All the decades have been done to death. Gatsby-mania is gone. Pirates are passé. You’re fresh out of interesting ideas for your New Year’s Eve party theme.

Fear not. To make sure your party is all anyone talks about in the new year, we’ve put together a list of creative and on-trend theme ideas for your New Year’s Eve event.

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #1: Bohemian Glam

For a truly on-trend, Instagrammable NYE party, go bohemian glam. While greenery and foliage will never be out of style, a 2020 update is to use feathers and loads of lux texture throughout your event styling. Think soft and dreamy, with pops of gold.

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #2: Netflix is The New Black

Binge-watching is the pastime of our generation, but on New Year’s it’s time to get off the couch and into your NYE event. Host a Netflix-inspired party dedicated to everyone’s favourite characters from the streaming service – think Black Mirror, Orange is The New Black, Stranger Things, The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, GLOW, and Russian Doll. 

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #3: Future Fête

We don’t know what 2020 holds, but it’s fun to try and predict what lays ahead. For a New Year’s party theme with a hint of mystery and magic, enlist tarot card readers, clairvoyants, or vintage-style fortune-telling machines to tell the rich futures of your party guests.

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #4: Rocketman

What’s a ‘Rocketman’ theme? Only the best excuse ever to dress up like Elton John. From astronauts and aliens to wild glasses and gloriously over-the-top outfits, there are plenty of costume options for this theme and it really ups the ante on a ‘space theme’. 

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #5: Savannah Soiree

In 2019, animal prints came roaring back into fashion and we sat in the cinema to cry at Mufasa’s death for the first time since childhood. To style your safari-inspired NYE party, look to on-trend animal prints and loads of greenery. You could also use this theme to create a unique masquerade ball theme, with savannah or animal inspired masks.

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #6: Confetti Chaos 

Glitter has always been a popular go-to at parties on New Year’s Eve, but to avoid nasty microplastics at your event, go for paper confetti instead. Serve ‘confetti cake’ or fairy bread and even hire a confetti cannon to go off at the strike of midnight. 

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #7: Time Travellers’ Ball

This theme is the ultimate fancy dress party. Instead of limiting costumes to a single decade, your “time traveling” guests can take inspiration from a person or style from any year past, present, or future. Dinosaurs, ancient Egypt, famous historical figures, and pop icons — the possibilities are endless.

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #8: Diet Starts Wednesday

We all know the resolutions drill: In January, we diet. But it’s December 31st, so tonight let’s go down in a blaze of glory. This theme lets guests indulge in all the good stuff in a fun blowout before their New Year’s resolutions start. Think decadent cocktails, doughnut walls, and fried food galore. 

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #9: A Vocal Affair

People love a sing-a-long – just look at the success of Carpool Karaoke or New York’s iconic ‘Marie’s Crisis’ bar. You can inject this all-singing, all-dancing level of fun into your NYE theme by creating a piano-bar style sing-a-long, a musical screening, or hosting a karaoke party where everyone is encouraged to dress as their favourite musician or character from a musical. 

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #10: Tourist Trap

For a fun take on the classic beach theme, dress your event space as an airport lounge, hotel lobby, or resort bar and ask guests to dress as summer holiday tourists. Think selfie-sticks, Hawaiian shirts, palm-print maxi-dresses, and wearing socks with sandals. 

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #11: French-Chic Picnic

If you’re hosting a summery outdoor picnic to catch the fireworks, try a French theme. Think red-checkered picnic blankets, baguettes, cheese, and champagne. 

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #12: Zombie Apocalypse 

End the year with an end-of-days party. This theme is ideal for warehouse venues or locations that are a bit creepy like old jails or close to cemeteries.

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #13: Ready Player One

This video-game inspired theme invites guests to dress as their favourite game character, past or present. Hire a space with retro arcade games or hire virtual reality headsets for gameplay entertainment. 

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #14: Palm Springs Party

With mid-century modern coming back into vogue, ring in the new year with a Palm Springs inspired party. Think vintage summer glam and classic styling from the 50’s and 60’s.   

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #15: Nautical, But Nice

Hosting an event on a boat or by the river, but want to avoid a kitschy pirate themed event? Try a more sophisticated nautical theme — styled with crisp whites and deep navy blues. To achieve this setting, your event space should look more at home cruising the French Riviera than sailing the high seas.  

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #16: Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

The whimsical world of Alice in Wonderland is always a classic and allows you to really bend the rules when it comes to styling for an event theme.  

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #17: Hamptons Garden Party

A place long associated with summertime chic, New York’s Hamptons region evokes visions of popped collars and lamborghinis by the beach. To inject some preppy fun into your New Year’s Eve event, create a Hamptons style garden party with turf lawn, tennis whites, sneakers, and pastels. With a jug of Pimms on the side, of course.

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #18: Havana Nights

New Years in Australia usually means a steamy hot summer night, perfect for a party with tropical flair. But if you’re feeling like the beach theme is a bit played out, take your guests to timeless Cuba with a Havana Nights theme. Think rum cocktails, latin dance music, outlandish tropical prints, and vintage resort wear. 

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #19: Vintage Circus Gala 

Create a high-class circus for grown-ups, encouraging guests to dress in their finest. Hire acrobatic or burlesque performers and audience improv actors to up the mysticism. Tell fortunes, perform skits, and surprise your guests at every turn. This is a fun theme for a marquee event, but if you’re dressing a venue, be sure to lean into the traditional circus stripe or vintage performer posters for decor. 

New Year’s Eve Party Theme Idea #20: Bubbles & Bowties

For a sophisticated black-tie soiree, try “Bubbles & Bowties”. Guests are encouraged to dress in formal wear for a champagne-filled evening. Mix it up with trendy varietals like Prosecco and natural sparkling wine, Pétillant-naturel.

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