How to Make Friends in Melbourne

Like any big city, making friends in Melbourne can be tricky. Particularly if you’re new to the city and without any connections! When I moved to Melbourne at the start of 2023, I knew no one. Once I started my job a few weeks later, I started to befriend colleagues but wanted to meet people outside of the office. After trying different avenues to make friends in Melbourne, i’ve compiled a list of everything that helped! I will continue to add to this list as time goes on, but i’m thankful to have made some close friends since living in this city by doing the below.

Apps to Make Friends & Online Communities

There are a number of great apps, created for the purpose of making friends. Apps I had success with include Bumble BFF, MeetUP and Friender. I would say the back/forth chat can be a bit tedious, so if you’re pushed for time, i’d join one of the bigger, organised events on MeetUp. That way you can meet a group of people in one go.

MeetUp can be great as it offers such a wide range of activities too. From fitness enthusiasts and language learners to book clubs and board game nights. Finding specific hobby groups are great for meeting people virtually before connecting in person.

EatWith

Another App to consider is EatWith. It’s currently not widely popular in Melbourne, as it is in other bigger cities, like London or New York. But it’s definitely growing traction! EatWith allows you to sign up to meet-ups geared around food. This can range from cooking classes, food tours or even dinner parties at someone’s house! This is a great way to meet other foodies and discover new eateries in the city.

Conscious Connections

Groups like Conscious Connections are brilliant and have been my go-to for making friends in Melbourne! There are a variety of events you can sign up for. From game nights or trivia, to fitness classes and dinners, there’s a range of activities to choose from.

I LOVE their dinner nights! For these, you fill out a form with some information about yourself and your interests. Then on the night, you’ll arrive at a restaurant and be sat with 5 other people who have similar interests. Most people turn up solo and there are welcome drinks included in your ticket. You’ll also get food included and most people go out to nearby bars after. Every time I’ve done one of these events, I’ve had a brilliant night and met loads of people!

Hype Girl Social Club

Another brilliant club to follow on social media is Hype Girl Social Club. They organise events throughout Melbourne to meet others, including their Sunday Social Walks! So great to grab a coffee and go for a walk with 15-40 girls on a Sunday morning. This is a female-only group but there might be an equivalent one for guys.

Feel Good Dips

A third community I can recommend to help make friends is Feel Good Dips. These sessions are held every Wednesday and Sunday morning on the beach. You’ll practice cold water therapy by going into the ocean and practicing gratitude. Along with the cold water immersion, you’ll also be able to practice meditation, breath-work, yoga and mindfulness during different sessions. People tend to grab a coffee afterwards too, so it’s a great way to connect with others.

Facebook Groups

There are so many Facebook groups to help you meet people in Melbourne. If, like me, you moved from another country, check out groups with people from home. Ones I joined for this included ‘Brits in Melbourne’ and ‘Irish around Melbourne’.

Other groups I’ve found helpful were ‘Gone Girls International | Melbourne’ and ‘Friends on Purpose’. Many of the ones i’ve joined are tailored for meeting other women, so if you’re a guy, search around on Facebook for relevant groups.

Housemates

Consider joining a house share, particularly when you first move! This can obviously be a bit hit and miss depending on who you end up living with. But for me, I’ve met friends for life through my house-share and it made the house hunt a *little* easier. The rental market was crazy when I first moved to Melbourne so house sharing was a slightly easier way to get a place. Killed two birds with one stone and now have great friends out of it. The best sites to use for this are flatmates.com.au and the Fairy Floss fb group.

Sport Clubs, Running Groups & Fitness Classes

Sport clubs and fitness classes are a fantastic way to make friends in Melbourne. The city definitely has an overall ‘health conscious vibe’ (much like lots of Australia.) Given this, there are so many sports clubs to choose from. I love running and have found joining run groups has been a really social way to make friends and stay fit. My particular favourite is ParkRun – a free, 5km run/walk on Saturday mornings with group coffee after. I have also volunteered at these and met people that way too.

