Date night or drink with friends ?

This is my first time doing this on here but I need some advice. My boyfriend and I haven’t went out on date night with just us alone in a long time. I was planning on surprising him this Saturday going to to a hibachi place and then going ice skating after. When I told him that I wanted to take him out and surprise him he immediately shut me down and said that he is going to his friends house to drink. I don’t like his friends and how that act but he gets so defensive about it. I’m not that kind of gf that doesn’t let him do anything but I just want this day to be about us and to reconnect..