Trying to think of the perfect way to celebrate a major milestone birthday? It might be yours, your partner’s, your parents, your best friend’s… whatever it might be, we could all use a little inspiration! Here are some great inspiration for 40th birthday party ideas that are sure to be a hit.
1. Casino party
OK full disclosure – we’re biased on this one. Of course we think a casino party is a great idea: after all, they’re what we do every day. So we’ll cover them off first. But hear us out! We may be biased, but there’s a whole range of reasons why casino themed parties are fantastic choices for your 40th birthday party.
Interactive entertainment, based around games that people have been enjoying for decades, is what casino parties are all about. Rather than just standing around making small talk and drinking, your guests have a natural focal point in the fun casino tables. The tables encourage people to gather around and share in the experience – time and time again we’ve seen even complete strangers laughing and joining in the fun as they play side by side. It’s the perfect ice-breaker, in many ways
The beauty of a fun casino too is that is appeals to people of all ages and backgrounds. It doesn’t matter if someone is 18 and has never been to a real casino before, or if they’re 80 and have been going to the casino regularly for years. A fun casino doesn’t use any real money, so nobody has any risk of going broke, and our croupiers are experts at getting everyone involved and making sure they’re having a great time. Games like blackjack, roulette, the big wheel and even poker can be learned in the space of a couple of minutes so it doesn’t matter if people haven’t played them before.
Casino parties lend themselves to a range of themes, from James Bond and Casino Royale, to Las Vegas, prohibition, Monte Carlo, cruise ships and any number of others. So you can dress it up in black tie, go fancy or go casual and still be a perfect fit. And it’s a versatile party that comes to you, whether you’re having the party at home, in a hall or in a commercial venue.
Long story short with a casino party your guests will be giving you rave reviews before the night is even half done, telling you how much fun they’re having and what a great party it is. We’ve done over 3,000 of these events and we guarantee those results.
2. Have a boat party!
What is it real estate agents are always saying? Location, location, location! Where you have your party can make a huge difference to its impact, and in terms of a “wow” factor, boats have to be right up there. Breathtaking views, the smell of the sea air, city lights reflecting off the water and the novelty of the setting will all lend a special shine to your party, making it a real night to remember.
The great thing about having your party on a boat is that you can usually find something to fit groups of all sizes – from a small group of friends on a dinner cruise, up to a few hundred people on a larger boat. It all makes for a memorable night. Formal sit-down dinners, casual cocktail-style affairs, there are vessels that can cater to just about everything.
If you’re interested in having a 40th birthday party in Melbourne on a boat, make sure you check out our friends at Magic Charters and Victoria Star.
3. Surprise party
So this won’t work if you’re organising your own party. But if you’re looking for a great idea for someone else’s 40th birthday, the surprise party is an all-time classic that always gets a reaction!
There’s a few things that will make it easier to organise a surprise party. The first is a venue somewhere other than where the birthday boy or girl lives. Trying to come up with excuses to get them out of the house so everything can be set up can be difficult! Though it’s not impossible –we’re up for a challenge if you are ????
You’ll need a way of organising the party that’ll keep things secret from the person too. If you use a shared home email account you might want to consider setting up a separate webmail account just for organising the party. And if you’re contacting entertainers, caterers, venues or other providers it can help to tell them up front that you’re organising a surprise party. Let them know if there’s particular times when they shouldn’t call you, for example. Most will be happy to help.
On the invites, make sure you let everyone know it’ll be a surprise party so they don’t let the secret slip beforehand. Also remind everyone on the invites that it’s important to get to the party on time. It’s often best, in fact, if you have the guests to arrive 30 minutes before the guest of honour so they’re all ready to spring the surprise.
Last of all, you’ll need a good poker face! Keeping everything a secret until the big night can be hard work but if you play everything right, the reactions can be priceless and well worth the effort.
4. Night at the races
If you want a theme that has a lot of class and excitement built in, but a casino isn’t quote what you’ve got in mind, then a night at the races could be for you!
Horse racing is, after all, known as “the sport of kings”. And there’s no reason all the fun and glamour of the races has to be kept to the race track for those few days during the spring or autumn racing carnivals!
A night at the races shares some of its concept with a casino night – everyone usually dresses up for the theme, and they get some fun money to bet on the races with. “Bent bookies” take these bets, rove through the crowd and get everyone involved and laughing. It’s another very interactive form of entertainment that works well with groups of all ages, sizes and backgrounds.
If this sounds like an idea that’s up your alley, check out our sister company Race Nights Australia.
5. Theme party
There’s pretty much endless options when it comes to a theme party – it’s a 40th birthday party idea that can deliver a perfect fit for any personality!
We’ve covered off a few common themes already: James Bond, Las Vegas, night at the races and more. But the real beauty here is you’re only limited by your imagination.
Is the person a big music fan? How about a music themed party: 70s and 80s music in particular gives all sorts of hilarious options for fancy dress. How about a movie-themed party for a movie buff? It could be their favourite film, favourite genre of films, there’s a whole range of options. Are they a sports nut? There’s a whole other range of possibilities right there.
There are all sorts of lateral themes that can work outstandingly well too: $10 outfit night, where everyone has to dress in an outfit they bought for less than $10, is just one that we’ve seen where everyone got involved and had a fantastic time.
The theme doesn’t have to just be restricted to what everyone wears either – in fact a theme party doesn’t have to be a “fancy dress” party. Entertainment, decorations, the venue itself, even the food and drinks list can all be influenced by and used to enhance the theme of the party.
6. Adventure or experience birthday
This is another 40th birthday party idea that brings all kinds of possibilities you can tailor for the person in question.
Are they an adrenaline seeker? Skydiving or bungee jumping or race car driving might be just the thing to make their birthday a special and memorable one. Maybe diving with sharks, or learning to ski? Or maybe a hot air balloon ride if they’re not into anything quite so fast paced.
Is there somewhere they’ve always wanted to go? Maybe a trip there would be in order instead: more than a few people have, for example, celebrated their 40th birthdays with dinner in Paris or with a bottle of champagne overlooking a beach in the Pacific. You don’t even have to travel that far either, there are all kinds of magical and memorable places you could visit in Australia.
7. Combine several of the above ideas!
All of the above options are fantastic 40th birthday party ideas … so why not combine them? Have a surprise race night! Or a casino party on a boat! Combine a theme party with a casino – 1920s gangsters and flappers and casinos go together like spats and pinstripes!
We hope you’ve found these 40th birthday party planning ideas helpful! If we’ve convinced you that the casino party is an idea worth thinking about and we service Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane and Adelaide as well as regional towns.
Find out how much it costs – click here to get an obligation-free quote today.