Celebrations

23 Best Ideas for Hosting a Rave Party in 2024

by: Brooke Younger

Published on Jul 29th 2024

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If you want to host an unforgettable event that makes guests feel excited, energized and inspired, you need to explore fun rave party ideas.

Raves originated with underground gatherings to appreciate music, and today they still present a fun environment where people can be themselves, dress up, dance and make new friends — in other words, enjoy the party of a lifetime!

Folks who have never attended a rave before might ask, “What happens in rave parties? What do you need to throw a rave party, and where should you host one?” Whether you’re looking to go all-out by throwing a rave in your town or adopt this brilliant theme for a birthday party, rave party ideas can be adapted to work for all ages, seasons and event sizes.

Plan a playlist of loud music, carve out space to dance and check out these rave party ideas to make the night extra special!

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Best Rave Party Decorations

1. Laser Lights

When it comes to decorating the space, lasers and LED projector lights are a must-have for rave party ideas. For the best results, turn off any overhead lighting in your home or event space, then let the glow of spinning lasers and disco dots light up the room.

When the lights around you feel like they’re dancing, it’s impossible not to dance, too!

laser lights rave party idea — *via Canva*

2. Blacklights

Most rave party ideas for decorations will call for neon art and glowing details, but you don’t have to rely on glow sticks or neon signs to do all the work.

The best way to light up the room and make them stand out even more is by setting up a few blacklights. Guests will also have fun realizing which parts of their costumes suddenly glow when they enter the room.

3. Disco Ball

If you’ve got leftover decorations from a disco theme party, you’re in luck. Many of these decorations also translate well into rave party ideas, especially the disco ball.

If you’re throwing a rave on a budget or in a temporary location like a private venue, a disco ball can be a simple, easy way to light up the room and set the mood for dancing.

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4. Balloons and Inflatables

Balloons might seem like an obvious decoration for any celebratory occasion, but they can serve an even more fun role for rave party ideas.

Blow up a few UV balloons, beach balls, inflatable unicorns or anything that fits your rave theme party decorations, then toss them around the crowd while you’re dancing to put everyone in a fun and silly mood.

5. Glow-in-the-Dark Touches

Now that you’ve got your blacklights set up, consider adding a few details around the space that will look vibrant beneath them. UV-reactive streamers, artsy tapestries, glow sticks, drink cups and more are great rave party ideas that will transform your space into a fantasy land.

Scientific American explains that because tonic water contains quinine, a natural substance from the cinchona tree, you can even use it to make bright blue glow in the dark party drinks or Jell-O!

wrist with glow bracelets holding glow sticks in the dark — *via Canva*

6. Projector and Screen

Projecting a favorite show or comedy movie in the background is one of the best DIY rave party ideas for themed rave parties, and it doesn’t require any fancy equipment.

For example, if you’re hosting a SpongeBob themed rave, play back-to-back SpongeBob episodes silently projected behind the DJ booth to add a fun visual element to your party.

7. Smoke Machine

If you have permission from the venue owners and you’re throwing your rave party in a well-ventilated area, a smoke machine can be amazing to enhance all of your other laser and light show decorations.

When you add fog to the room, you’ll be able to see the path of your lasers and set a more sultry party mood. Some party fog machines even come with built-in color-changing LED lights to light up clouds across the floor.

Rave Themed Party Outfits

8. Out of This World

Outer space, galaxies and aliens are a very popular theme among rave party ideas, and a relatively easy one to dress up for. Think shiny metallic outfits, green alien antennae and galaxy-inspired face paint or even go all-out with a full astronaut costume.

Any futuristic or sci-fi-inspired accessories are also sure to be a hit.

9. All-Out ‘80s

Feeling clueless about what to wear at a rave party? When in doubt, you really can’t go wrong with neon dancewear inspired by the ‘80s to match any rave party ideas.

Start with a bright or shiny leotard or leggings, then add legwarmers, fishnets or a headband, and you’re ready to dance the night away!

neon 80s theme rave party idea — *via Canva*

10. Winter Wonderland

If you’re heading to a holiday or wintertime rave, a winter wonderland rave outfit is one of the best rave party ideas to stay warm and cozy while still fitting into the theme.

Plus, you probably already have some perfect items in your closet. Go for a monochromatic look with a white top and pants or a skirt, fluffy boots, white face glitter and icy accessories.

11. Fairy Fantasy

Any time you go to a rave event, you’re likely to find attendees dressed like fairies, wizards, goblins, mushroom people and more, so don’t be afraid to don your favorite fantasy rave themed party outfit.

Add glittery wings to a mini dress or drape a velvet cloak over your shoulders, then glue on some pointy elf ears to seamlessly set the vibe.

