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40 Dinner Party Themes

· Last updated: by · This post may contain affiliate links. Read our disclosure policy.

I appreciate your shares! xox

Browse these 40 dinner party themes; you are sure to find the perfect party idea that is easy for the hostess and fun for all your guests.

different dinner party themes pictures
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What is a themed party

A dinner party where all the food and decorations are made according to one theme. The theme might revolve around a nationality, movie, game, season, or time in history.

Why have a themed dinner party

Whether it's getting the guests to dress up in a fun costume, all the food dishes having a similar theme, or just organizing some fun games and activities, a theme for the party helps tie it all together, so guests have a great time together.

How to host

Throwing a themed dinner party takes a little bit of organization at first. However, the good part about having a themed dinner is it narrows down your choices for what to serve and how to decorate. It also makes it easier to choose activities centered around the food and your theme.

Start a plan, and it does not have to be elaborate. A simple brainstorming session for ideas will get the ball rolling. I have a brain dump page you can download in my free party planner below.

Party planner checklist

Get this Free Printable Party Planner to help you easily throw a fun and memorable party. This planner will keep the process of planning a party easy.

  • Brainstorming and party details sheet
  • Guestlist
  • Menu
  • Decorations
  • Entertainment
  • Day of the party schedule
  • Count down to-do checklist
  • Party space grid planner sheet
  • Free printable banner with letters

You can make these pdf pages into a party binder by printing all the pages, hole punch them, and place them in a notebook.

Learn how to throw a great dinner party

If you have been hosting dinner parties for years or are new to opening your home to guests, you will enjoy fresh ideas and tips on hosting in these books.

What's a Hostess to Do?

Table Tales: Do-Ahead Dinner Party Menus That Whet Appetites, Loosen Tongues, and Make Memories

Good themes for a party

Below I have gathers some great themed party ideas for you to try. From ethnic-themed dinners, sports-themed parties centered around a food type to a few fun interactive dinner parties.

Dinner party ideas

Scroll through these fun dinner party themes, one is sure to be a hit with you and your guest!

Mexican dinner party

pictures of mexican party theme ideas

Let’s have a Fiesta! Go to my Mexican Party Theme Ideas and Recipes. You will find everything you need to throw a great festive party easily. The best thing about this party theme is the delicious food that you can serve at this party.

Italian dinner party

Italian Dinner Party

Get the party started with traditional Italian decorations. Learn how to throw an easy Italian dinner party using authentic Italian recipes.

For dinner serve Ragu Bolognese , Spaghetti Sauce With Fresh Tomatoes, Fresh Tomato Salad With Italian Herbs and Italian Style Stuffed Paleo Peppers. 

Be sure and make my favorite, Italian Herb Cheesy Pull-Apart Bread too.

Mardi gras dinner party

How to Host a Mardi Gras Party themed dinner for adults
Host a Mardi Gras party that celebrates the flavors of New Orleans. Plan a dinner party with these ideas & recipes inspired by The Big Easy.
GO TO THE PARTY

Mardi Gras Party Supplies Set

Speakeasy dinner party

Speakeasy Party Ideas - Our Potluck Family
Fun ideas to set up a Speakeasy Party with a Chardonnay tasting paired with a delicious Blackberry Goat Cheese Crostini appetizer.
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Serve up some steaks with Whiskey Marinade and a Green Jacket Salad. For a chocktail, serve the famous Augusta Azalia Cocktail.

Speakeasy Decorations Kit

Good potluck dinner themes

Choosing a theme for a potluck makes it easier for guests to know what to bring. Try one of these or any within this post.

  • Flash-back: A favorite dish your mom made when you were little.
  • Dinner & A Movie: Choose a movie to show after dinner and have everyone bring a dish according to what might be served in the movie. There are several Disney movie theme ideas below.
  • National Cusine: This is a lot of fun. Try Mexican, Italian, Japanese, German, French, and so forth.
  • Copycat Dinner: This would be so much fun. Everyone brings a dish that a restaurant is known for. For example, my Wendy's Copycat Chili recipe.
  • Tailgate Party: This would be fun to do while watching a sporting event.
  • Rainbow Dinner: Everyone is assigned a color and a course.
  • 5 Ingredients or Less: Simple is sometimes best!
  • Rolled Dinner: Everything must be rolled up or in a roll.
  • Baked Potato Bar: You supply the baked potatoes, and everyone else brings toppings.
  • Picnic: This would be a fun potluck to do when the weather is nice, and you could meet in a park. Or it would be a lot of fun to spread out a big table cloth on your living room floor in front of the fireplace on a cold winter night.
  • Food On A Stick: Corndogs, shish kabobs, grilled corn on a stick, or anything else you can fill a stick with.
  • Baseball Park Food: Anything from hot dogs, nachos to beer.

