Figuring out the perfect party for an adult can be difficult. Sometimes an intimate dinner with a few friends will suffice for a celebration. Other times, only a big bash will do, complete with music, drinks, and plenty of dancing. Well, we’re here to help with birthday party ideas for seven different common personality types.
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The Low-Key Loner
Some people don’t want to make a big fuss. And that’s okay! Of course, there are always restaurants where you can plan an intimate dinner with close friends and family, but we want to offer an alternative (but still quiet) birthday party idea. We suggest livening up the celebration with some simple, elegant additions.
💛 Decor
Why not make the party a more formal occasion? Keep the guest list limited, but have them dress to the nines for an elegant but low-key celebration. Choose an elegant style with black, gold, and glitter for a touch of glamour. Floral or balloon archways are a great way to welcome guests, and they double as the perfect photo backdrop.
🍾 Menu
If your venue is a restaurant, they have this part covered, but if the celebration is going to be hosted at home, consider hiring a caterer to provide sweet, chic appetizers. Or, if you prefer to do things yourself, you can’t go wrong with a charcuterie board. Get creative and make a board with all the person of honor’s favorite foods!
✨ Entertainment
Hire a lovely pianist or saxophonist to create the perfect melodic ambiance. You’ll be surprised how little details like these can turn your low-key, intimate party into a real event — without making it a big deal.
The Partier
Then, of course, there’s the complete opposite of low-key. This is the person who just likes to have a good time. The one that’s always down to go out on a Friday night is the last to go home. Choose a fun party theme, or keep it simple — a birthday party involving friends, food, and fun (and dancing) will check all their boxes.
🪩 Decor
Anything bright and bold will help set the mood for these festivities. Streamers, disco balls, and strobe lights will let the guests know as soon as they enter exactly what they are in for — one heck of a good time! If you want to go huge (and c’mon, who doesn’t?), hire a lighting technician to turn the dance floor into a club!
🫕 Menu
Munchies and finger foods are all you need for this fiesta. Keep it simple with chips, dip, and sliders because these party guests will be more focused on getting their groove on than eating. But some good drink options are a must for a true partier! Hire a bartender to make sure everyone is taken care of. You can even create a custom cocktail named after the birthday guy or gal.
✨ Entertainment
Music is all you need to keep a partier and their large group of friends entertained. Depending on your budget and venue space, you can hire a cover band to perform or just stick with a DJ to spin all the guest of honor’s favorite tunes.
The Artist
If the birthday honoree is an artist — or a person inclined toward creativity and eccentricity — then how about getting all your friends together and putting on a night of performance art? Everybody has a talent (yes, even you), and for your friend’s birthday, it’s time that everybody brought it out!
🎊 Decor
Get creative when it comes to this eclectic birthday bash. Cut unique shapes out of construction paper to create homemade streamers, paint your own happy birthday sign, and create tissue paper pom-poms to add your personal touch to the decorations. A piñata full of the birthday person’s favorite candy would be another fun addition to the festivities.
🍫 Menu
There’s no need to get super fancy for this birthday party menu. If the guest of honor appreciates individuality, then they will love having the other guests bring their favorite snack or treat to share for a one-of-a-kind potluck feast. If your artist has a sweet tooth, they and their guests will love a buffet of ice cream and tasty treats. You could even have a cookie-decorating contest to show off those art skills!
✨ Entertainment
Hire a comedian or an emcee to host your talent show to keep it organized and break up any stage-fright-induced awkward moments with humor. Poems, dances, stand-up routines — whatever it is, help your friend celebrate their day by celebrating art!
The Sports Fan
Go all out for the sports fan by planning a birthday party with a competitive spirit. Reserve a pavilion at your favorite park for a day of outdoor competitions and grilling. Or maybe a patio with plenty of big screens playing live games at the best local sports bar is a better fit. Whether the sports fan of honor prefers to be a part of the game or the biggest fan, we have the perfect birthday party ideas.
🏒 Decor
This may seem obvious, but decorate your party venue with the colors of the guest of honor’s favorite team! Do they love soccer? Football? Or maybe even hockey? No matter what, use their sport of choice to guide your color scheme and decorations.
🌭 Menu
A sporty party theme can extend to your menu options. Fire up the grill and serve hot dogs and hamburgers like a real tailgate. Or take it up a notch and create a fun hot dog or burger bar. If you really want to go all out and provide the full game-day experience, consider hiring a vendor to provide concessions.
✨ Entertainment
Divide the guests into teams and organize games to keep everyone active and entertained. If you’re inside, book an emcee to host a sports trivia night (but be sure to stick to stuff your birthday person knows best). If your celebration is outdoors, set up some yard games or play a light scrimmage. You could also hire a mobile games company to set up something more official!