12. Pop Culture Costumes

Dressing in costume is one of the easiest rave party ideas for events that don’t have a specific theme. Rather than a rave themed party outfit, zip into your favorite character costume from a popular movie or TV show. People’s faces will light up when they see their favorite character dancing at the rave!

13. Summer Splash

School’s out, and a summer splash theme is one of the best rave party ideas for adults to celebrate summer vacation – even if you still have to clock in on Monday.

Put on a bright swimsuit or a tropical button-up shirt, then add some beachy accessories like sunglasses, shell jewelry or a cute crochet cover-up. These rave party ideas are also a safe bet for a foam party where things can get a little messy.

friends dancing in a swimming pool at night — *via Canva*

Fun Rave Party Games

14. Neon Ring Toss

Rave party games need to be easy to play on the go, and because it doesn’t require very many supplies, a ring toss game is one of the best rave party ideas for large events or venues.

Connect a few glow stick bracelets into larger rings, then have a few people stand in a row about 15 feet away as the thrower tries to toss rings over their heads.

15. Dance Contest

What do you do at a rave party? You dance, of course! A good old-fashioned dance-off is one of the best rave party ideas to show off your moves or impress the crowd with LED glow gloves, hula hoops, flowstars and more, then reward the winner with a prize of their choosing.

For guests who are a little shy about dancing, a costume contest can be just as fun.

16. Sticker Tag

For one of the best competitive rave party ideas, grab a pack of neon dot stickers, then pass them out to teams or individuals at your party.

The challenge is to put stickers on other people’s clothing without them noticing, and if you notice a sticker on yourself, you can’t remove it! The team with the most sticker victims at the end of the night wins!

17. Laser Tag

If you’re looking for super unique rave party games, laser tag is one of the best rave party ideas for outdoor raves where there’s plenty of room to play.

A rechargeable kit like this one from Amazon can turn your rave into an all-night laser war, where you can split into teams or pass the laser gun along as individuals get tagged out. You could even buy multiple sets to ensure everyone gets in on the fun!

laser tag rave party idea for a fun game — *via Canva*

18. Blacklight Table Tennis

Table tennis is already a fun game, but this rave party idea can feel even more energized when there’s neon lights, EDM music and an enthusiastic crowd.

Use glow-in-the-dark ping pong paddles and balls to add to the aesthetic. When your table tennis tournament is over, the table can also be converted into a beer pong game for 21st birthday party ideas or rave party ideas for adults.

DIY Rave Party Ideas at Home

19. Trade “Candy” Jewelry

If you’re looking for fun DIY rave party ideas at home, set up a table with pony beads and elastic where people can make their own funky bracelets, also known as “candy” in the raving community.

This is also a great time to learn the traditional P.L.U.R. handshake and trade the bracelets you’ve made with friends.

20. Play Video Games

One of the benefits of hosting a rave party at home is that you can enjoy several more activities, including a video games tournament! Listen to some fast-paced EDM music as you and your friends race around a Mario Kart track, try virtual reality or play a dance battle game.

Even the guests watching from the sidelines will think this is one of the best rave party ideas.

21. Silent Disco

When you’re planning a rave at an event venue, you may not have to worry about making too much noise, but how do you throw a rave party at home?

Purchasing a silent disco headphone sound system is one of the best rave party ideas at home, allowing you and your guests to blast music as loud as you’d like without disturbing nearby neighbors.

silent disco rave party idea — *via Canva*

22. Create a Cozy Cave

Raves can be exciting if not a little overwhelming, so set up a cozy room or corner in your home where people can go to relax, catch their breath after dancing, enjoy some snacks and chat with new friends.

Arrange some bean bag chairs, include cozy throw blankets and hang a curtain over the doorway to filter out the noise and lights from your rave theme party decorations. After a rest in the lounge room, your guests will be eager to hit the dance floor again.

23. Host a Glowing Dinner Party

It can be hard to dance all night on an empty stomach, so one advantage of hosting a rave party at home is that you can enjoy a real meal together!

Having a glow-in-the-dark dinner is one of the best rave party ideas at home, and there are even some surprising foods you can serve that glow under blacklight.

According to Science Notes, vitamin B2 and vanilla ice cream glow bright yellow, marshmallows and rice cast a bright blue and even sliced peppers can give off a warm red.

Whether you’re planning a “secret” rave at a local venue, hosting a rave theme party at home or just looking for unique decorations to light up your next event, any of these rave party ideas are sure to be a hit for creating an exciting and energetic atmosphere.

We hope you’ve been inspired by these rave party ideas to pick a unique theme, express yourself with a fun outfit and make thrilling memories with all of your friends.

For even more fun party ideas, check out other experiences happening on Classpop!