40 Fun and Fresh Adult Birthday Party Ideas
Brittany Barber
Contributor
I know, I know, your first instinct when you try to think of adult birthday party ideas and themes might induce a state of dread. Another year around the sun? Yep, we all go through it. But come on, folks! Another year older is NOT something to dread. It's something to celebrate!
So, gather your friends and family, and get ready to gorge on some delicious birthday cake (and maybe a few birthday beverages, too) — because celebrating your birthday is what! We! Are! Here! To! Do!
Whether you're hoping for an intimate dinner party with a few loved ones, a sunny picnic filled with party games and ice cream, or a birthday slumber party with the gals — pick one of your favorite adult birthday party themes (we're talking trendy disco, western, Taylor Swift party themes, just to name a few) and get to it. Start planning now with these top adult birthday party ideas.
1. Cocktail Party
Get dressed up in your finest party clothes and have yourselves a birthday happy hour. Hire a bartender to shake up your favorite cocktails, or even set up a mixology workshop so you and your birthday party guests can learn how to make your own! Kick it up a notch and make it a Speakeasy cocktail party with vintage decor, and live jazz music.
2. Murder Mystery Party
Who says murder mystery parties have to be reserved for Halloween? If you love a good whodunnit game, turn your birthday into a crime-solving celebration. If you've never thrown your own murder mystery party, check out this guide for tips and advice.
3. Dinner Party
Keep your birthday classy by hosting a dinner party this year. If your guest list is on the larger side, consider hiring a caterer or ordering from your favorite restaurant to make things easier on yourself. It's your birthday after all — so you'll want to keep any party planning stress at a minimum. You can also make it more of a luxury dinner party experience and hire a private chef for a multi-course meal.
4. Outdoor Movie Night Party
If you're looking for more casual adult birthday party ideas, then you might want to gather your friends and family for a screening of your favorite film.
Consider getting a projector for the event, or, if the weather permits it, even setting up in the backyard for an outdoor screening. Don't forget the popcorn and candies (because what even are movie nights without a ton of junk food?!).
Pro Tip: Check out these outdoor movie party ideas and themes.
5. Wine Tasting
If you and your friends are wine enthusiasts, why not host a wine tasting birthday party? Grab a few bottles from the same region and compare tasting notes together while y'all chat and catch up.
6. Or, a Wine and Cheese Party
And if all the aromatic, earthy, tasting talk isn't really your thing? No problem. Just open up whatever bottle (or bottles) you decide to drink and pair it with a few of your favorite cheeses instead.
Looking for ways to create an absolutely epic charcuterie and cheese board? Check out this recipe from Snixy Kitchen for inspiration.
7. A Tini Bit Older Theme Party
Martini lovers, this party theme is for you! Incorporate your favorite cocktail into your birthday party by using the theme “a tini bit older.” Set up your party space like a moody cocktail lounge where guests can mingle for a lowkey celebration. Book a jazz band to play classy ambient music and a bartender to create custom cocktails for guests.
8. Game Night Party
Classic party games like Jenga, charades or Pictionary can always help to break the ice and get the party started. Feel free to spice it up by adding a drinking element to the game, or even setting up some college drinking games like beer pong or kings cup, too.
9. 90s Themed Birthday Party
Do you know what every adult birthday party should probably have? A fun theme. If you and your pals grew up in the '90s (or simply love everything to do with that era), then bust out your baggy jeans and hire a '90s decade band to get jiggy with it, '90s style.
Bonus: Here are 90s Theme Party Ideas for an Epic Event.
10. Escape Room Birthday Party
Challenge friends with an escape room party. You can host this birthday party either at a venue or with a DIY setup at home. Split up party guests into groups and race against the clock to escape.
11. Karaoke Night
Sing your heart out with a karaoke party, whether at a private lounge or with a home karaoke setup. If hosting at home or a private venue, hire a karaoke DJ to set up the music, and ensure all guests are getting their spotlight moment singing their favorite hit songs.
12. Video Game Tournament
A personal favorite when it comes to adult birthday party ideas is to do something that makes you feel like a kid again.
So pick your favorite console, load up on fun multi-player games, and celebrate your birthday with a video game tournament. I mean, how fun would it be to get into a game of Super Smash Bros. on your old Nintendo 64 again?