Tips for potluck themed dinner

  1. Choose a theme that lends itself to easy potluck dishes, and that would be fun and easy for your guest.
  2. Easy Sign-Up: Create an event with a sign-up that everyone can see, such as a text, email, or maybe a signup service like Take Them A Meal will all work.
  3. Portions: After everyone is signed up, let them know how many people their dish should feed. This is a great way to remind them about the party and answer any questions they might have.

Masters golf dinner party

dinner party themes: MASTERS party ideas, with golf course picture

Throwing a Masters Dinner Party with your golf enthusiast friends will be easy with these Masters party ideas. Learn simple decorating tips, ideas for what to wear, and recipes to help you serve traditional foods from the Masters.

Serve famous recipes from Augusta.

Farm to table dinner party

An Intimate Farm to Table Dinner Party
Learn how to set a beautiful table and decorate your backyard so guests feel welcome. Then have each guest bring a dish with ingredients grown locally for an easy potluck dinner.
GO TO THE PARTY
Farm to Table Dinner
This gorgeous farm to table dinner highlights using fresh produce as decor to set the mood for dinner. So many cute ideas that you could recreate at your own party.
GO TO THE PARTY

Farm to Table Home Decorative Table Cover

Gameday dinner party

game day party food bar food ideas

Host a Game Day Dinner Party when the next big game comes on TV. These game day party food bars are fun and easy to feed a crowd while watching your favorite team play. Get tips for decorating, setting up a foobar, and recipe ideas for the next big game day.

Breakfast dinner parties

Biscuit Bar
Set up a biscuit bar as part of a breakfast for dinner theme. It's easy for your guest to help themselves. The best part is, you can have it all set up before guests arrives for dinner.
GO TO THE PARTY
Waffle Bar Ideas and Recipes - Moms & Munchkins
A waffle bar is a great buffet idea for breakfast, brunch or dessert! Here are some ideas for setting up your buffet, waffle recipes to serve, and more!
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Try these breakfast cookies or this Oatmeal Breakfast Bread. How about a CBD Smoothie bowl?

Backyard dinner parties

dinner party themes: backyard dinner party food and decorating pictures

Create a fun and easy outdoor party with these healthy Backyard Dinner Party Ideas and decorating tips. It's an easy casual dinner party that your friends and family will enjoy.

Summer Seafood Boil Party
Summer isn’t complete until we’ve hosted or attended a Summer Seafood Boil. Get ready for a lip smackin’, crawfish crackin’ good time!
GO TO THE PARTY
Backyard Luau Menu Plan - House of Nash Eats
The end of Summer calls for a celebration and I’ve got a great Backyard Luau Menu Plan for an easy and fun Hawaiian-inspired party!
GO TO THE PARTY
A Bohemian Backyard Dinner Party
Sometimes the best nights out are the nights we stay in. Today, Houston calligrapher Meg Grant is sharing her recent backyard dinner party with us. She handcrafted everything from the invitations and place cards, to the menus and bar signage. Scroll down...
GO TO THE PARTY
IDEAS FOR HOSTING A BACKYARD TROPICAL THEMED DINNER PARTY THIS SUMMER | Design by Occasion
DESTINATION: THE TROPICS - DISCOVER EVERYTHING YOU NEED FOR A COLORFUL DINNER GATHERING AT HOME
GO TO THE PARTY
Outdoor Dinner Party | Summer Entertaining
How to host a summer outdoor dinner party with invitations, decorating tips, and recipes.
GO TO THE PARTY

Soup party

dinner party themes: soup party set up on a bar area

 Tomkat shares tips on hosting a fun and fabulous Soup Party complete with an array of soup flavors, toppings, appetizers, + dessert (of course). Try some of these Reader's Favorite Soup Recipes.