For those who aren’t keen on running, there’s an abundance of pilates, hiit, yoga, spinning, and other fitness classes available throughout the city. Urban Rec and Social Sport Melbourne run leagues for sports like touch rugby, netball, and basketball. These are designed for people to socialise while playing, so the emphasis is more on fun than competition.

Take Part in Local Creative Activities

Consider signing up to an activity such as painting, dance or theatre. Organisations like The Art Room or The Space Dance and Arts Centre often hold classes where you can meet people in a creative setting.

By immersing yourself in one or more of these activities, you can build meaningful friendships while enjoying the diverse experiences Melbourne has to offer. I’ve loved going to Paint and Sip classes, which seem to be quite popular in Melbourne! I’ve done Paint and Sip ceramics and I’ve done a canvas painting one.

Join a Book Club

If you’re a reader, consider joining a local book club. There are so many in Melbourne – hosted by libraries, independent bookstores, or online platforms. A websites to help you on your search include the Melbourne government site and the Sitchu blog. However you’ll find lots in your just search in Google.

Attend Networking Events

If you’re looking to make professional connections, that could turn into friendships, Melbourne offers numerous networking events across various industries. Platforms like Eventbrite often list these events, from casual after-work drinks to seminars and workshops. For example, I would go to SEO Collective after work (held first Tuesday of the month) to connect with others in my industry. I wouldn’t say I made great friends this way but it did help me widen my network within my work space.

Language Exchange Groups

If you’re interested in languages, joining a language exchange group like Tandem Language Exchange Melbourne can help you meet people while practising different languages. There are also a number of good language classes you can take. A good friend of mine does blocks of classes at Farolito Spanish School and has found it easy to make friends.

Take a Class or Workshop

If languages aren’t your thing, consider enrolling in short courses or workshops instead. Whether it’s on cooking, photography, coding, or pottery, these can help you meet people with shared passions. Institutions like Melbourne University or community centres frequently offer these.

Volunteer in Melbourne

Melbourne has a strong volunteering culture. By giving your time to a cause you care about, you’ll be giving back to the community and meeting people who share your values. Organisations like Volunteering Victoria offer opportunities in areas like conservation, community aid, and animal shelters. Other ones to check out are Seek Volunteer and Volunteer Vic.

Join a Co-Working Space

Joining a co-working space is a great option if you’re a freelancer or work from home. These places often organise social events or networking opportunities for members. There are so many to choose from in Melbourne, WeWork and The Commons being popular ones. But there are lots of smaller, stand alone ones too that might be cheaper and easier to get too. I’d definitely recommend a google map search for this!

Local Cafés and Bars

Melbourne’s café culture is world-famous. Spend time in local cafés or trendy bars, and you might find regular patrons or strike up a conversation with locals. Trivia nights at pubs are always a fun way to meet people! You’ll find most pubs host a trivia night either during the week or on a Sunday afternoon. Some pubs host other nights too, like Sunday Trad Nights at Antique Bar in Elsternwick.

Explore Everything Melbourne Has To Offer

Although this might be a slightly harder route, there are so many opportunities to strike up conversation with people out and about. From dog-friendly parks, ample beaches, markets and the many parks, Melbourne has many public spaces to potentially meet people. I love the free BBQs in many public spaces, allowing you to cook and get chatting to others using neighbouring BBQs.

There are also MANY dogs around, so if you have one, this can allow for easy interactions with other pet owners on parks/beaches

Melbourne also a good music culture, with free festivals and music events always happening.

Cultural or Religious Groups

Melbourne is a multicultural city with a wide range of cultural and religious groups that organise social events. This could be a way to meet people who share your background or values. Look for groups in your area through community centres, religious institutions or social media.

I hope this list helps anyone looking to make new friends in Melbourne. Whether you’re new to the city or just looking to meet new people, there are so many opportunities to connect with others. I have a other guides on Melbourne, from Date Ideas to Day Trips!