13. Wine and Paint Party
Host a wine and paint night where guests sip on their favorite wines while following a step-by-step painting tutorial. Bring out the watercolors, acrylics, and canvases, and follow along with a Bob Ross video, or just freestyle it and let the creativity ~flow~.
14. Jewelry Making Party
If you and your friends are into making jewelry at all, then team up together for a day of creating! Whether that means making bracelets out of teeny-tiny beads or trying your hand at making colorful, polymer clay earrings — do it together at your birthday party. Your guests' creations will make for great party favors, too!
15. Reality TV and Drinking Games
Do you and your friends have similar tastes in bad TV shows? Well, I know my friends and I do. One of our fave pastimes is sitting around and drinking every time someone on Love Island does something ridiculous — it's hilarious, and a great excuse to drink a little more than usual.
16. Birthday Brunch
The most important meal of the day? That would have to be brunch, in our opinion. So why not celebrate with a big spread featuring all of your tasty faves, like salmon lox, poached eggs, and fresh fruit? Whatever you do, don't forget the mimosas and make it a boozy birthday brunch.
17. Dance Party
Celebrate another year around the sun with a birthday dance party! Head over to your favorite club or bar, or get your party guests over to your place and ~get down~ there instead. Depending on your venue, you could even hire a DJ or a live band to make your birthday party a truly unforgettable experience. Throw a retro dance party where guests dress in their favorite decade’s fashion and battle it out on the dance floor (who doesn't love an 80's vs. 90's dance-off?).
18. Pool Party
If you or one of your pals has a pool, take advantage of the beautiful weather and have yourself a birthday pool party. Gather all of the pool toys, snacks, SPF, as well as a bumpin' playlist, and get the party started!
19. Beach Party
No pool? No problem. Head over to your local lake (or the ocean, if you're located on the coast) and celebrate your birthday in the sunshine on the beach. You can also host a beach bonfire birthday party with music, marshmallows, and nighttime ocean vibes.
20. Park Birthday Party
Enjoy a simple outdoor birthday get-together at your local park. Just make sure to bring an extra blanket, in case anyone forgets theirs at home. Check out these park birthday party ideas and you'll be ready to celebrate.
21. Themed Costume Party
Everyone loves a themed party! So why not turn your birthday party into a wild costume party this year? Decide your fave birthday themes for adults, like a movie genre (like sci-fi), a time period (hello, Bridgerton vibes!), or a decades (80's retro?) — or just keep it general, so your guests have the freedom to reuse a previous Halloween costume.
22. Bonfire
If you have access to a space that allows campfires, then grab your marshmallows and enjoy a serene birthday gathering around the warm glow of a bonfire.
23. Decades Party
Choose your favorite decade and give your birthday party a theme! Whether you're most into the groovy '60s, disco '70s, electronic '80s, the wild '90s — or even an early 2000's throwback — you've certainly got some great options to work with.
Go all out and get your party guests to dress up, decorate with your chosen era's paraphernalia, and, of course, don't forget to make a bangin' playlist. You could even hire a band that specializes in a particular decade, like:
Or, if you had a specific band in mind that you wish could perform on your birthday, check out an awesome cover band in your area.
Pro Tip: Never hired musical entertainment before? No worries. Take a gander through our tips on how to book a band.
24. Astrology and Tarot Reading Party
Tap into the occults and makie it mystical at your next birthday party with candles, tea-leaf reading, and ouija boards. If you really want to amp it up, consider hiring an astrologer, psychic or a tarot card reader for some professional insight into the unknown.
25. Potluck Party
If eating is your favorite thing to do, then make sure there's a full-fledged feast on your birthday by inviting your pals to bring over something they've cooked. You could even include recipe cards in your invitations if you think your birthday guests would appreciate the inspiration, or even turn it into a cooking contest.
26. Wellness and Spa Party
If you were hoping for some relaxing adult birthday party ideas, then you should probably hit the spa. Spend your birthday chilling out with your closest friends over clay face masks, facials, manicures, and meditation sessions. Choose a spa in your area, or set up at home and do it all yourselves (which is a great option if you're on a budget).
27. Slumber Party
When was the last time you had a sleepover with your friends? Pick a few movies, load up on candy and snacks, and make a fort in your living room to celebrate your birthday this year. I mean, why should the kids have all the sleepover party fun?
