Everything You Need to Light Up the Room with a Neon Theme Party
Lucy Murray
Contributor
Dance the night away under glowing lights and let the vibrating music and vivid colors of a neon theme party wash away all your worries. This fun theme is a firm favorite for any kind of event, as its striking bold colors are definitely a crowd-pleaser for photos and fun. Your guests will be obsessed with the vibrancy and liveliness this theme brings to your party, and it’s a fantastic way to get creative with your decorations.
A neon theme party is perfect for a birthday bash, but you can also branch out and use it for a bright and bold bachelorette party. These ideas are full of intense colors, dramatic decor, and eye-catching details, ideal for bringing your chromatic vision to life.
Here’s everything you need to host a neon theme party:
Glow In The Dark Beer Pong
Pull your neon plastic cups out of their packaging and get ready to throw a beer pong game like no other. This game is ideal for your theme, as you'll already have some glow-in-the-dark beverages that you can fill the cups up with, but you can also play with water. Add a neon ping pong ball to top it all off, and watch as the party livens up.
Strobe Lights
Strobe lights can add a visual flair to your event, allowing you to lean fully into your neon theme with some bright flashing lights. They'll create a buzz in your venue, setting up the event perfectly as your guests will immediately know they're in for an evening of dancing and partying. This fixture can illuminate your space no matter the size and truly highlight just how great your party is.
DJ
Hire a professional DJ to make a setlist so good you’ll feel the bass vibrate through your body. Neon themed celebrations are bright and bold by nature, so setting the music to match this party vibe is a great idea.
Pair the bright neon colors and lights with your favorite pop hits and some karaoke classics to get all your friends out on the dance floor. A skilled DJ will uplift the energy in the room and keep all your guests moving and grooving well into the night.
Glow Sticks
Bring your space to life with this fun lighting alternative. It's a simple decoration that packs a punch and is easy to find in department stores. Scatter them across your venue and watch their magic come to life, working perfectly with your party theme. Neon parties are often held in darkened rooms, so this light source is perfect for creating an atmosphere of excitement.
Neon Nachos
Level up the classic chip and cheese combo by adding neon green food dye to the cheese sauce. Guests will enjoy dunking tortilla chips in the neon nacho cheese that will glow under the black lights.
Dance Party
Turn the lights down and let your neon decor light up the room, creating the perfect atmosphere for a night of moving and grooving. Your guests will love a dance party, giving them an excuse to practice their worst dance moves, knowing the cameras won't catch them as easily in the dark.
Neon Accessories
Commit to the neon theme in every aspect with this idea by adding some glow-in-the-dark touches to your party attire. Glow sticks are easy to source and highly versatile since you can use them for decorating and accessorizing. Why not tape the sticks together to create a bright necklace, a cute bracelet, or a funky anklet? This is a surefire way to stand out from the crowd and make a splash with your color combinations.
Bartender
Get the drinks flowing and the good times going with a skilled bartender. As true professionals, they’ll know how to mix up all the best cocktails and keep your guests happy as you celebrate. They’ll ensure your guests don’t get caught up in a line at the bar, saving you all the hassle and giving you all the fun. To tie into the theme, why not decorate the bar with neon stickers and signs to really bring the whole party together?
Food Truck
Who doesn't love getting food delivered right to their doorstep? A food truck is a unique touch to any event and a fun opportunity to try something different. Whether it's sliders or tacos, your pals will love the diverse flavors. These trucks are often embellished with colorful graphics, making them an excellent match for your theme.
Your curious guests won't be able to resist the delicious aromas floating through the air, and it'll be an easy setup compared to preparing meals in an onsite kitchen. Sounds like a winner all round!
Glow In The Dark Jello Shots
An absolute classic for a neon themed party: glow-in-the-dark jello shots. You can trust that everyone will enjoy this party pleaser since they can be made in a variety of colors and flavors to match your theme.Typically, jello shot chefs stick to vodka or tequila, but for a fun twist, how about adding different liquors to create a guessing game for your friends? Brandy, tequila, and rum are all fair game for this mystery. It's portable, tasty, and bright—the perfect accompaniment to your party.
