A Modern Take on Temporary Community Living
Ever heard the phrase pop-up commune and wondered what it actually means? It’s when people come together to experience what it’s like to live in a community. Either temporarily, intentionally, and sometimes off-grid.
In this post, we’ll explore:
- What a pop-up commune is
- Why people are drawn to a pop-up commune
- How they work
- What they can teach you about how to live in a community
- How to join a pop-up commune
What Is a Pop-Up Commune?
A pop-up commune is a short-term, intentional living arrangement where a group of people shares space, tasks, and daily life. Unlike permanent communes or co-living setups, pop-up communes have a defined start and end, ranging from a weekend to a whole season.
These communities “pop up” with a purpose:
- A shared project
- A creative residency
- A volunteer program
- Or simply the desire to slow down and connect with others
A pop-up commune is about community, not just living near others, but sharing daily life together
Why Pop-Up Communes Are on the Rise
More and more people are looking for ways to reconnect with nature, with others, and with themselves. Whether you’re a digital nomad, interested in offgrid living, a creative, an environmentalist, or just tired of city life—the idea of temporary shared living invites a new perspective to life.
Here’s why the format works:
- Low commitment, high impact: Try community living without having to change your life completely.
- Intentional structure: Shared meals, rotating tasks, and daily check-ins create rhythm and connection.
- Skill sharing: Learn from each other, whether it’s cooking, building, gardening, or creating.
- Human connection: You live and work with people who value presence over productivity.
How to Live in a Community (Without Losing Your Mind)
Learning how to live in a community takes practice, patience, and a bit of structure. That’s why pop-up communes are a great entry point! They offer just enough framework to support you, without locking you in.
Here’s what helps:
- Daily rituals: Morning meetings, communal meals, and evening check-in to help everyone sync.
- Nigth time activities: After the day’s work is done, evenings are for hanging out. Some people join craft nights, others chill by the fire, or just take it slow. Sometimes there’s music, sometimes someone starts a project and others join in.
- Clear roles: Everyone contributes. Tasks are usually rotated, or chosen based on skills and interest.
- Open communication: You talk about feelings, energy levels, boundaries, and needs.
- Respect for the shared space: Communal living means caring for kitchens, bathrooms, gardens, and the people using them.
- Show up, not show off: It’s not about being perfect. It’s about being present and doing your part.
Most people walk away from a pop-up commune with a deeper understanding of what it really means to build and live in community.
How Do You Join a Pop-Up Commune?
There are a few ways people find and join pop-up communes—and most of them aren’t through some polished website. Some folks discover them through platforms like Workaway or WWOOF, others through social media or by hearing about a project from a friend-of-a-friend.
But if you’re reading this, you already found one of the good ones.
Here at Onthefreeside, we run two very different kinds of pop-up communes throughout the summer on our forest property in Sweden:
- Volunteering Weeks – Think: DIY projects, gardening, tiny house building, outdoor cooking, and forest life. It’s hands-on, community-focused, and full of late-night fires, lake swims, and shared meals. You stay for a couple of weeks, help out for a few hours each day, and live as part of our crew. It’s a classic work exchange setup, and it’s how this whole thing got started. 👉 Read more and apply here
- Ember & Earth Summer Camp – Our more curated (and wild) long weekend for adults. Fire-cooked meals, foraging workshops, paddleboarding, and fun camp-style games—plus drinks, night swims, and a crew that quickly feels like old friends. 👉 Grab your spot here!
We host five separate pop-up commune sessions every summer—each one with its own mix of people, projects, and late-night chaos. Some join to learn new skills, some just want a break from city life, and many come back again the next season.
Want to join?
- Start by reading through the event info linked above
- Choose the experience that feels right for you (or try both)
- Fill out a short application—we’ll take it from there
No prior experience needed. Just bring curiosity, respect for others, and a willingness to be part of something real for a little while.
The Takeaway
A pop-up commune isn’t a retreat. It’s not a vacation. It’s real life—with a group of people who choose to co-create a temporary community.
It’s waking up and making coffee for more than just yourself. It’s chatting while chopping veggies. It’s building something together, even if it only lasts a week.
It teaches you how to live in a community—to ask for help, to offer support, and to share space in a way that feels meaningful.
And that might just be the most radical thing you do all year.
