.

I help organize it, so full disclosure there, but I genuinely think it's one of the more low-key, community-feeling things happening midweek in the city. Happy to answer questions if anyone's curious about logistics, whether it's beginner-friendly, etc. also you can find events on "que onda oaxaca"

So Guelaguetza wrapped up and you might be wondering what's next. Here's an idea: come to our language exchanges.

They're good if you actually want to practice Spanish or English, or if you just want to socialize, make some friends, and help other people practice while you're at it. These aren't formal classes — it's more of a relaxed environment where you end up learning through socializing, sometimes board games if people are into it.

Wednesdays at Océano we do an Open Mic where you can get whatever's inside you out through poetry, stand up, karaoke, or just words in general. Thursdays it's karaoke at Wombat.

Come alone or bring friends, honestly doesn't matter. At the end of the day there's always people who genuinely want to practice, so I end up pairing folks up depending on what they need. And don't stress if it feels quiet at first — by 9pm the open mic gets everyone loosening up and being more social anyway.

Wednesdays @ Océano, Matamoros 201, Centro — 6pm social / 9pm Open Mic
Thursdays @ Wombat, Mártires de Tacubaya 517 — 6pm social / 9pm Karaoke, free entry

If you're looking for more stuff going on in the city — events, workshops, whatever — just google "Qué Onda Oaxaca," that's where I post it all.

Heads up: this isn't a class, I'm not a teacher, nothing structured. It's just a chill social space to meet people, chat, disconnect from the phone for a bit, and have a good time. Free, relaxed, inclusive vibe. Sometimes we throw in some board games depending on the venue. Wednesdays at Oceano Show and drinks, Thursdays wombat Café bar. PS: for more events like this around the city (museums, dance, culture, all of it) just google "que onda oaxaca"

Hey! If you're around and want an easy way to meet people, practice a language, and get a feel for local life without the awkwardness of a "class," we run a casual language exchange every week. No lessons, no pressure just people talking, laughing, and helping each other out with English/Spanish or ayuuk . Great if you're new here, traveling through, or just want to build a local circle of friends. There are usually some solid drink deals too, so it doubles as a chill evening out. Come by whenever, stay as long as you want — happy to answer questions in the comments if you're curious about times/locations.

Wednesdays 6:00 PM 📍 Oceano Show and Drinks (Mariano Matamoros 201)
Thursdays 6:00 PM 📍 Wombat (Martires de tacubaya 517 ) You can find this and other events around the city in "que onda Oaxaca"

Come hang tonight! Language exchange starting at 6pm at Océano Shows and Drinks — board games, good vibes, practice your Spanish/English with locals and travelers.

We'll have USA vs Bosnia & Herzegovina on the screen too, so if you're cheering for the team, come watch with us. After the match, karaoke kicks off 🎤

Come crudear after the win, celebrate, keep the party going, and meet new people. See you there

You can find events and workshow on "que onda oaxaca"

📍 Océano Shows and Drinks

Hey everyone!

If you're in town and looking to practice your Spanish or English, meet expats, travelers, and locals, we have two distinct vibes lined up for you this week. Both events start at 6:00 PM:

Wednesday Night: NEW "Intercambio Botanero" & Football Screening @ Océano 🌊🎲⚽ We are introducing a brand new location and concept centered around food, social games, and sports!

• The Match: We’ll be showing the Mexico vs. Czech Republic game on the screens. The match starts at 7:00 PM, but we are meeting up at 6:00 PM to break the ice and catch up before it starts. You can chat, play board games, and enjoy the vibe.
• The Bonus: At 9:00 PM (right after the game), they turn on the karaoke machine if you want to stay for the after-party.
• 📍 Where: Matamoros 201, Centro.

Thursday Night: The Classic Hangout @ Wombat Bar 🐻🎱 Our staple weekly social gathering. If you prefer a more laid-back atmosphere to grab a cold drink, talk about your week, and play a few rounds of pool (billiards), this is your spot.

If you don't have plans yet for the Mexico vs. Korea match this Thursday, or if you just want to hang out, practice some languages, and meet new people, come join us at Wombat for a special edition of our Language Exchange!

We've got a full night lined up so you can catch the game, play some games, and stay for the party. Here is the schedule:

• 6:00 PM | Quick Trivia + Score Prediction: We’re warming up with a fast-paced round of football trivia to break the ice, and we'll be taking everyone's final score predictions to add some hype to the match. 📝⚽
• 7:00 PM | Live Match: We’ll catch the game together on the big screen. Time to cheer on your team! 📺🔥
• 9:00 PM | Karaoke: Once the match ends, we’ll see who guessed the right score... and then we’re heading straight into karaoke to wrap up the night singing our hearts out! 🎤✨

The Details: 📍 Where: Mártires de Tacubaya 517.

Whether you are a local, an expat, a traveler, or just want a cold drink and good vibes, you're more than welcome to drop by. Bring your friends, practice your Spanish/English (or any other language), and stay for the music.

Hey everyone! Whether you’re a local looking to practice your English, an expat working on your Spanish, or a traveler just passing through, come hang out this week.

It’s all about meeting cool people, practicing languages naturally, playing some board games, and enjoying great vibe networks. No pressure, just fun.

📅 The Lineup:

• Wednesday: Aloha Bar | 🕒 6:00 PM
• Thursday: Wombat Bar | 🕒 6:00 PM

✨ What to expect:

• Language immersion (Spanish/English and more!)
• Board games & icebreakers.
• New friends from all over the world.
• Special promos on drinks for attendees.

No entry fee, just bring your best energy (and maybe a friend).

P.S. Looking for more cool things to do around town this week? Just Google "que onda oaxaca" to check out the local cultural agenda and find more events. See you there! 🙌

Regular Wednesday social if you're new or just want to meet people

Not sure how many people here are expats or long-term travelers but figured this was worth posting.

There's a weekly language exchange every Wednesday at 6pm that I've been organizing. Rotates between Aloha Bar and Wombat (fow now). It's bilingual Spanish/English but the vibe is more "game night" than language class — icebreakers, group stuff, actual conversations.

Honest take: the first 20 minutes feel slightly awkward like any social thing, and then it's fine. Met some genuinely interesting people there, both locals and foreigners. It's one of the few events in the city that regularly mixes both.

You can check que onda oaxaca for which bar it's at each week, I list it along with other events.

Free to attend, no signup needed.

I live in Oaxaca. Every July I watch the same thing: people show up underprepared, overpaying for taxis, scrambling for hotels, and buying tickets from the wrong places.

So I wrote the guide I wish had existed.

It covers the official ticket info, yes — but also the things that don't make the tourism brochures: how transport actually works here (hint: it's not what you'd expect), what the deal is with water in July, how to not pay tourist prices for taxis, what's actually free and how to access it, and why there's been a genuine ongoing debate for 20 years about whether the official festival serves the communities it comes from.

It's bilingual (ES/EN) and I tried to write it like a local explaining to a friend, not like a PR piece.

queondaoaxaca.com/en/blog/guelaguetza-2026-guia-completa

Happy to answer questions in the comments if anything's unclear or outdated.Been living in Oaxaca for a while. Every July I watch the same thing: people show up underprepared, overpaying for taxis, scrambling for hotels, and buying tickets from the wrong places.

So I wrote the guide I wish had existed.

It covers the official ticket info, yes — but also the things that don't make the tourism brochures: how transport actually works here (hint: it's not what you'd expect), what the deal is with water in July, how to not pay tourist prices for taxis, what's actually free and how to access it, and why there's been a genuine ongoing debate for 20 years about whether the official festival serves the communities it comes from.

6-guia-completa