250 Unique Party Themes For Adults For 2024
This list of party themes for adults will help you plan the most epic celebration ever! It can sometimes be difficult to plan a party as an adult. There are many factors to consider, from the location to the time of day, to the theme. This list of adult party theme ideas will help you find a memorable way to celebrate. Plus, don’t forget to grab my free printable party checklist to help you plan!
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Creative And Fun Adult Party Themes
I love themed parties. In fact, I never plan a party without a theme!
You may think themed parties are mostly for kids or that a theme party means fancy dress and elaborate decorations but that doesn’t have to be the case at all.
Choosing a theme for a birthday party or celebration can be as simple as having a colour scheme or a type of food as the central focus.
A theme party doesn’t need to mean a costume party. It can be a fancy dinner party or a unique experience.
The best thing about adult theme parties is that they make your party planning so much easier. From invitations to decorations, entertainment, food and party games – choosing all of these things is easier with a theme!
A theme party is also a great way of adding some of your unique personality to your celebration, such as focusing it around a favourite genre of music or film, or a particular decade of fashion and style.
It’s a great way of planning a memorable event that is sure to get guests thinking about how they can make the theme work for them.
Check out these delicious lunch party food ideas and recipes for your next daytime event or these party appetisers! And if you need ‘bring a plate’ party food ideas? Find more than 70 share plates and pot luck ideas for your next event!
The Ultimate List Of Party Themes For Adults
To help you plan the perfect party for your birthday party or event, I have put together the most extensive, mammoth list of fun party ideas!
This is the ultimate list of party themes for adults, with 250 different ideas for you to consider for your celebration. They include dress up parties, food-themed parties and simple birthday themes for adults around colours, music, style and entertainment.
- Black and white
- Red, blue and white
- Harry Potter
- Lord of the Rings
- Game of Thrones
- Marvel – I had a Marvel-themed dress-up party for my 40th birthday party celebration and it was the best fun ever! Epic costumes, themed food and pretty much the party of my dreams!
- Superheroes
- Football
- Basketball / NBA party
- 1920s
- 1930s
- 1940s
- 1950s
- 1960s
- 1970s
- 1980s
- 1990s
- 2000s
- Dress for the decade you were born
- Medieval
- Ballgowns and black tie
- Day spa pamper party – Invite all of your friends over for an evening pampering session. Start off by getting everyone a drink and set out some snacks. Set up pamper stations around your home for different things, such as pedicures, foot spas and manicures or hire a professional team to give mini massages and facials to your guests.
- Makeover
- Rockstar
- Punk
- Goth
- Neon
- Pimps and hoes – We did this theme for my hubby turning 30. It was hilarious and a great one if you’ve got friends with a good sense of humour.
- Horror theme or Halloween
- Video games
- Things starting with a certain letter
- Mexican fiesta – A great theme for warmer days when your group is looking to have a little fun outside with their favourite Mexican food and drinks! Don’t forget the sombreros and Tequila.
- Masquerade ball
- Spring
- Summer
- Winter
- Autumn/fall
- Pyjama party – Dress in your pyjamas for this event and don’t forget your slippers and dressing gown during winter.
- Slumber party
- Onesie
- Taco bar
- Beach party
- Pool party
- Red carpet
- Hollywood
- Las Vegas
- Dress as your favourite celebrity
- Memory lane – Set up photo displays of the guest of honour and possibly even have a slideshow running during the party. Hire or create your own DIY photo booth to create new memories.
- Pirate party
- Disney
- Fairytale
- Cowboy
- Murder mystery
- Escape room party
- Great Gatsby
- Rainbow party
- White party -Everyone wears nothing but white from head to toe. Clothing and accessories, with simple white decor for a classy and classic party theme that suits most occassions.
- Black party
- Pink party
- James Bond
- Mardi Gras
- Crossdressing/drag party
- Wild west
- Super Bowl
- Geeks
- Casino night – There are many different things you can do at this type of party from having a blackjack table to poker games. There are party hire businesses that will come to you and set up a casino night at your venue. Don’t forget to dress the part of a high roller!
