How to Rock an 80s Theme Party

Calling on Everyone Secretly Stuck in the 80s

The 80s decade is a distinctively memorable time in history. It was an era of extravagance, bright colours, and some great music. An 80s theme party is an easy and popular way to step back a few decades, break out the boombox, and live it up in the way that only the 80s can. If this is a decade you’d happily revisit, then get ready to plan a stellar 80s party!

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How to Throw an 80s Theme Party

1. Rewind Back to the 80s with Retro Décor

An 80s-garbed young woman in large sunglasses, bangs, and side ponytail with scrunchie poses next to a CRT TV — Photo by Billy Van Tran

Time to get colourful! Whether you embrace a video game/Rubik’s cube primary colour palate or a pastel blue/pink block colour bliss, you’ll know you’ve decorated successfully when someone walks in and immediately knows they’re at an 80s theme party. Decorating can be so much fun, especially when you love the materials! Here are some fun 80s themed supplies to take everyone back:

Close-up photo of two cassette tapes lying on top of one another, one green and one white, against a pink background — Photo by Nik

2. Prepare Popular 80s Party Refreshments

Food is a great way to bring your guests back to the 80s via their tastebuds! There are many easy dishes you can serve that were big during this decade, as you’ll see in the list below. Keep in mind that health wasn’t a mainstream concern in the 80s. So don’t expect much in the way of nutrition, but do expect plenty of tastiness with these 80s-inspired recipes:

3. Play a Comprehensive 80s Party Music Playlist

A man wears an 80s-style light blue and pink-striped short-sleeved romper while holding a boombox on his shoulder, ready to bring the old school jams to an 80s theme party — Photos by Kraken Images and Mart Production

A couple of VHS tapes lay on a wood table next to a bowl of popcorn, a glass bottle of orange soda, a couple of Solo cups, and some retro video games — Photos by Kraken Images and Mart Production

Let’s face it: an 80s party is all about the music. We love the bright, happy colours, and we can enjoy some of those delicious food combinations. But it isn’t an 80s theme party without the music! You could stick to one genre (such as new wave, for example) or play a mix of everything with an 80s hits playlist. For ideas to start making your 80s playlist, here are some (but not all!) of the musicians and bands that were big in the 80s:

4. Plan 80s Theme Party Games

Close-up photo of a colourful keyboard with keys in different pastel colours — Photo by Girl with red hat

Time for fun and games! If anybody has trouble opening up or shaking off stress from the day/week/month, the printable/downloadable 80s-themed games below are a great way for guests to get their head out of their worries and into the 80s. These activities are also helpful for more introverted guests, or if intriguing conversations aren’t flowing as organically:

5. Invite Guests to Dress Up

Person wearing a denim jacket over a casual red collared button-down shirt and glasses with a big 80s-style mullet — Photos by Rifqi Ali Ridho and Vika Glitter

A young woman wears a yellow Pacman leotard with a large black belt, silver metallic leggings, black strapped stilettos, a bright yellow jacket, and a colourful beaded necklace, while posing over a large black box and holding a Rubik's cube-style handbag — Photos by Rifqi Ali Ridho and Vika Glitter

When you initially invite guests, encourage them to adhere to a strict 80s dress code when they attend! Whether men wear scandalously short shorts or glam rock eyeliner, there are many ways to dress 80s. Wear paint-splattered leggings. Sport a colourful bomber jacket. Show off your sexy shoulders with some sparkle shoulder pads. For even a basic look, all it takes is a visit to your local thrift store!

Checklist of Items You Need

Now that we’ve covered what you’ll need to do for an 80s theme party, here is a list of all the tangible items you may need to acquire for it:

80s party decorations
Popular 80s food
Drinks
80s music
80s theme party games
80s party outfit

An 80s theme party jacket hung on a wall lined with green interior and styled with a green, pink, and yellow floral print — Photos by Girl with red hat and Ron Lach

A group of women wear bright and pastel-coloured spandex leotards over leggings with quintessential 80s-striped socks and white sneakers, posing in an aerobics class — Photos by Girl with red hat and Ron Lach

Preparation Checklist for Your 80s Theme Party

Most of these steps for party preparation apply to any type of party you host. So while we covered 80s-specific details and ideas above, below are basic party planning guidelines to neatly order each step of the process (you can find more thorough details in the Best Party Practices posts):

1. First, confirm that people can come on any chosen date

Choose party date/time, and preferably alternative date(s) as well
Choose guest list and establish minimum number of guests you’d like (to make it worth your effort)
Six weeks out, confirm guests’ interest in the party and availability on chosen party date(s). The only details you’ll need to share at this time include what type of party it will be (80s-themed); any requested participation (80s outfit); party date and general time of day; and your address
This first step is just to get people to confirm that, barring unforeseen circumstances, they are able and willing to attend and will save the date to do so. If your preferred minimum number of guests confirm interest and availability, have them secure the calendar date for your awesome 80s theme party!

A woman wears bright blue headphones and leans over a man's shoulders who holds a boombox on his shoulder, all set for an 80s theme party — Photo by Yaritza

2. Then, proceed with the fun planning

Once you have your 80s party date established, you first need to get out your calendar and map out when you plan to do every step of preparation. Here’s a general overview of what you can expect to do leading up to the party:

First, sit down and schedule time on your calendar for each step of party prep as listed below
Create invitations with all the details and send them out 4 weeks before the party
Order any party supplies and decorations 3 weeks out (so they arrive in time to set up)
Shop for any party supplies/decorations you don’t order online, as well as non-perishable food/drinks
Acquire perishable food/drinks early enough in advance to prepare in time
Set up decorations
Prepare food/drinks (depending on how long things keep)

Close-up photo of oil in water with oil drops in different bright 80s colours of yellow, blues, oranges, etc. — Photo by Dustin Humes

3. Day of Party

It’s important to get as much party prep done far enough in advance that you have some time to yourself to relax come party day, especially if you’ve been busy. So be sure to plan your day-of-party preparations early enough to have that time and space to yourself as well. Within those amply planned/set-aside time slots, you can expect to do these preparations during the day of your party:

Complete any last-minute food/drink prep that are too fresh to do any earlier
Set up any quick/easy last-minute supplies and decorations (if not up already)
Prepare your amazing 80s playlist
Get dressed with plenty of time in your favourite 80s outfit
Once everything’s ready, take the time to do any preferred self-care activities that get you in a good head space if you aren’t already. This is in your own and everybody else’s best interest (they’ll pick up on your contagiously good vibe)! You want to be a relaxed, energized, and happy host, ready to rock the 80s!

Vivid coloured paper triangles arranged over a black background — Photo by Katie Rainbow 🌈

All Set to Host a Terrific 80s Theme Party

Every part of the party planning process is meant to be enjoyable – from planning the menu to putting up decorations. The way to be a good host is to put thought and care into party preparation while also keeping a flexible approach that allows grace for unexpected surprises. At the end of the day, the goal is for you and your guests to have a good time – regardless of how everything pans out. So just do what you can, enjoy the process, and party on 80s-style!