Lemonade
Yellow is already one of the brightest colors there is, but pink lemonade is also an ideal party drink to help capture the neon theme. Whip up a big batch using your homemade recipe or a drink mix to ensure plenty of beverages. Get creative with the flavoring by adding raspberry, blueberry, or mint to make the drink even more bold.
Face Painter
This activity is a hit for a neon themed party, and we know what you're thinking, it's not just for kids! Hire a skilled face painter to adorn your face and body with some funky designs, and you'll definitely stand out from the crowd. To pair up with your event, you can ask or supply the professional with UV body paint to create a glow-in-the-dark experience. It's an entertaining idea that will give you time to relax, mingle and bask in the amazing party you've designed.
House Party
Your own home is ideal for celebrating your big bash in an informal way. House parties are welcoming and sociable, perfect for a neon party surrounded by your closest friends. It's an affordable alternative to renting out a venue, and you can design the space to your liking. Leave your food and drinks set up in the kitchen and your dance floor in the living room, and sure enough, you'll find your guests knocking on your door in no time.
Rainbow Croissants
With a crunchy, crispy outer layer and airy, puffy interior, this irresistible snack is one of the world's most beloved pastry items. It's one of those items that evokes a food memory for many, and adding a quirky color palette to them will leave your guests in awe. Try this delicious recipe by Tasty and don't be surprised to see your guests tucked into these tasty treats when you weren't looking!
Warehouse Venue
Putting a unique spin on a place that is seemingly mundane is the perfect way to set up your neon party for success. A warehouse will allow ample space to mix and mingle with your guests. You could even set up a dance floor if you feel like the night will end in a dance party.
This venue is contemporary, cool, and a blank canvas, providing you with loads of opportunities to decorate as you please.
Neon Jenga
No matter your age, resisting a good game of Jenga is nearly impossible! Gather your friends around your table and test your skills with this entertaining activity. It's a great way to get people socializing as you split them off into teams, and it's easy to set up and bring anywhere. Add a luminescent element to the game by painting the blocks with UV paint. They'll glow under a black light and add to your night's theme.
Toxic Waste Treats
This sour candy is a real endurance test with its unique, explosive flavors and vivid colors. It's a perfect addition to your birthday banquet and will bring a fun challenge to the table. Get your guests to close their eyes, pick a sweet from the bunch, and watch their faces contort in surprise. With apple, lemon, blue raspberry, watermelon, and black cherry tastes all up for grabs, you'll find that while these may not go down a treat, they're a surefire way to get the party started.
Glow In The Dark Gin & Tonic
Gin and tonic go hand in hand; they're the perfect blend of flavors that make for a classic cocktail. So, why not add a unique themed twist to the drink and make them glow in the dark? Under blacklight, these drinks will light up amongst the darkness and match your party aesthetic easily. Following this recipe by Tipsy Bartender ensures your creation will go down smoothly. This mixed cocktail will be fun to make and even better to drink!
LED Balloons
Perfect for your big bash, this light-up decoration is ideal for setting the tone for the night. Fit some vivid LED lights inside a balloon and watch as the magic comes to life when you inflate them. It'll add a sparkling touch to your setting, and you can set them up as a fantastic photo backdrop for your group selfies. When the celebrations draw to a close, if your lights are still shining, you can even save them for your next event. Who knows, maybe some of your pals will steal the LEDs for their own neon parties!
Festival Style
Do bright lights, fun games, and lively music remind you of anything? If you're an avid festival-goer, you'll strive to combine the aspects of your neon party with the touch of freedom and fun that festivals bring. Whether it's food, music, or arts, a festival is all about celebrating something loved by many (just like your birthday!) A fun way to blend these ideas is by creating VIP tickets for your guests using neon paint or paper to add that special touch. For more festival inspired party ideas, check out our Coachella party theme guide.
Neon Paint Twister
This game is a proper party classic, so why not kick it up a notch by adding a fluorescent touch? Take your standard Twister mat and coat the circles with UV paint; this fun game will fit perfectly with your theme. To make it even messier, get your friends to put down their glow sticks and complete the game in total darkness so you can't see where anyone is.
Find more themed party ideas here on The Bash.