The Hollywood Type
Whether it’s an affinity for old Hollywood or current blockbuster hits, we all know a movie buff or lover of all things celebrity. If you want to throw an amazing Hollywood party for your guest of honor, we’ve got some great ideas to get you started.
⭐ Decor
Go all out with the glitz and glamour for your birthday VIP. Whether it’s glitter and gold, black tie, or all white, you’ve got to set the standard high. Welcome guests with a red carpet and create centerpieces with faux Academy Awards or vintage celebrity photos. Be sure to set up a red carpet and photo booth so they can take home picture memories as a party favor!
🤵 Menu
The glitz and glamour don’t end with the decorations. Consider hiring a caterer and waitstaff to elevate the elegant vibes and alleviate some of the stress of party planning. Prefer to do the cooking yourself? Use cues from your birthday boy or girl’s favorite movie to create the perfect themed party menu.
✨ Entertainment
Host a roast where each guest gets a chance to poke friendly fun at the guest of honor or maybe an award show where attendees can win awards for things like “always late to the party” or “the slowest to respond to the group text.” You could even hire a celebrity impersonator to emcee the event and make it feel more like the real deal. For the more low-key film lover, you could rent a screen to have a backyard movie night!
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The Bookworm
This birthday person loves a comfy blanket and a good book. Give them the party of their dreams by keeping things cozy and planning a pajama-appropriate celebration. You could even make it a slumber party! These birthday party ideas would be perfect for any bookworm!
🛋️ Decor
Invite guests to wear their comfiest pair of pajamas and bring their current book, coziest blanket, and fluffiest pillow to make your bookworm’s birthday dreams come true. Create an adult-size blanket fort and have a sleepover where everyone curls up with their favorite work of fiction.
🍷 Menu
Pizza and wine are the perfect pair for this evening of relaxation. Order from your favorite local pizza parlor, or get creative with a make-your-own personal pizza bar and sample some wine while the pizzas bake. If wine isn’t your bookworm’s thing, a coffee and tea party also goes well with a good book!
✨ Entertainment
Turn your relaxing reading celebration into a spa party! We can’t think of a better way to top off a night of drinks, pizza, books, and PJs than a relaxing massage. To ensure the bookworm of honor and their guests have the night of pampering they deserve, consider hiring a mobile spa or massage to provide facials and massages.
The Gamer
This personality type loves competition—but the kind that generally takes place indoors and doesn’t require physical activity. Whether it means mastering the strategy needed to win games like Call of Duty or Catan or flexing their brain muscles to win at Trivial Pursuit, they are always up for a game night.
🕹️ Decor
Keep it simple and use their favorite game or console as your decor inspiration. Purchase extra game pieces online and use them to decorate your serving table and stay on theme with color-coordinated balloons and streamers.
🍬 Menu
Keeping it clean is the name of the game for a gamer-friendly menu. Plan on snacks that are easy to share and don’t require washing your hands after every bite (no Cheetos!). Consider a combination of M&Ms, pretzels, and Hershey kisses for a salty and sweet treat that won’t leave a mess.
✨Entertainment
This one may be a no-brainer, but playing the gamer of honor’s favorite game is the best form of entertainment! Or choose a classic party game like Mario Party, Jackbox TV, or a board game competition for a birthday party your favorite gamer won’t soon forget. If an outing is more their speed, try an escape room or scavenger hunt!
We know there are plenty of other types of people in the world. If none of these fit you or your guest of honor, we have more birthday party ideas for adults. Or for the older folks, maybe some 40th and 50th birthday ideas will help. Whatever direction you go, we know it’ll be a birthday party to remember! 🥳
Looking for the perfect entertainment and services for your birthday bash? Book the best entertainers, musicians, and more on GigSalad.
Sonia is a Customer Happiness Agent at GigSalad and uses the knowledge she’s gained from helping both the vendor and client through the booking process to give her best event planning advice. When she’s not at work she enjoys the outdoors, a good book, trying new recipes, and spending quality time with her husband and their furbabies.
80th party for all ages maybe a the balloon guy or a magician
Hi Deborah! Yes, this is a great idea! Having a strolling performer like a balloon twister or magician keeps the crowd happy.
Where did you find this type party. I too will be eighty. Sounds like a fun time. a balloon party or a magician?
That’s wonderful! Congratulations on 80 happy years! I’m sure you’ll have the best party yet. Balloon parties and magic are both some of the most entertaining additions to a celebration. You’ll want to check out profiles of your local performers and vendors listed on GigSalad and see what’s available. If you click on “Get a Free Quote”, the performer will respond with their rates and availability. GigSalad’s booking platform makes it safe and easy to chat with the performer, confirm the booking details, and make payments backed by our Worry-Free Guarantee. And whatever questions you may have, we’re always happy to help!