33 Dazzling Disco Theme Party Ideas for Your 2024 Bash
Throwing a disco theme party is certainly one of the grooviest ways to celebrate your next birthday, bachelorette celebration or dance party, but what do you need to know to plan the best 70s bash?
Before you can break out the disco ball and wow the crowds with your best dance moves, here are 33 dazzling disco theme party ideas to help you throw one far out party.
Disco was a huge hallmark of the 1970s. According to Stanford University, it is “rarely does a dance movement fit so precisely within a decade.” Disco appealed to a wide variety of audiences, from marginalized groups to middle and working class people looking to add some sophistication and groove into their lives. The 70s outfits, songs and moves of disco are now synonymous with the 70s, making a disco or 70s theme party a relatively easy theme to undertake.
It’s one thing to know a bit more about the history of disco, but you might still be wondering, “What is a disco theme party?” or “What is a 70s theme party?” The highlight of any disco party is the music, so be sure you spend plenty of time adding 70s anthems to your playlist. Then, once you’ve perfected the soundtrack for your evening, start planning all of the other theme elements that will help make your night special.
This guide will share food ideas, party decoration tips and much more to help you throw the perfect disco theme party for your friends.
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- Disco Theme Party Menu Ideas
- Disco Theme Party Decorations
- Best 70s Disco Theme Party Ideas for Adults
- Unique Disco Theme Party Outfits
Disco Theme Party Menu Ideas
1. Host a Fondue Night
Before (or after) your guests hit the dance floor, treat them to a 70s inspired fondue dinner. Fondue might not be what you typically think of when you brainstorm party foods, but for a 70s disco theme party, cheese fondue is one of the most authentic 70s experiences.
Not feeling like eating a heavy meal? Make a small chocolate fondue station available for guests to snack on something sweet throughout the evening.
2. Serve Sparkly Drinks
No matter what summer party themes you are planning, having good food and drinks available for your guests is a must. Welcome your friends with a cocktail or mocktail hour, and serve up specialty 70s drinks.
If you can’t find a 70s-themed drink to suit your taste, add edible glitter to your mocktails for a swirly, glittery disco drink without the alcohol.
3. Create 70s Themed Appetizers
What do you eat at a disco party? Draw inspiration from the 70s time period, and serve a cheese ball or pineapple and cheese hedgehog appetizer for people to snack on. This authentic 70s dish is a great way to start the party.
4. Make Jello the Hero
Researching 70s theme party ideas might lead you to stumble on some unique food trends from past decades. While your party guests might not want to eat Watergate salad made with jello, you can still use the jello trend from the disco days in your party planning.
Have jello parfaits as a dessert at a kids’ disco party, or make grown-up jello shots for a disco-themed bachelorette party.
5. Disco Ball Cupcakes
For an easy food idea, purchase store-bought cupcakes with brightly colored frosting and add a plastic disco ball as a topper. You could also make the cupcakes yourself and decorate with silver sprinkles and edible glitter to make them even more sparkly and disco-themed.
6. Peace Sign Cookies
Order specialty 70s-themed cookies from your local bakery, or frost your own. All you’ll need to do is bake sugar cookies. Use a basic round cookie cutter, then frost with royal icing to create peace, love and cookies!
7. Opt for Brunch Options
While it might be most typical to throw a disco dance party in the evening, you could also host a classy, disco-inspired brunch for a bachelorette party or bridal shower.
Quiches were an incredibly popular dish in the 70s, so add a quiche lorraine to the menu and pair with a fruit juice bar for an upscale nod to the 70s.
8. Make Microphone Cake Pops
Every 70s diva needs a chance to belt out a classic ABBA song into a microphone. Make cake pops or cupcakes in mini ice cream cones and decorate to create tiny, edible microphones that your guests can use on the dance floor while they snack.
9. Include Deviled Eggs
One of the most popular party foods to this day, deviled eggs are a hallmark of the 70s. Serve them for your guests to snack on in between 70s disco hits!
10. Serve Disco Fries
You might not have heard of these 70s dance-floor favorites, but disco fries were a staple back in the day. Use crinkle-cut french fries, gravy, and cheese to make a perfectly snackable food option for your disco theme party.
Disco Theme Party Decorations
11. Put Disco Balls Everywhere
No disco theme party would be complete without at least one giant disco ball, but there are other ways to incorporate this 70s icon into your party. Purchase mini versions to scatter on the table or fill a vase, or even use disco-ball shaped cups to serve your drinks.
12. Use Vinyl Records to Decorate
How do you throw a disco theme party? First and foremost, celebrate the music! For 70s-themed birthday decoration ideas, try creating a backdrop of vinyl records for a photo booth, or use record-shaped placemats and chargers to add some interest to your tablescape.
13. Create a Dance Floor
If you are throwing a disco theme party at home, you can still create a dance floor for your guests. Purchase interlocking dance floor panels, or simply create a special area with lights, speakers and space to move.
14. Add Black Lights
Truly amp up the disco atmosphere at your disco theme party by adding black lights and neon decorations. Your guests will feel like they’ve stepped into Studio 54 when they arrive at the party.
15. Amp Up the Atmosphere
To really make your disco party unique, try incorporating a smoke machine or other nightclub elements> Paired with a disco ball, bright lights and a great soundtrack, your guests will have the time of their lives at your 70s theme party.
