6 min read

Insanely Fun 18th Birthday Party Ideas

Hurray, someone you know is turning 18. They’re officially an adult now. They can vote and get all the tattoos they want without their parent's permission.

Make sure they celebrate the major life event by planning the perfect birthday party.

Whether they want a big party or a small get-together with friends, these five fun 18th birthday ideas will create memories to last a lifetime.

Let's get into the 18th birthday party ideas.

5 Amazing 18th Birthday Party Ideas

18th Surprise Party

Want to throw an epic surprise party? Throwing a surprise party isn't easy, but we have all the tips to make it successful. The first thing you'll want to do is recruit. That's right, recruiting friends, family, and anyone else will help because much planning needs to be done.

Plus, the more people helping out, the less likely the birthday person will become aware of the party.

Designate specific tasks to people, such as:

Game planning
Setting up decorations
Buying the birthday cake
Picking the perfect gift — *cough cough*, it’s a birthday video gift
Sending out invitations

Planning is key. But once you've done all the hard work, you must ensure nothing will tip off the birthday person. Send guests reminders not to post on social media ahead of time. Have somewhere where people can park their cars, hidden from the venue.

Most importantly, plan who will bring the birthday person to the party. Have one or two people get them to the party location under the cover of “going out for dinner” or “going by a friend's place.”

Have your phones ready to capture the surprised look on their face.

Night Out On The Town

Is that special birthday person turning legal age? If so, then it's time to head out on the town. Why not enter adulthood with a big bang at a nightclub or a bar?

Finding the perfect nightclub or bar to cater to a large group for a special 18th birthday party can be quite challenging.

But, have no fear — plenty of clubs and bars will welcome you and all your friends with open arms to celebrate this special day. You just need to do a little advanced planning.

Celebrate the 18th birthday in style. Pick a nightclub or bar that is special. Here are a few tricks to make sure your night goes smoothly.

The First thing to do is to plan, don't just show up on the night expecting to get in. Call, email, or DM the bar or nightclub to see if you can get on the list, reserve the VIP area, or book a table. This way, you'll ensure that you'll get in.

Second, book a limo, car, or hummer. If that's out of your budget, then make sure everyone takes a Uber, taxi, or public transport. Everyone should have a safe mode of transportation.

Third, have fun. It's such an exciting time to turn legal age, so have a blast and dance the night away.

Disco-Themed Birthday Party

We're currently seeing the disco ball trend everywhere. Disco balls have been making their way back into people's homes, especially with the decor trend of the “melting” disco ball. We see it in everyone's house, so why pump this trend up by 100 and plan an 18th birthday party inspired by disco? That's right — a Saturday Night Fever, a disco inferno birthday party.

Want to bring the disco party to the next level? Why not rent a LED dance floor that keeps the floor glowing and guests dancing all night?

Everyone that you invite to dress up in disco-inspired clothes. The ultimate party necessitates a disco or many disco balls, go and search for all the disco balls you can find. Check out these mini disco ball fairy lights or this large disco ball from Target that you can hang from the ceiling. There are so many to choose from.

You cannot have a disco-themed party without having a disco dance-off. But don't worry if you don't have any dance moves. Here are some step-by-step videos to get into the groove:

What is more fun than a disco-themed '70s party? Take a journey back to the 1970s by having a disco night for your 18th birthday party.

It's time to boogie on down to a night that you'll never forget — go ahead and boogie the night away.

Mocktail 18th Birthday Party

Is the birthday person not turning legal age yet? Well then, don't think about the cliche chips and sodas, instead, have a fun time with a mocktail party.

They may still have a couple more years left to go before turning the legal drinking age, but that shouldn’t stop you from throwing them the perfect birthday party. A mocktail party is super festive. You can even create a signature mocktail for the 18th birthday person.

Here are some of our favorite mocktails:

Transform any place into a mock nightclub. Cover some tables with lovely linens to give an exclusive feel. Serve mocktail drinks in fancy glassware — add some umbrellas or stir sticks to complete the look. Now dim the lights and hang some string lights around the room for a nightclub feel.

Queue up the birthday person’s favorite playlist and have a blast at your mocktail 18th birthday party.

Take a Birthday Vacay

Another birthday means another trip around the sun, so why not take a little trip? A milestone birthday, such as an 18th birthday, means next-level celebrating, and jet-setting is the best way we know-how.

Stay chill and mellow.

Entering adulthood shouldn't be stressful, and you should plan somewhere that will keep the birthday person chill and mellow. So, where better to do than the Pacific Northwest? It's a prime place to celebrate entering adulthood, where you can book them a cabin in the beautiful redwood forests.

Then, take them on a day trip to Seattle to see the Sky Needle or visit Pike Place Market. Or head down to Portland to check out Powell's City of Books, whether they're an avid reader or not.

Have some family fun.

Just because they've entered adulthood doesn't mean they have to start acting your age. Orlando has everything everyone needs to hold onto the parts of their childhood. Go as a family to enjoy Disney World or head over to Universal Studios. Enjoy all the rides, along with some yummy funnel cake with family.

Then, have everyone put on mouse ears and head to the waterpark or drive out to the beach. There are so many activities as a family in Orlando for an 18th birthday.

Party it up.

If they still have a few years until they're in the 21+ crowd, that doesn't mean you can't celebrate them turning 18 while dancing the night away to a favorite song. Plan a trip to Montréal, where the clubs are 18+, and everyone will be welcome with open arms.

Montréal has an exciting nightlife with many bars, nightclubs, and music venues. You'll surely find something that will suit the birthday person’s needs. Plus, breakfast will be easy to find the next day with an array of restaurants to choose from.

Create a Fun 18th Birthday Gift

Birthdays are always a time for celebration! Especially when it’s for someone's 18th birthday. An 18th birthday is a time to get together with friends and family to celebrate and have fun. It's a time to get together and enjoy some birthday cake, good food, and a fun group birthday video gift.

Bring some fun and a few tears of happiness to the 18th birthday party with a fun and meaningful video gift. Celebrate the Happy 18th Birthday with fun birthday wishes from friends and family in a group video gift.

Need a little help with 18th birthday wishes — check out our birthday wishes generator for some inspiration. Why are group birthday videos such a great 18th birthday gift?

“I just created an 18th birthday video for my son and was blown away by the experience! The final product was so beautifully and professionally done, and so high quality — all of us were moved to tears watching it! My son said it was the best birthday gift he ever got!” — Laura Simon

Great question! With our birthday video maker, you can collect messages from friends and family in one surprise 18th birthday video. This means that everyone can join in on the 18th birthday celebration, whether celebrating from a distance or nearby. Learn more about creating your birthday video with our handy birthday video guide.