A great Halloween party needs a few things to make it unforgettable: tasty snacks, amazing costumes, and killer entertainment. Once you’ve chosen your menu and your ensemble, it’s time to think about something to wow your guests! We have six creative Halloween party themes to raise the spooky factor at your celebration this year.
1. Throw a killer dinner party
There’s no place like home for Halloween — and every good horror movie starts with a dinner party where one of the guests meets an untimely end. This Halloween theme can be super intricate or casual, depending on your preference.
🕯️ Spooky Decor
Turn your living room and dining areas into the ultimate eerie setting with tall candlesticks, creepy mirrors, and vintage dinnerware. Drape “modern” furniture in sheets and spider webs for a quick way to transform your space into an abandoned mansion.
Feeling creative? Try your hand at some DIY Halloween decorations to make your party extra creepy.
🔎 Interactive Entertainment
Take inspiration from stories like Clue or And Then There Were None and create an interactive murder mystery party to lead you and your partygoers through a frightful evening of whodunit! A human statue can add some fun scares to unsuspecting guests as they work their way through the party.
If you prefer a casual get-together, you can still add some dramatic flair! Book a strolling table adorned in ominous hors d’oeuvres and “potions” to serve double duty as décor and waitstaff. Encourage guests to wear mysterious masks to create a sophisticated vibe for a killer evening.
2. Dabble in the dark arts
Sometimes, magic means pulling scarves out of a hat. Other times, it means adding something mysterious to your Halloween party theme ideas!
⚗️ Mystical Decor
Use jewel tones like dark blue, maroon, emerald, and purple to decorate. The goal is to mimic the old traveling wagons that carried cryptic characters like tonic salesmen, psychics, and fortune tellers. Use dark lighting, smoking cauldrons, and bottles of colored concoctions for an extra touch.
🔮 Magical Entertainment
To set the mood, hire a strolling magician to perform mind-boggling illusions for your guests. Most magicians can match the event with traditional garbs like top hats and bow ties.
Add an extra layer of mystery with a table draped in curtains for a tarot reader or psychic entertainment to read fortunes. The party-goers will love the authentic air these pros bring to the event!
3. Bring the sinister circus to town
Let the circus take a dark turn at your Halloween party this year! While a carnival can be a place full of fun and excitement, it also lends itself to a creative and creepy Halloween party theme.
🎪 Spooktacular Decor
Plan your party decorating with black and white stripes and muted versions of red or blue. Imagine a 1930s vintage circus with old-fashioned posters for sideshows and oddities. Add dirt and grime to your decorations, maybe even a few spider webs or blood splatters, to give it an extra creepy feel.
🤹 Awesome Entertainment
Your options are endless for a sinister circus Halloween party theme. Forget the cheerful clowns and ask your performer to dress in creepy makeup and clothing. Set up a sideshow where guests can check out acts like sword swallowers or contortionists.
If you prefer to focus on the main event for your themed party, choose a true big top act like a fire performer or aerialist. You can also add classic strolling circus performers like jugglers and stilt walkers. Have them spook-ify their costumes and props to fit the theme.
👻 You might also like: Easy Halloween Party Ideas for a Spooky Celebration
4. Host a macabre movie night
There’s no easier way to celebrate Halloween than to host a scary movie marathon! Choose a feature film that fits your audience. Slasher flicks like Scream and Halloween would add scares and nostalgia. You can make them jump with The Conjuring or Insidious. Or, for kid-friendly options, try Hocus Pocus or even Harry Potter.
🔪 Themed Decor
Once you’ve picked your movie, theme your decorations around it. Think blood splatters and fake knives for a slasher flick or cobwebs and floating candles for a ghost story. You can also use black lights and smoke machines for a general eerie effect.
🎥 Helpful Entertainment
Take your Halloween party outside for a spooky backyard movie night. Rent an outdoor screen and let guests cozy up on lawn chairs with pillows and blankets, perfect for hiding during tense scenes. Complete your outdoor theater with concessions like popcorn, pretzels, and candy.
If you really want to take things up a notch, hire a costumed character to don a hockey mask and faux machete to hop out at just the right time! Or, let your guests add to the scares themselves by encouraging them to dress up as their favorite horror villains.
5. Set up a spooky stage show
Make it a night of the living dead with a hair-raising stage show! We’ll skip the decorating suggestions on this one because it’s all about the show, and we have some great ideas to consider for your Halloween party entertainment.
🎸 Live Musicians
Hire a party band to don fun zombie costumes and keep your guests dancing until dawn. They can probably squeeze in a rousing number of “I Put a Spell on You” or “Monster Mash” to add to the festive atmosphere!
🕺 Thrilling Performers
Create an unforgettable time for your entire neighborhood with one of the most recognizable zombies of all! Book a Michael Jackson impersonator to perform a Thriller show in the street. You can also pare it down a bit if you need to move it to the backyard or family room.
🎤 Fabulous Hosts
Bring some comedic chills to your Halloween bash with a fabulously frightening drag queen! They can perform a spooktacular show or even judge a Halloween costume contest. For a real treat, have your queen host a glow-in-the-dark Bingo game!
6. Keep it kid-friendly
If your spooky Halloween party will include some little ones, it may be best to keep the scares to a minimum. But there are still some great options to add a few goosebumps to your kid-friendly celebration!
🎃 PG Decor
Think spooky-lite for this Halloween party theme. Pumpkins with scary faces, ghosts made with sheets, and obviously fake spiders and bats. You can also make your decor interactive by setting up candy stations for trick-or-treat practice or having stop-and-play some DIY Halloween party games.
🎈 Fun Entertainment
Book a children’s party entertainer to make your Halloween party extra special. A balloon twister can send the kiddos home with a souvenir like a spider, pumpkin, or a black cat. Or, a face painter can do spooky designs like bats, jack-o-lanterns, and ghosts. There are also great face paint ideas to match various costumes!
For the older kids who are a bit braver, have a storyteller share spine-tingling stories in the dark. You can even take the party outside and gather around a campfire for the perfect ambiance. Of course, while you’re out there, be sure to roast some marshmallows — you can even buy them in fun Halloween shapes!
💀 Celebrating Día de los Muertos? We have great ideas for how to throw an authentic Day of the Dead party!
Choosing the best Halloween party theme is all about what type of scares you want to spring on your guests this year! Whether you go with terrifying or just a little creepy, the goal is to make memories with your favorite people. 🧡🖤
Book something awesome for your Halloween party! Find the best musicians, performers, and event services on GigSalad.
Megan is the Director of Customer Experience at GigSalad and has gained 9+ years of insight on what makes a great event on both sides of the booking process. Her favorite things include books, true crime podcasts, coffee, hiking, puns, and making people laugh.