16. Add Beads to the Doorways
Nothing says 70s décor like having beaded curtains in the doorways. Add a few to the key areas where your guests will be walking so they can have the very authentic disco experience of brushing through the bead curtain on their way to the dance floor.
17. Break Out the Lava Lamp
While the lava lamp trend began in the 60s, it certainly continued into the disco days. You might not be able to refurbish your living room with curvy couches and recessed seating, but throwing in a few lava lamps for mood lighting is a great touch.
18. Use Neon Colors
Bright, fluorescent colors will really pop in the sparkly, black-light atmosphere you’ve created. You can make a bright neon balloon arch or use hot pink and neon orange streamers around the room to decorate and make things feel authentically 70s.
Best 70s Disco Theme Party Ideas for Adults
19. Move the Disco Outdoors
Discos don’t always have to be held in a dark room. In the summertime, throw a backyard disco complete with party games for adults. You’ll have more room to move and enjoy the evening. This would be a great way to say goodbye to the summer before the cooler weather kicks in.
20. Host a Disco Dinner Party
If you’re throwing a disco theme party at home, the evening doesn’t have to be full of flashing lights and neon. In fact, one feature of the 70s that made it so unique was a new level of sophistication at restaurants and clubs.
Instead of a loud dance party, host a grown-up 70s cocktail party with disco playing softly in the background. Create an authentic 70s menu and serve period-inspired drinks. Who knows? It might still turn into a dance party by the end of the night!
21. Have a Silent Disco
Sometimes it can be difficult to brainstorm adult birthday party ideas. Why not consider hosting a silent disco? At this type of party, everyone is wearing noise-canceling headphones.
While each individual can hear the music, an observer would simply see a room full of people dancing in silence! Host your own with a rental kit, or hire a third-party company to come in and engineer the disco for you for a truly professional experience.
22. Don’t Forget Classic 70s Films
A 70s disco theme party can certainly be a dance party, but you could also host a 70s themed party by showing feature films like Saturday Night Fever or Xanadu. Turn the party into a costume party by asking guests to dress up as their favorite character.
23. Include Dance Lessons
Many people can feel intimidated by the dance floor. Instead of waiting around for people to start dancing, have a DJ or emcee on hand who can teach you some classic disco moves. Your guests will get more comfortable with each song, and the dance floor will be full before you know it.
24. Play 70s Trivia
Turn your disco theme party into a competition by asking guests to answer trivia from the 70s. This is a great idea for parties where the guests grew up in the 70s. They’ll be thinking back to their childhood memories to answer questions about pop culture, history and more.
Unique Disco Theme Party Outfits
25. Bring Back the Leisure Suit
Sometimes it can be difficult to brainstorm disco theme party outfits for men, but there’s one category of outfit that will never fail: the 70s velour leisure suit.
Find a costume replica, or go on a thrift shop adventure to find the genuine article. Be sure that whatever shirt you pair it with is unbuttoned midway down your chest for the full 70s effect. You might be so comfortable that you never take it off!
26. Disco Party Favors
Even if your guests aren’t arriving in costume, there are plenty of great options for disco theme party favors, like colored sunglasses, bead necklaces and 70s-inspired headbands.
If you’re throwing a disco party for kids, these can be great ways to get them dressed up without having to don a full costume.
27. Dress for the Dance Floor
Disco theme party outfits for women range from loose, flowy dresses to platform shoes or strappy sandals. Whatever option you choose, be sure you’re dressed to move on the dance floor!
Bright colors and metallic fabrics will show up best under the bright lights. Feeling your best will help you channel your inner “dancing queen!”
28. Break Out the Bell Bottoms
For classic disco theme party outfits for women, try bell-bottom pants or a mini dress with bell sleeves. You can even combine some 60s and 70s trends with a fringe vest and a pair of tall white go-go boots for the full look.
29. Try Roller Skating
This disco theme party outfit idea isn’t for the faint of heart or the uncoordinated. Back in the 70s, people sometimes wore roller skates on the dance floor. If you’re an adept skater, try combining your skating skills with your dance moves for a thrilling disco theme party experience.
30. A Modern Take on Disco
If you’re attending a disco-themed bachelorette party and don’t want to look like you just stepped out of the 70s, use some disco trends to inspire your outfit. Pair a sparkly skirt with a tee and tall boots for a 70s-esque look. Or opt for flare jeans and feathered hair to give yourself a retro vibe for the evening.
31. Add a 70s Mustache
While there are plenty of disco theme party outfits for men, you could always fully commit by shaving your beard into a classic 70s-style mustache. Tom Selleck’s famous ‘stache in Magnum, P.I., might not have appeared until the 80s, but that style and trend was popular in earlier decades, too.
32. Opt for a Jumpsuit
True dancing queens know that being able to move freely on the dance floor is key! For your next disco theme party, opt for a wide-leg jumpsuit in bright or sparkly colors to give you freedom and ease of movement.
33. Don’t Forget the Platform Shoes
If you’re hosting or attending a 70s disco theme party, be sure your dancing shoes are of the highest platform variety. Platform shoes and boots for men and women were popular in the 70s.
Even if you kick them off while dancing, these shoes will give you an authentic 70s look at your next disco bash.
We hope this list of 33 dazzling disco theme party ideas has sparked your creativity. No matter when your next groovy, disco-themed party is, we hope these tips on décor, food and more have given you plenty of inspiration.
For even more fun party ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!
