10 Fun New Year’s Eve Party Themes

One way to make sure everyone remembers your New Year’s Eve party is to give it a theme. A themed party engages the attendants from the beginning, and it gives them something to coordinate around. They can easily plan what to wear, and finding the perfect outfit or costume gives them something look forward to. The theme sets the tone for the party and will guide your decorating decisions. Get it right, and people will post pics and talk about the party for years. To help jump start your imagination, we provide ten New Year’s Eve party themes.

Mardi Gras Party

Nothing says party like Mardi Gras, a week-long celebration held every year in NOLA. Get a jump on Fat Tuesday, and throw a Mardi Gras themed New Year’s Eve party. Bring Bourbon street to where ever by loading up on staples like masquerade masks, beads, and everything in purple, green, and yellow. This theme tells all attendees right away that the party is going to be wild, festive, and a night to never forget.

Y2K Redux

Subtitle the event as The Day the World Didn’t End Party. So much mania surrounded that NYE that people barely had time to party. Everyone should celebrate like it’s 1999 with retro decorations and Prince playing on repeat all night. Have the guests dig out their old cell phones, Ed Hardy gear, and Von Dutch trucker hats. If you can still find them, pass out some disposable cameras. This was a time before selfies were mandatory at every event, but the night will be worth remembering.

Casino Royale Night

Make NYE into a casino night complete with cocktail servers, table games, flashing lights, and lots of action. Bring the sites and sound of Vegas and Atlantic City to your party by setting up slots and shots. The games will increase the excitement in the room, and they’ll give people something to do while they ring in the new year. Donate any proceeds from the night to your favorite, deserving charity.

Black Light Bash

Sometimes known as glow parties, black light parties are becoming the next big thing. Set up a bunch of blacklights, and have the guests wear clothes that glow under the light. Pass out small bottles of UV paint and tide stain sticks, and have people draw on place mats, cups, and other items. Use Tide detergent to draw cool pictures on the ceiling and walls to set the mood. Put out foods that glow under blacklight too, like tonic water, pineapple, sliced oranges, and marshmallows.

Single Color

Go monochromatic for the new year—throw a single-color party. Decorate everything in the room in just one color. Pick a color, any color, and go wild with it. Be careful which way you go, though; the wrong color could set the wrong mood for the party. A blacked-out room might suck all the energy out and put people to sleep. A pink theme might trend too cutesy and have people thinking about baby showers. Go with a strong color and drip it from the rafters, roll it up the walls, and cover every inch of the room in it. Have the guests dress in some shade of the chosen color.

Luau

Forget all the troubles of the main land, and have a Hawaiian style luau. Provide guests with grass skirts, and hand everyone a lei when they walk into the party. Serve tropical drinks in coconuts with tiny umbrellas because everyone loves them. People will enjoy a departure from the doldrums of winter, so give them an escape on New Year’s Eve. You can even bring the beach to the party; fill the room with sand, kiddie pools, and lounge chairs. Serve daquiris “pool side” and light up some electric tiki torches to set the mood.

Black and White Ball

Tip your cap to the late Truman Capote with a black and white ball like his in 1966. Make it a black-tie affair, and encourage the guests to wear tuxedos and gowns to complete the glamorous night. Decorate the room(s) with only black and white decorations. This theme is for those that believe in elegance and class and want to dress up for events. Use subtle and understated decorations for the most part, and add just a few gawdy touches throughout the room and over the top center pieces.

Fourth of July

If you live in a cold area and are tired of the cold and snow, take everyone’s mind off of it for a night. Shift the focus to warmer times, and make it all about July and summer. Throw a “backyard” Fourth of July barbecue. Break out the red, white, and blue everything, and serve some hotdogs, potato salad, and lemonade. Put food on stars and stripes paper plates, and pour drinks into classic plastic red cups. Set up some fun games like baggo, and give the guests sparklers.

Roaring 20s

Have a 1920s, Great Gatsby style New Year’s Eve party this year. Gangsters and flappers is a fun theme that people can easily get into. Most men have a suit, so have them find a hat and a fake tommy gun; they’re all set. Women can find flapper dresses at the local thrift store. Decorate the space with gold, silver, black, and white. It makes for a fun and classy night for everyone. Roll all the decorations back one hundred years, and serve retro cocktails like gin and tonics, moonshine, and champagne.

Gen X Party

Celebrate the slacker generation with a Gen X/90s party. Drag out the flannel shirts, ripped jeans, and grunge music for a 90s themed party. If you don’t feel like black tie and dresses on New Year’s Eve, this is the perfect theme to go with. The 90s were all about comfort and the rejection of fashion and norms. Set the tone for the night with a deep dive on some Tupac, TLC, Pearl Jam, R.E.M., and even the Spice Girls. Cap off the night with a balloon drop and the Macarena.

No matter what theme you go with, source your New Year’s Eve party supplies with Amols. We’re the premier source for party supplies no matter your event.