20 Epic Ideas for an Unforgettable 40th Birthday Party (2024)

Gather the props and set up a photo booth. Have your friends take snapshots for the 'gram (#40andfabulous). This glittery setincludes 31 funny and festiveprops to keep the fun going.

Convince your friends to dress up in their finest gear from the 1980s and invite them over to a party inspired by the year you were born. Load up a playlist full of hits from 1980 (think Blondie, Kool and the Gang, and Queen) and dance the night away.

Try your hand at these 1980 party games and see who can guess the celebrities born in 1980, the price of common items from 40 years ago, and the answers to other trivia.

Have your party guests sign their names around the year you were born for a memento you can hang on your wall for years to come.

Pizza is always a crowd-pleaser. Invite your friends over for a make-your-own pizza party. Grab pizza crusts (or unbaked dough) from the grocery store, along with a variety of toppings (sauces, cheeses, veggies, and meats), and let everyone make their own. Keep the decor simple with red-and-white-checked tablecloths and paper plates and napkins. Ask your friends to bring a favorite beer or bottle of wine to share.

Call up your competitive friends and host a cornhole tournament! TheCountry Living Autumn Star Cornhole Set will get you started.

Have a summer birthday? Then throw a patriotic party complete with sparklers, an all-American menu of burgers and hot dogs, and red, white, and blue decor. Let your town's fireworks display serve as the evening's entertainment.

Split up into teams for an Amazing Race-style scavenger hunt. Give each team a list of hints to find different landmarks, and tasks to do at each pitstop to earn points (hit up the karaoke bar and sing a song! take a video of a stranger saying happy birthday! go to the thrift store and put together a 1980s-inspired outfit!), then meet up at the end at your favorite bar for a celebratory drink. Losers buy the first round!

Ice cream socials are not just for the kids! Set up a float party with an assortment of sodas and ice creams. Include some alcoholic options for the adults.

Talk your best girlfriends into donning these t-shirts and hitting the town with you for your big night. It will be just like your 21st birthday, except you'll be home by 10 p.m.! Or pair the shirts with leggings and sit on the sofa while watching Netflix and eating ice cream.No one will judge you.You're 40!

Bring the nostalgia with a 40th birthday photo bunting. Attach the photos with removable tape. After the party, the bunting can be taken apart, and photos you want to save can move to frames or a photo album.

Okay, so you might not have a blooming sunflower field at your disposal, but you can drag a table outside, decorate it with vases of sunflowers from the florist, and invite your friends for an outdoor celebration. Get fancy and serve up Sweet-and-Smoky Planked Salmon, Whipped Ricotta and Grilled Bread, and Apricot Sparklers.