- Boardgame night – Invite your family or friends over to play some old classics like Monopoly or Trivial Pursuit! You can also host a themed night with the newest, hottest board games.
- Poker party
- Adult prom
- Scavenger hunt
- Travel themed
- Stars on screen
- Country music
- Rap/hip-hop
- Heavy metal
- Popstar – Channel your inner popstar vibes with each guest dressing as a specific or generic pop star. The playlist is nothing but pop and plenty of bright colours to decorate the venue.
- Movie marathon
- Camping party
- Pyrotechnic show
- Live concert/DJs
- Athleisure wear
- Stay-cation
- Death to my youth party – A funeral-style party celebrating the end of your youth years, with DIY tombstones, a RIP cake and other novelty decorations to poke fun at your milestone age. Popular for 30th birthday parties, but why not push it out to 40 or 50? My sister put together an epic funeral for my 30s party for my niece!
- Pizza
- International food
- Armchair travel
- Disco
- Speakeasy
- Speed dating/matchmaking party
- Truth or dare games (adult)
- Summer camp
- Wine tasting party – You can purchase a variety of wines and do a DIY wine tasting at home or in your backyard! Add some string lights to your outdoor area and have complimentary nibblies such as cheese platters and fresh fruits.
- Craft beer
- Backyard BBQ
- Beers and barbeque
- Cocktail party – This theme is perfect for a night of cocktails, appetisers, light fare, and mingling with friends. Dress code: cocktail attire. To add a special touch, pick a signature cocktail for the event.
- Mocktail party
- Milkshake bar
- Candy theme
- Pastel colours
- Holographic
- Glitter and sparkles
- Unicorn
- Mermaid
- Underwater/ocean theme
- Wear your team colours
- James Bond
- Carnivale
- Dia De Muertos/Day of the Dead
- Dessert bar
- Mad Hatters Tea party
- Alice in Wonderland (or make it a dark Alice In Wonderland adult party theme)
- Ice cream bar
- Hawaiian Luau – Hawai’ian theme party with a tropical twist, and decorating the house like an island paradise with palm trees and fresh fruit platters. The food can be served picnic-style on the ground or in coconuts rather than bowls. Include tiki torches for decorations and cocktails as part of your menu.
- Circus
- Toga party
- Trashy/tacky dress-up party
- Book theme
- Around the world – Prepare dishes from around the world and decorate different areas of your party venue with flags, memorabilia or decorations from different parts of the world.
- Milkshake bar – Set up a milkshake bar where people can create their own custom milkshakes using a variety of flavours, ice cream, toppings, and syrups. Guests will love this idea since it’s both delicious and customizable!
- Gameshow
- Race day
- Cinco de Mayo
- Patriotic party
- French theme
- Christmas in July
- Literary characters
- Chinese New Year – Chinese zodiac animal themes, e.g., dragon, horse, decorations and food to create the vibe of having your own Chinese New Year celebration at home.
- Red, white, and pink
- Ugly sweater
- Naughty Santa
- Black, gold, silver theme – like the rich holiday colours of New Year’s Eve in glamorous cities around the world.
- Karaoke party
- Rock-n-roll themed party
- Dinner party – Break out your favourite recipes and your best dinner set for this dinner theme to enjoy a delicious meal in good company!
- Brunch party
- Pot luck party
- Sushi train – Make your sushi night as elegant or creative as you would like! You can go all out and have everything from wasabi with soy sauce on hand, fresh raw fish, nori seaweed sheets, and hire or DIY a sushi train for the centre of your table. Or hire a chef to give your guests a sushi-making class.
- Geisha
- Anime
- Pop culture
- Comic books
- Famous couples
- Studio 54 party
- Star Wars – Get your Jedi gear and lightsaber ready for an intergalactic theme that Star Wars superfans are sure to love.
