Some great New Year’s Eve party themes
Spice up your party this year by picking one of these themes that'll turn any New Year's Eve party into an instant hit.
New Year’s Eve is a time for celebrating with friends and family.
Here are a few party theme ideas to help you ring in the New Year with flair.
Champagne party with style and grace:
Decorations: Stylish, simple colour and light.
Dress code: Formal.
Food: Light finger foods, fondue and maybe a chocolate/ cheese plate.
Eat your way into the new year:
Decorations: Make it feel homey and comfortable.
Dress code: Comfortable, even stretchy clothes.
Food: Everything and anything you can get your hands on that tastes delicious. The point is for you and your guests to over-indulge before making those New Year’s resolutions.
Flashback the decade:
Decorations: Think pop-culture from 2010 to 2019. What big things in modern popular culture stands out for you? Maybe the best music and movies of the time, or the biggest inventions or social movements. Decorate your party accordingly.
Dress code: Make it fun and dress up to match your theme. Celebrating the year Marvel took over the film world; dress up like a superhero. Music more your thing? Dress up like Billie Eilish, Katy Perry, The Black Eyed Peas, Lady Gaga, etc.
Food: Any modern food will work. Maybe get catered food or baked goods matching the theme. Or keep it simple with burgers and pizzas.
Foam party:
Decorations: Move everything out of the way, get a foam machine or figure out a way to make a lot of foam yourself and spread it all over a room.
Dress code: Comfortable, and something you won’t mind getting wet and soapy in.
Food: It’s probably going to be difficult having food around all the foam, but have a separate room for light meals or takeaways that don’t take a lot of effort to get.
Glow party:
Decorations: Many clubs have glow-stick, neon, blacklight parties already. But if you want to do it yourself, get black light bulbs, neon spray-paint from crafts or party shops and glow sticks.
Dress code: White or neon clothes that’ll stand out under a black light.
Food: Keep it light and easy.
Casino party:
Decorations: Just think casino. You can put up playing cards and other casino paraphernalia everywhere, set up a black jack, poker and roulette table.
Dress code: Formal.
Food: Finger foods.
New Year’s resolution costume party:
Decorations: Have fun with it, look up all the usual resolutions people make at New Year and decorate accordingly.
Dress code: Dress up as whatever New Year’s resolution you’re thinking of making. Want to hit the gym? Get a costume of a muscle man. Want to become rich? Wear a suit made of money (preferably something like Monopoly money).
Food: Anything that comes to mind.
Beach fest:
Decorations: If you find yourself at the coast, head out to your nearest beach where there’s sure to be a party going.
If you’re at home, put up vacation- and beach-themed decorations. Have a beach chair somewhere with an ocean backdrop and beach sand on the ground, if you can manage it, for photo opportunities.
Dress code: Beach-/ swimwear.
Food: Seafood, burgers, pizza, chips, biltong and ice-cream, or whatever you’d eat on vacation.
Board game night:
Decorations: All you need is a living room, a table or two, some couches, board games and some friends.
Dress code: Comfortable.
Food: Light food like finger foods.
Braai:
Decorations: All you need is to get outside with the night sky, and maybe fireworks in areas that allow them.
Dress code: Comfortable.
Food: Lots of meat, chicken, fish, braaibroodjies, salad, etc.
Karaoke:
Decorations: Choose a music era, maybe the seventies, and decorate to that style. All you really need is a big enough space, a karaoke machine/ computer/ television and some friends.
Dress code: Comfortable, or dress up according to your music era theme.
Food: Light food.
1920s Great Gatsby:
Decorations: Think stylish, flamboyant and lavish. Gold, silver and pearls are always winners. If it looks like a billionaire tossed everything he has at the room, you’re probably right on point.
Dress code: Over the top, suits, long, slim party dresses and lots of feathers and jewellery.
Food: Wine, champagne, cocktails and lavish foods like fancy finger foods (Hors d’oeuvres), baked ham, oysters, deviled eggs, stuffed mushrooms, etc.
Murder Mystery:
Decorations: Pick a theme and an era. A twenties-/ thirty-style drawing room or library theme usually does the trick.
Dress code: Dress to match the decorations.
Food: Finger food that people can munch on while they figure out who killed the butler, but that can be put down in an instant if they have to run for their lives.
