// Melbourne guide //
Things to do in Melbourne with mates
Actual plans, with actual prices - sorted by how many people you've got and how much you want to spend. No "visit Federation Square" filler.
Active days out
Anything with a task in it beats standing in a circle. These are the ones that work with a group where not everyone knows each other.
Paintball
- Cost
- $45 – $90 per person
- Group size
- 6 – 20
- When
- Weekend day
The most reliable way to turn a group of blokes who barely know each other into a group that does. Fields sit an hour out in the outer north and south-east. Book the mid-tier package - the entry one runs out of paint before people warm up.
Go-karting
- Cost
- $50 – $85 per person
- Group size
- 6 – 16
- When
- Any night, indoors
Indoor circuits around Port Melbourne, Braeside and the west run late and don't care about weather. Two races plus a final is the sweet spot; anything shorter feels over before it starts. Great as a pre-dinner opener.
Axe throwing
- Cost
- $35 – $55 per person
- Group size
- 4 – 14
- When
- Weeknight
Cheap, quick to learn, and the format forces people to stand around talking between throws. Most Melbourne venues are licensed, so it slots straight into a night out.
Bouldering
- Cost
- $25 – $35 casual entry
- Group size
- 2 – 8
- When
- Any weeknight
Melbourne's gyms in Collingwood, Brunswick and the west are the cheapest repeatable activity on this list. Problems give you something to talk about, and rest between climbs is naturally social.
Social sport
- Cost
- $0 – $150 per season
- Group size
- 8 – 14
- When
- Weekly
Basketball, futsal, touch footy and netball leagues run through councils and private comps year-round. The only item here that gets better the longer you do it, because the same faces come back.
Melbourne classics
Footy at the MCG
- Cost
- $30 – $60 general admission
- Group size
- 3 – 30
- When
- Winter weekends
Still the best-value big day out in the city. General admission on the Ponsford wing, a pub in Richmond before, tram home after. Works even when half the group barks for a different team.
Brewery crawl
- Cost
- $60 – $100 a head
- Group size
- 4 – 15
- When
- Saturday afternoon
The Brunswick–Thornbury run and the Abbotsford–Collingwood loop both let you walk between four or five taprooms. Start at 1pm, not 5pm - the good ones fill up and half your group leaves before the last stop.
Comedy
- Cost
- $25 – $45
- Group size
- 2 – 10
- When
- Weeknight
Open mics in Fitzroy and the CBD run most nights for under $20. During the Comedy Festival in March and April you can see three shows in a night for the price of one big ticket.
Pub night, done properly
- Cost
- $40 – $70
- Group size
- 4 – 20
- When
- Thursday or Friday
Pick a pub with a booked table and food, not a bar you have to shout in. A table anchors the group so nobody drifts off after one drink. See our guide to Melbourne pub nights for venues that hold a big group.
Poker or board game night
- Cost
- $0 – $30 buy-in
- Group size
- 5 – 9
- When
- Any night
The cheapest option going and the best one for guys who hate small talk - the game does the talking. Board game cafés in the CBD and Northcote handle it if nobody's place is big enough.
Getting out of the city
Dandenongs hikes
- Cost
- Free (petrol)
- Group size
- 2 – 15
- When
- Weekend morning
The 1000 Steps and Sherbrooke Forest are 50 minutes from the CBD. Walking side by side beats sitting face to face for conversation - it's why hikes punch above their weight socially.
You Yangs or Werribee Gorge
- Cost
- Free (parks pass)
- Group size
- 2 – 12
- When
- Cooler months
An hour west, bigger views, far fewer people than the Dandenongs. Werribee Gorge's circuit needs decent shoes and a bit of scrambling, which makes it feel like a proper day.
Beach and bay days
- Cost
- Free – $40
- Group size
- 4 – 20
- When
- December – March
St Kilda, Elwood, Half Moon Bay. Add stand-up paddleboards or kayaks for hire and it becomes an actual event rather than sitting on sand.
Camping weekend
- Cost
- $40 – $120 per person
- Group size
- 4 – 12
- When
- Spring and autumn
Wilsons Prom, the Grampians or the High Country. Two nights away does more for a friendship group than six months of drinks, purely because of the uninterrupted hours.
Sorted by budget
Under $20
Open mic comedy, a park kick, the Tan loop, a pub schnitzel night, board game café.
$20 – $50
Bouldering, axe throwing, footy GA ticket, cinema, casual social sport.
$50 – $100
Go-karting, paintball, brewery crawl, a proper steak dinner, ticketed comedy.
$100+
Camping or a weekend trip, day on the golf course, big sporting event with hospitality.
If the group chat never commits
We run this calendar every month
Good Mates Only is a Melbourne club for guys. Paintball, go-karting, footy days, pub nights, hikes, comedy and weekend trips - booked, hosted, and full of people who also came to meet someone. Founding membership is $16/month, cancel anytime.
Common questions
More reading: how to make friends in Melbourne, social clubs in Melbourne and Melbourne pub nights.