- Star Trek
- Oscars party
- Grammys party
- Gangster
- Garden party
- Olympics
- Salsa – Play salsa music and decorate with Spanish flair. You could even get everyone together for a salsa lesson!
- Tropical
- Boho
- Bon voyage
- Backyard picnic
- Costumes and Cocktails
- Favourite things party
- Surprise party
- Girls night in
- Craft party
- Painting party – Set up individual canvases and paint supplies for a creative fun event at home or at a studio. There are many venues that offer private painting parties with wine and food included as well.
- Nightmare Before Christmas
- Plant and sip gardening party
- Jungle Safari
- Gypsy
- High tea
- Minute To Win It
- Glamour
- The Amazing Race
- Rave
- Redneck/Hillbilly party
- Dance party – Hire a dance floor and have the best dance tunes playing for an energetic and fun way of celebrating with close friends and family. You can request each guest tells you their favourite dance song when you send out the invites so you can put together a playlist that you know will get them all dancing!
- Glamping
- Downton Abbey
- Cook-off or bake-off theme
- Backward party
- Wine and cheese
- Royal
- Nautical
- Outer space
- Magic show
- Glow in the dark – Blackout your party zone and add some neon lighting, dance music and have a heap of glow sticks to hand to your guests when they arrive.
- Baseball
- Chocolate party
- Rocky Horror Picture Show
- Pop art
- Coachella
- Seven deadly sins
- Paint the town red
- Shakespeare
- Dress up as your favourite character from a TV show or film!
- Viva Italia
- Hippies/Woodstock
- Race day – Race day attire with fancy hats or fascinators for the women and suits for the them. You can host this party around an actual racing event or theme your menu around race day terms. Don’t forget the fashion parade!
- St. Patricks Day
- Oktoberfest
- Barbie
- Roller skating
- Gaming party
- Project Runway
- Beach picnic – Pack a picnic basket with all the essentials: sandwiches, salads, dips, fruit salad or pita chips & hummus and assorted drinks and head to the beach with your umbrellas and picnic blankets for a day of delicious food, great company and sunshine.
- Breakfast at Tiffany’s
- Arabian Nights
- Vintage garden party
- Kid’s party games – Relive your youth by having a throwback to your favourite kid’s party games with a twist. Everything from musical chairs, pin the tail on the donkey and pass the parcel will get the adults laughing and having a blast!
- Backyard bonfire
- Bollywood
- Grill and chill
- Fondue
- Line dancing
- Crazy hair
- Create your own costume – Guests are provided with DIY supplies such as streamers, balloons, paper, tape, fabric and anything else you can think of and must put together their own fabulous party costume once they arrive. This theme is even more fun if you do a costume contest for all the crazy creations your guests have come up with!
- Love & romance
- Dance battle
- When I grow up dress-up party – Ask guests to dress up as the occupation or thing that they wanted to be when they were kids.
- Rockabilly
- Burlesque
- Reggae
- Science fiction
- Social media
- Dress as the thing you most fear
- Ugly bridesmaid theme – This great party theme for women (or men) is perfect for bridal showers, hens nights and girls night out parties, having each guest find the ugliest second-hand bridesmaid dress they can find to wear for the night. Think lots of tulle and puffy sleeves. Finding the perfect ugly dress is the best part!
- Historical figures
- Zoo theme
- Art Deco: A glamorous and elegant theme inspired by the Art Deco era, with plenty of gold and geometric shapes.
- Mythical Creatures
- Circus Freakshow
- Space Cowboys: Combine elements of the Wild West and outer space for a unique and imaginative theme.
- Classic Hollywood Monsters
- A Night At The Museum: Transform your party space into a museum and have guests dress up as famous works of art or historical figures.
- Cyberpunk: A futuristic, dystopian theme with neon lights, high-tech gadgets, and punk-inspired fashion.
- Vintage Carnival
- Steampunk
- Music Festival
- Film Noir: Recreate the moody and mysterious atmosphere of classic film noir with guests dressing in trench coats and fedoras.
