The Ultimate Guide to Throwing a Nostalgic 90s Party

From the music we listen to to the clothes we wear, and TV shows we binge, the 1990s continues to have a hold on us. Whether you were around at the time or born a little later, it’s impossible to escape the cultural influence of the 90s – and who would want to?

Packed full of huge hits and iconic fashion, the 90s were a vibe. Days were spent learning the lyrics to songs from the pages of Smash Hits, playing on the SEGA mega drive, rewinding cassette tapes with a pencil and renting favourite movies on VHS.

If you’re wondering how to transform the 90s way of life into a party theme, we’ve got you. We’ve taken a deep dive into the key trends and VIPs of the decade and gathered plenty of party inspiration along the way.

Whether you’re celebrating an anniversary, birthday, engagement, or retirement, you can make a 1990s theme work for you and we’ll show you how in just five easy steps.

Ok, so maybe an actual cassette tape is impractical, but you can create your very own 90s mix using Spotify. The decade was packed with bangers ranging from hip hop and R&B to pop and grunge, and we’ve selected the very best. Play them yourself or ask a DJ to do the honours and throw in some surprises along the way.

1. Wannabe – Spice Girls
2. Tubthumping – Chumbawamba
3. Song 2 – Blur
4. …Baby One More Time – Britney Spears
5. Baby, I Love Your Way – Big Mountain
6. My Favourite Game – The Cardigans
7. Genie in a Bottle – Christina Aguilera
8. MMMBop – Hanson
9. I Want It That Way – Backstreet Boys
10. What Is Love – Haddaway
11. Smells Like Teen Spirit – Nirvana
12. The Boy Is Mine – Brandy
13. Never Ever – All Saints
14. You Might Need Somebody – Shola Ama
15. Send Me on My Way – Rusted Root
16. Believe – Cher
17. Cotton Eye Joe – Rednex
18. C’est La Vie – B*Witched
19. Canned Heat – Jamiroquai
20. Macarena – Los Del Rio
21. Everybody Get Up – Five
22. Insomnia – Faithless
23. Lovefool – The Cardigans
24. What’s Up? – 4 Non Blondes
25. All That She Wants – Ace of Base
26. Save Tonight – Eagle-Eye Cherry
27. Dreams – Gabrielle
28. Steal My Sunshine – LEN
29. No Diggity – Blackstreet, Dr Dre, Queen Pen
30. I Am, I Feel – Alisha’s Attic
31. How Bizarre – OMC
32. Praise You – Fatboy Slim
33. All Star – Smash Mouth
34. Bitter Sweet Symphony – The Verve
35. Breakfast at Tiffany’s – Deep Blue Something
36. Barbie Girl – Aqua

What’s a 90s party without some party games? A few retro games will break the ice and take 80s and 90s babies right back to their childhoods. Offer up nostalgic prizes and don’t forget to capture the action on camera to share with your guests after the party.

• Twister – limber up and challenge guests to a game of this 90s classic. Set up a tournament or simply have an area for guests to give it a go between dances.
• Pass the parcel – wrap up some sweets or a nostalgic toy like a yoyo and set up a game of pass the parcel. Just keep an eye out for anyone hogging the parcel for too long!
• 90s trivia – find out who knows their 90s stuff with a trivia quiz. Include questions about key events, music, movies, and TV. Divide guests into teams or allow them to play solo to find the ultimate 90s knowledge nerd!
• Retro gaming – why not hire some retro games and set up gaming stations? From Super Nintendo to Gameboy and PlayStation One, you can hire all the oldies for your party.
• Board games – set up a board game area with Guess Who, Boggle, Jenga, Kerplunk, Hungry Hungry Hippos and any other nostalgic game you can think of! This is the perfect chill out activity to do between band or DJ sets or while enjoying a night cap as the party draws to a close.
• 90s dance off – think you can still remember the famous Steps’ Tragedy routine? Or the macarena? Show your guests what your made of and challenge them to the ultimate 90s dance off.

Make guests feel as though they’ve gone back in time with some authentic 90s décor. Get inspired by our ideas below.

• Pop posters - pay homage to the popstars of yesteryear with some classic bedroom posters. You can buy a selection of iconic posters for your party from Amazon.
• Nostalgic touches – remind guests of everything from Blockbuster Video to Tamagotchi and Gameboy with this amazing 1990s bunting from Etsy. If that doesn’t float your boat, may we suggest this icon of the 90s banner instead? There’s no mistaking which era you’re in with these VIPs hanging around.
• Fun favours – why not scatter some party favours around your venue? These Gameboy style favour boxes can hold a few retro sweets and act as table décor.
• Sweetie stand – create an authentic 90s tuck shop style sweetie stand with this retro sweet hamper.
• Fun inflatables – place some 90s inspired inflatables around your venue and watch guests get creative!
• Bright lights – bright and bold disco lights are a 1990s party essential. Luckily for you, many of our bands and DJs offer lighting set ups too.

A 90s theme party wouldn’t be complete without some retro styling. Watch some of your favourite TV shows and music videos from the era for inspiration or choose one of our ideas below.

• Spice up your life – five members and five unique styles, the Spice Girls make a great dressing up theme. Ask guests to choose their favourite member to come as!
• Icons of the 90s – from Princess Diana to Britney Spears and Bill Clinton, there are plenty of famous faces that made the decade memorable. Ask guests to pick an icon of their choice and surprise you on the day.
• TV characters – Friends, Fresh Prince, The Simpsons… the 1990s were an amazing time for TV. Narrow down your 90s dress code to TV characters of the 90s and fill your bash with famous faces from the box.
• 90s rave – move away from mainstream music and pop culture and get inspired by the 1990s rave scene. Smiley faces, bucket hats and some neon accessories will quickly transform any outfit into raver style.
• Y2K – with the new millennium on the horizon, late 90s fashion turned space age. Metallic fabric, roll on glitter, chain mail and frosted makeup arrived on the scene before the turn of the century. Draw inspiration from the trend and party like its 1999. 
   
• Grunge – grunge is the perfect dress code for lovers of 90s rock. