Things to do with friends in Melbourne

GuideMelbourne · Group plans6 min readChecked September 2026

The group plan rule

Make the first decision for the group.

Group plans fall apart when every detail is open.

Instead of asking “what should we do?”, choose the plan first: food-first, activity-first, low-effort drinks, rainy-day indoor, birthday, house party, after-work catch-up or something outdoors. Once the plan is chosen, the group only has to react to a plan, not invent one from scratch.

A good group plan needs fewer decisions, a clear meeting area, food early enough, one optional second stop and a backup if the weather or venue situation changes. PlanSorted helps turn vague group chat energy into a plan people can actually say yes to.

A night market with the city skyline behind — Food first. The rest follows.

Group ways to plan it

Five group versions that get agreement.

Food-first catch-up

Food-first is the easiest group format because everyone understands it. Pick one area with enough options, decide whether you need booking-friendly venues, and add one optional second stop for whoever wants to keep going. The area matters more than chasing one perfect venue. If the first option is full, the group still needs alternatives nearby. Plan this →

Indoor activity with food nearby

Indoor activities work well for groups because they remove the pressure of constant conversation. Bowling, karaoke, mini golf, arcades, comedy, cinema, galleries or casual games can all work depending on budget and mood. The activity should sit near food, otherwise the group ends up negotiating again after the first thing ends. Plan this →

Low-effort Friday night

A Friday night plan should respect that people are tired. Keep it near where people already are. Choose food or drinks first. Avoid making everyone cross the city unless the reason is strong. Keep the second stop optional, not mandatory. The best Friday plan is easy to join and easy to leave. Plan this →

Birthday or occasion group plan

Birthday plans need more structure than normal catch-ups. Decide whether the birthday person wants attention, comfort, activity, food, surprise or something low-key. Then choose a plan that gives people a clear start time and enough flexibility for late arrivals. Plan this →

House party or night in

Hosting friends can be easier than organising a venue, but only if the night has structure. Food, drinks, seating, music, arrival time, activity and cleanup all matter. A house party does not need to be fancy, but it should feel intentional. Plan this →

The September problem

Finals month is the hardest month to get a table for six

A group plan is mostly a booking problem, and September makes the booking problem worse. Football finals fill the city on Saturdays through the month, and the last weekend of it is the busiest weekend of the Melbourne year outside New Year’s Eve. If your group has a standing Saturday, move it, book it three weeks out, or accept that you are eating somewhere with a screen.

Friday 25 September 2026 is a Victorian public holiday, the Friday before the AFL Grand Final. That gives most people a three-day weekend, which is excellent for a group and terrible for spontaneity — regional accommodation, restaurant tables and anything ticketed go early. The Grand Final itself is at the MCG on Saturday 26 September.

The good version of a finals-weekend group plan is one of two shapes. Either you lean into it — someone’s house or a pub with a decent screen, food sorted before the bounce, nobody driving — or you go completely the other way and use the fact that half the city is occupied. A long lunch in the inner north on Grand Final day is one of the calmest bookings you will ever get.

If you are planning the public holiday Friday itself, check opening hours rather than assuming. Small cafes and independents often close, surcharges are standard, and public transport runs a holiday timetable.

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Book the group thing three weeks out in September. Or plan around the football on purpose.

What not to do

The group plan mistakes.

Avoid these

Do not ask the group an open-ended question with no options.
Do not pick an area that is bad for half the group.
Do not leave food until people are coming after work.
Do not rely on one venue with no backup.
Do not make the second stop compulsory.
Do not ignore weather for outdoor plans.
Leaving a Grand Final weekend booking to the week before. Three days off and a full city. Book it, or make it a house plan.

Give PlanSorted the group constraints

Tell it how many people, the rough area, budget, weather and energy level.

It will suggest a plan the group can actually agree on.

Plan something to do with friends in Melbourne that is easy to organise and has food nearby

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