- Fairy Tales Gone Bad
- Back To School
- Haunted Mansion
- A Night In Paris
- Colour Explosion
- Retro Video Games: Celebrate the golden age of video gaming by having guests dress as characters from classic video games like Pac-Man, Mario, or Zelda.
- Enchanted Forest
- Blacklight Party
- Utopian vs. Dystopian: Guests can dress as characters representing either a utopian or dystopian future, creating an intriguing contrast.
- The Office
- Cartoon Characters
- Retro Future: A fusion of past and future, where guests dress in retro clothing but with futuristic elements, creating a unique blend of styles.
- High Fantasy Feast: Create a medieval fantasy world complete with knights, wizards, and mythical creatures, with a grand feast as the centrepiece. This is a perfect bookish theme for those of you who love world building and fantasy novels.
- Film Awards Night
Milestone Birthday Party Themes
While many of the above party themes are fun ideas for every birthday milestone, here are a few extra ideas that are specific to some of the biggest birthday milestones:
- 18th Birthday Party Themes: Childhood throwback, adult initiation
- 30th Birthday Party Themes: Funeral for my 20s, dirty thirty
- 40th Birthday Party Themes: Life begins at 40, death to my 30s
- 50th Birthday Party Themes: Half-century bash, cheers to 50 years, golden jubilee
- 60th Birthday Party Themes: Sixty is the new sexy, funeral for my 50s
- 70th Birthday Party Themes: Golden Years Gala
- 80th Birthday Party Themes: Eighty years young
- 90th Birthday Party Themes: Through the decades
- 100th Birthday Party Themes: 100 years young, A royal 100, century of memories
Planning Your Themed Party
Once you have an idea of what type of themed party to throw, it’s time to plan!
Decide on a date, approximately how many guests will be invited, your venue, and when the invitations should go out.
Make sure your invites go out at least 3 weeks before your party to give all your guests time to prepare.
If you have an elaborate costume theme, you may even want to give them 4-6 weeks of planning time.
Ensure you have enough space at your party venue to suit the number of guests, especially if hosting at home. If your home or backyard area is small, you may need to consider local venue hire options instead.
Then it’s all your food and entertainment – whether you’re cooking at home or hiring a caterer.
The type of entertainment, such as a bartender, a DJ, a band or setting up your own speaker system at home connected to your phone.
All of this should be in progress even before the invites go out, so you can have a stress-free party celebration when the day arrives!
If you’re looking for a way to spice up your next party, we hope this list of adult party themes and ideas will help. From fancy dress party themes for adults to glamourous DIY events and food fiestas that are sure to make the night memorable, there are tons of ways to turn an ordinary gathering into something truly special. Have fun planning!
Have you been to a really cool themed party before? Tell us about it in the comments.
Looking for more theme party ideas and costume ideas? Check these out:
- 133 things to Do on your birthday
- Unique kid’s birthday party entertainment ideas
- Party bag fillers that aren’t candy
- The ultimate list of party games
- Balloon games for parties
- Lunch party food ideas
- Bring a plate party food ideas
I love parties.
We had a Hawaiian party today as it was summer. I made some pineapple sticks, we then did the limbo dance and had a great time as well. There even was a barbecue with burgers, and hot food too. Later on there was several platters of tasty cookies, chopped up fresh fruit and mini sandwiches.
We also had entertaining live music in addition. It was a lot of fun. Someone prepared a few different mock tails and there was also a whole tray of appealing colourful sweets, cake and biscuits to eat. I loved it all. Next time we will try out a couple of your ideas and see what happens.
That sounds like such a fun party! I love adding themes to parties. It just makes everything a little more exciting.
backyard bonfire theme party is such a great idea. I love bonfires and its cozy and just chat with friends and all.
Ohh my gosh! So many ideas to choose from. And I think I already know on what to do on my next birthday party. Thank you much!
@Angel Locksmith, What theme? Can’t wait to hear.