Murder mystery dinner

How to Host a Murder Mystery Dinner at Home While Maintaining Social Distancing
Here’s how to plan a murder mystery dinner party all from picking a theme and assigning roles to the guests.
GO TO THE PARTY
How to Host a Murder Mystery Dinner Party • Endless Bliss
Get your friends together for a Murder Mystery Dinner Party! This post has everything you need to throw a successful Murder Mystery Dinner Party.
GO TO THE PARTY

Murder Mystery Party

Everything you need for throwing an unforgettable dinner party, including recipes, place cards, and a well-thought out murder. This entertaining kit is wonderful for breaking the ice between new friends or adding a new angle to a gathering of old buddies, setting the stage for each guest to play a role as a suspect in a mystery set in California wine country. Kit includes a party planner including a menu with themed recipes, music and decorating tips, eight place cards, and invitations, and booklets for all suspects including their roles and background information. The mystery unfolds along with your evening, with a CD that gets things rolling and six secret clues you reveal along the way. Six to eight players.

Chili cook off dinner

Hosting a chili dinner is a great opportunity to have a chili cook-off. Have all your guests bring a small pot of their best chili recipe. Pick some judges and award prizes for the best tasting, spiciest, and most unique. This would be so much fun and easy on the hostess.

For some unique chili ideas that are sure to be a winner try one of these.

Exactly How to Set Up a Chili Bar
My best tips to set up a chili bar with all the fixings. Turn slow cooker chili into toppings for fries, hot dogs, nachos & MORE! An easy party idea at home
GO TO THE PARTY
EPIC Chili Dinner Board
Great party idea! Set up a chili dinner board. Your guest will think you are so smart.
GO TO THE PARTY
How to host a crowd pleasing Chili Bar
How to host a crowd-pleasing Chili Bar for a winter party.
GO TO THE PARTY

Chili Cook Off Wood Spoon Prizes

Red Green and Yellow Chili Pepper Lights

Holiday themed dinner party

Try some Thanksgiving Cranberry Brownies or a delicious, creamy pumpkin vegan cheesecake recipe.

Thankful for Leftovers and Game Night Party - Liz and Ryan
If you are hosting Thanksgiving and you are anything like us, then you will most likely end up with a ton of leftovers. This year we wanted to be creative and think of a fun way to share our leftovers. So we came up with a Leftovers Game Night Dinner Party for our friends that you can create too.
GO TO THE PARTY

Shushi party

How to Throw a Homemade Sushi Party
When food-loving friends get together to chip in on a gourmet meal, magical things can happen. Dinner parties are a great way to have champagne caliber fun on a beer budget. One of the my favorite foods is sushi, which also happens to be seriously expensive. When an intense craving hit me recently, …
GO TO THE PARTY
A Guide on How to Host a Sushi Party • Just One Cookbook
A comprehensive guide to host a sushi party. Learn how to make sushi rice, selection of sushi to serve, equipment, snack & beverage ideas and many other useful tips for a successful sushi feast.
GO TO THE PARTY

Sushi Paper Party Supplies

Moroccan dinner party

Moroccan Dinner Party Menu - What’s Gaby Cooking
Grab the full Moroccan Dinner Party Menu here including appetizers, mains, sides, drinks and of course dessert! Everything you could need for a soiree!
GO TO THE PARTY

 Bohemian backyard dinner party

How To Plan A Bohemian Backyard Dinner Party - Sanctuary Home Decor
Everything you need to know to plan a beautiful Bohemian Backyard Dinner Party - Tips and ideas for setting the perfect table and wowing your guests!
GO TO THE PARTY

DIY pizza party

How to Host a Picture Perfect Pizza Party - The Defined Dish
I just love hosting a good dinner party. Friends, good food, and great wine all in the comfort of your own home where you can really enjoy each others company… it just doesn’t get much better than that to me! Entertaining can be stressful and overwhelming. What should I cook? How do I make it look p…
GO TO THE PARTY
How to Throw a Homemade Pizza Party • The Pinning Mama
Are you looking for an excuse to get together with your friends? Learn how to throw a homemade pizza party with these simple tips. It’s a fun, easy, and kid-approved! Hi, it’s Ginnie from Hello Little Home! I’m excited to be back and talking about one of my favorite foods: pizza. It’s a meal that ..…
GO TO THE PARTY

Pizza Pennant 

Pizza Party Dinner Pack

Casino Theme Party Decorations

French inspired dinner party

dinner party themes, french theme with cheese and figs and wine

The Blond Abroad has all the details that will help you throw a French-inspired Dinner Party. Everything from music, lighting, decor, and recipes.