Bonus: Speaking of kids — if you've got a child's birthday party coming up, check out these awesome birthday party ideas to make sure it's a blast.
28. Outdoor Games
Gather the squad for a fun day of outdoor games! We're talking bocce ball, spikeball, volley ball on the beach — or even getting a baseball game going, if your guest list is big enough.
Bonus: Check out these 19 Outdoor Party Games and Entertainment Ideas for inspiration.
29. Backyard BBQ
Keep it classic with a birthday BBQ this year. Fire up the grill, serve up some sangria, and hang in the sun while you anticipate that big piece of birthday cake you've been dreaming about since, well, your last birthday.
30. Pub Crawl
Hit up all of your favorite breweries and experience a variety of beers that your city or town has to offer.
If you'd prefer to have your birthday party at home, you can create a similar experience by picking up a few cases of delicious craft beers and hosting a beer tasting with your guests instead.
31. Pickling Party
Have you always been a fan of the fermentation process? Gather your friends for a birthday pickling party this year! There are tons of tutorials you can follow together if you've never done it before. Plus, it'll make for tasty party favors for your guests to take home afterward, too.
32. Gardening Party
Do you have a particularly green thumb? Then why not celebrate your birthday doing something you love? Gather all of your fellow gardening enthusiasts and do some repotting, seed planting, or even some pot painting, too.
33. Crafts Day
Set up a few stations with scrapbook materials, paints, beads, and clay, and prepare your guests for some good ol' fashioned craft making. You can also grab a bunch of yarn, DIY books, and learn how to knit or crochet.
34. Birthday Rave
Glowsticks? Check. Speakers? Check. EDM playlist? Check! Dance the night away with a rave-themed birthday party this year.
35. Color Themed Party
Decide on a color and tell your guests that the dress code requires them to wear only that color at your birthday party. Use it for your decorations, and even for your food and drink, too!
36. Clothing Swap
Turn your birthday party into an excuse to swap clothes and dress up. It's a good way to declutter, and a fun way to give each other mini fashion shows, too.
37. Casino Night
Create a Vegas-style casino night with poker, blackjack, and roulette tables for a thrilling evening. Bust out some tasty snacks and enjoy these classic casino games, in your honor.
38. Camping or Glamping Party
For adventure lovers, a camping or glamping birthday party is a great way to celebrate in nature with cozy tents, fire pits, and stargazing. You can either set this up in your own backyard, or head to a local campground.
39. Great Gatsby Roaring Twenties Party
Bring the glam with a Gatsby-inspired party featuring art deco decor, jazz bands, and champagne towers. Have guests dress up in their best Roaring Twenties inspired outfits for a glam night.
40. Virtual Birthday Party
If you can't enjoy a birthday party with all of your friends physically, don't worry. You can still celebrate. Have a virtual birthday party on Zoom or Google Hangouts instead!
Download a birthday Zoom background, play an online game together (like Skribbl or Jackbox), and even hire some virtual entertainment to get the ball rolling. Did you know that we've got more than 6,000 vendors nationwide providing online services for virtual events? Check out some of our favorites, like:
Have a look through these 43 virtual party ideas if you want even more virtual party inspiration.
Milestone Birthday Party Ideas
Are you celebrating a milestone birthday? Check out these age-specific party ideas and themes:
- The 21 Best 21st Birthday Party Ideas and Themes
- 30+ Creative 30th Birthday Party Ideas and Themes
- 26 Best 40th Birthday Party Ideas that’ll Guarantee a Good Time
- 50 Amazing 50th Birthday Party Ideas & Themes
- The Best 60th Birthday Ideas & Party Themes
- 26 Best 70th Birthday Ideas to Celebrate a Wonderful Milestone
Check out our adult birthday party ideas Pinterest board for more inspiration.
Read more birthday party ideas on The Bash.
About Brittany Barber
Brittany Barber, lover of books, dogs, and romance, graduated from Bishop’s University with a Communications and Theatre degree. After spending some time working abroad in the theatre world, she is now a freelance writer covering a range of lifestyle topics including event planning for The Bash, WeddingWire, 2life and Fluttr, and shopping for BuzzFeed.
