Full moon date ideas and the watch party first date

Two of the best first dates cost almost nothing and need almost no planning. One happens when the moon is full, the other when the big game is on. Both give you something to look at besides each other, which takes the pressure off. Here's how to do each one well, with real places from our city guides.

Part 1: full moon date ideas

A full moon is free, everyone can see it, and it makes any rooftop, park or riverbank look a lot more romantic. The next two are special: both are supermoons, when the full moon is close to Earth and looks a little bigger and brighter than usual.

The next full moons

• The Beaver Moon, Tuesday 24 November 2026. The moon is exactly full at 14:53 UTC, which is 9:53am in New York, 6:53am in Los Angeles, 15:53 in Oslo and 16:53 in Athens. It looks full to the eye for about a day on either side, so the evenings of 23 and 24 November are both good. The name comes from the time of year when beavers finish their lodges before winter.
• The Cold Moon, the night of 23 to 24 December 2026. Full at 01:28 UTC on 24 December, which is 8:28pm on Wednesday 23 December in New York and 5:28pm in Los Angeles, and the early hours of 24 December in Europe. It's the closest full moon of the year, and it lands right before Christmas Eve. It's also called the Long Night Moon, because it comes near the longest nights of the year.

A full moon rises in the east around sunset, so the best moment is early: be at your spot when the sun goes down and watch the moon come up, large and orange, low over the horizon.

Where to watch it

New York. Brooklyn Bridge Park is free and open until 1am, with the Manhattan skyline across the water. For something different, ride the free Staten Island Ferry, which runs 24 hours a day, or walk the lookouts of Little Island on the Hudson. More in the New York date spots guide.

Los Angeles. Griffith Observatory is the classic: free entry, open until 10pm from Tuesday to Sunday, with the whole city below you. It's open on Tuesday 24 November and Wednesday 23 December, but closed on Mondays. Or walk Santa Monica Pier, which is free, and ride the Ferris wheel if you like. See the Los Angeles date spots guide.

Miami. Sugar, a rooftop garden bar on the 40th floor of the EAST Miami hotel, looks out over Brickell and the bay. For something more relaxed, Monty's Raw Bar in Coconut Grove sits right on the marina. More in the Miami meet people guide.

Oslo. Ekebergparken is a free sculpture park in the forest above the city, open around the clock all year, with wide views over the fjord. In the centre, walk up the roof of the Oslo Opera House for a free view of the city and the water. See the Oslo date spots guide.

Athens. Lycabettus Hill is the highest point in central Athens, with a view over the whole city to the sea; walk up through the pines or take the funicular from Kolonaki. For a drink with the Acropolis in front of you, try the rooftop A for Athens above Monastiraki Square. More in the Athens date spots guide.

What to bring

• A warm layer and a blanket. November and December evenings are cold almost everywhere.
• A thermos of something hot, or a plan for a café nearby afterwards.
• A backup plan if it's cloudy: a bar with a view still works.

That's the whole point of a moon date: it's romantic, it's easy, and it costs nothing.

Part 2: the watch party first date

Now the other kind of night. NFL Sundays, an NBA game, a football derby like El Clásico: a big game is one of the most underrated first dates there is.

Why a game is a great first date

• No awkward silences. When nobody is talking, the game is. You never have to fill the gap.
• It has a natural end. The final whistle is a clean moment to say goodnight, or to suggest one more drink.
• You see how someone reacts. How they win, how they lose, whether they cheer for the underdog. You learn a lot in ninety minutes.
• The room is friendly. A good sports bar is full of people talking to strangers.

How to pick a sports bar

• Check that they show the game, with sound if possible. Ask ahead or look at their social pages.
• Go early. For the biggest games, the good seats are gone well before kick-off.
• Pick a place where you can hear each other at half time. A packed bar is fun; a deafening one is not a date.
• Food helps. Sharing wings or fries is easier than staring at two drinks.

A few rules

• Pick a side, or don't. Supporting the same team is fun. Supporting rival teams can be even more fun, if you both can lose gracefully. Not caring at all is fine too; ask your date to explain the rules.
• Talk at half time. That's your real date window. Ask questions that aren't about the game.
• Don't make it only about the score. If your date looks bored, you've picked the wrong game for this date.

Where to watch

In Los Angeles, Tom Bergin's is a historic Irish pub with sports nights, trivia and a horseshoe-shaped bar; note it's closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays (Los Angeles meet people guide). In Dallas, Happiest Hour is a big, busy sports bar with a rooftop deck and a large, social crowd (Dallas meet people guide). In Cologne and Frankfurt, a football evening often ends at a long shared table, at FRÜH am Dom or Apfelwein Wagner, where talking to strangers is part of the custom (Cologne, Frankfurt). Wherever you are, ask the bar if the game is on before you invite someone.

Host a watch party on YesTonite

The best watch parties aren't found, they're hosted. On YesTonite any member can host an event at a real venue: pick a bar, choose the game and set the time. Open events people join right away; for closed ones guests ask for a spot, and only guests see the address. A relaxed way to meet several new people at once.

One app for both nights

• Out tonight. Switch on the green dot and people nearby can see you're out too. It turns off by itself the next morning.
• One message. No matching. You see a photo, an age and what someone is into tonight, and your first message opens the chat. "Moon from the hill at sunset?" or "Watching the game at eight, want to join?" is all it takes.
• Here now. In bars that take part, scan the Here now QR code to see who in the room is open to meeting people.

YesTonite is free, for people 18 and over, and available in 44 languages. Whether it's the moon or the match, switch on your green dot and see who else is out.