How to host an EASY 5 Course French Dinner Party
Host an easy and almost effortless 5 course french meal - a complete menu with wine pairings for each course! You didn’t know entertaining was this easy!
GO TO THE PARTY
FIVE TIPS FOR A CASUAL FRENCH DINNER PARTY - Classic Casual Home
Bonjour from Paris! If you follow me on Instagram, you know what I am up to! This seems like an appropriate time to tell you about a casual, French dinner party that we hosted recently in San Francisco. Please ignore my “Franglish” on Howard’s menu (he did the cooking)....Read More »
GO TO THE PARTY

France Flags Banner

Eiffel Tower Backdrop

Wine and dine paring menu

Festive Winter Wine Dinner at Home | Cooking Chat
Create a special elegant evening without going to a restaurant. Try this festive, three-course dinner with wine pairings for each course. Cheers!
GO TO THE PARTY

Virtual dinner party

How to Host a Virtual Dinner Party: 11 Proven Tips and Tricks
Looking for something fun to do? Why not host a virtual dinner party? Gather family and friends from far away and enjoy your time together with these tips!
GO TO THE PARTY

Disney dinner parties

Beauty and the Beast Dinner Party - Raising Whasians
Hungry for Disney? Grab your Beauty and the Beast Dinner Party Ideas from our night at Williams Sonoma, featuring the limited edition Le Creuset Soup Pot
GO TO THE PARTY
Alice in Wonderland Dinner Party
A Mad Hatter-inspired garden party Of all the Disney Dinners, I spent the most time planning Alice in Wonderland. It’s funny that I was so excited about it since I am really not a huge fan of the film or book but I’ve always loved the idea of Wonderland. I hosted Disney Dinners: Alice in... Read Mor…
GO TO THE PARTY
Mary Poppins Returns Dinner Party
An easy menu inspired by English tea and served in a colorful London park setting “Everything is possible. Even the impossible.” – Mary Poppins I couldn’t even tell you how many times I watched Mary Poppins growing up. Rather than remaking the classic, Disney continued the story in 2018 with a brand…
GO TO THE PARTY

Winter dinner party theme

Cozy & Chic Winter Dinner Party | Kara’s Party Ideas
Though the snow may or may not be fallin’ this Cozy & Chic Winter Dinner Party by Chelsey Flint of Chelsey Flint Events, out of Oklahoma City, is definitely callin’! Showcasing soft whites with accents of golds and silver, this celebration is sure to deliver! So cozy in and take a look and warm up…
GO TO THE PARTY

Design a menu that has only white foods served on black dishes like this White Gouda Mac n Cheese and these  Copycat Starbucks Madeleines

60 Pack Winter Wonderland Snowflake

Winter Party Supply Pack

Valentines dinner

Valentines is a time of sweet indulgences, however, if you want to serve something sweet and more on the healthy side then try these vegan dark chocolate strawberry tarts. They have the perfect combination of fresh fruity strawberries and rich dark chocolate and are gluten-free, with no refined sugars or dairy

Italian Cannoli Dream Valentine’s Day Party | Kara’s Party Ideas
This post is sponsored by International Delight. All opinions are real and my very own. On more than one occasion I have been told that I am impulsive. And, in reality, it’s true. I crave deviation from normalcy, I love spontaneity, and I just can’t be content with the mundane. I suppose it is pa…
GO TO THE PARTY
Our Love is Sizzlin’ Dinner Party & Dirty Cupid Game - Fantabulosity
Our Love is Sizzlin’ Dinner Party & Dirty Cupid Game: A romantic and fun party idea for adults, and a fun adult party game idea!
GO TO THE PARTY

More Party Theme Ideas For Adults

You might also enjoy Best Party Themes For Adults and 20 Fun Build Your Own Food Bar Ideas. For easy party food visit 60 Meatball Appetizer Recipe For A Party and Cheap Party Finger Food.

I appreciate your shares! xox

About Gina

Hey y'all, I am here to help you build community and nurture faith around your table. You will find fun party ideas and delicious recipes for easy-to-make meals and party food. I want to help you create a table where people come together, enjoy a meal and linger with good conversation.

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