Would you go to a party where you knew no one

[NattyPeachBalonz]

I really want to go to a party near Xmas, but it involves travel and an overnight stay. I'll be on my own. None of my friends want to go due to the COL crisis near Xmas or the genre of music is not their cup of tea. Which is understandable.
We've been to this place a few months ago and we spoke to a few people. They're not going to remember me after six months and might think who is this weirdo with no friends who's attached herself to us.
How do you start dancing and letting your hair down on your own without feeling awkward and self conscious?
I've seen photos online of previous nights there, all full of happy friendship groups enjoying themselves. A perfect example of feeling lonely as hell in a crowded room.
I recently had quite a potentially serious health scare, which I am now recovered from. This has taught me that at the age of 61 life is too short to sit frustratedly at home, when you really want to be out enjoying yourself.

I wouldn't, but then these days I struggle to work up the enthusiasm to go to parties even with my best friends! Is there a similar event nearby that your friends would come with you to?

@JustMerelyHere no there isn't anything closer in the genre of music

I went to a party a couple of years ago where I didn't know anyone except my partner (it was old school friends of his) and he's not a party person so just went off to a quiet corner to talk to an old friend. I had a great time in the end (well mostly great, was convinced to join in with the birthday shot drinking which was cow's blood mixed with absinthe and I almost puked) and glad I went.

I go to parties/events by myself fairly often and have done throughout adult life (by nature of what I do as a job). Go for it! Life is short as you have discovered. In my experience it usually takes very little time at all to get chatting to people. Re not feeling self-conscious - wine helps! But also just realising that no one is thinking about you as much as you are yourself. Go, have fun.

Going to a party with your partner is totally different to what op is describing FFs!

You said ‘we’ went. Who did you go with? Is it a small party? If so, then no I wouldn’t go. You would feel self conscious, awkward and probably stand out.

Did you get an invite?

Is it northern soul?

Is it a ticketed event or a private party? Two very different things. There's no way l would go to a party where l didnt know anyone, but if it was an organised event eg a Northern Soul night and l really wanted to go and dance, then l would consider going.

If it is an organised event then there may be a Facebook group for people who share the same music taste and it’s worth joining and asking if anyone else is going on their own and wants to meet up? This happens on the Merlin Facebook group if someone wants to go to a theme park event they find others to meet up with before hand.

Personally it would be my idea of hell on Earth. However if you really want to go and presumably are a confident, outgoing personality, I"m sure you will be ok.

I might as well as have been by myself, he wasn't with me at all the whole night. The meeting and talking with complete strangers is the same.

It sounds totally different to what the OP describes. You were invited to a private party and people would presumably at least be able to say “oh that’s Dave’s wife”. Op is describing more like an event.

I would.
I quite like my own company and am happy to chat to various people.
I love to dance so that keeps me from
being sat on my own. Or happy to sit at the bar.

I would. I do stuff like this all the time (though probably wouldn’t schlepp somewhere with an overnight stay.

If its a party, presumably you know the person who invited you?

If its an event, buy yourself a ticket. How will anyone else know you haven't been separated from your friends?

Personally, i wouldn't go to either - but then the only time I would go to something like that is for very close friends/ family. So I would know most people and I'd still hate it

If this is the same poster I’m thinking of, it was northern soul, and the reason she was desperate to go back to another night at the same venue, despite it being a trek involving an overnight stay and her usual friend not going, was because of a man. The last time she posted it was more ‘Is it going to look weird to him if I go by myself?’

That's what I thought...
Apologies if this isnt you op!

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5542229-should-i-carry-on-going-to-these-nights-out?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=share

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/am_i_being_unreasonable/5544631-shall-i-go-out-on-my-own-tonight?utm_campaign=thread&utm_medium=shar

We, as in myself and a few friends. I don't think I'm going to go on my own. Consensus of opinion is don't go. My dh would not enjoy it as much as me, but as it's Xmas I should be able to persuade him to go and make a weekend of it.

Consensus of opinion is don't go.

eh? no it isn't!

Yeah that’s what I thought! And the people who are more negative are saying THEY wouldn’t go, not that the OP shouldn’t.

Yes, I recently went to an event where I knew no-one but the music was brilliant. I danced in the crowd with everyone else, got chatting to some of the people around me. Will go again in November.

I'd go for it. Like you, I'm past the age for sitting at home worrying about what people might think.

My idea of hell. My dm on the other hand would love it and would have lots of new friends by the end of the night. it all just depends whether you are the type of person who can strike up a conversation with a stranger or get up on the dance floor and have a dance without caring if there is someone alongside.

Well, if the OP is in fact that poster I think she is, as in the threads linked by @JoleneJoleneJoleneJoleneJolene, the appeal of the distant northern soul nights is a man she’s been flirting with, who’s married with children, and whom she’s afraid will think she’s a stalker if she shows up again by herself.

It’s obviously possible she’s not the same poster, but the situation, and the terms in which the OP describes it (“Am I going to look like a weirdo with no friends?’) are very similar.

And the completely ignoring of posters who have called her out in previous threads as well as this one

Just go for it, have a drink and enjoy the music. If you meet people, great, if you don’t then you will know you tried. If you don’t go you’ll sit at home wishing you’d gone.

I used to go to house parties where I knew nobody but the host, I went to Glastonbury with a friend but we saw totally different acts so I did much of it alone, and I went to Kenya on an organised trip aged 20 knowing no-one. Don’t let not having a group put you off life changing experiences.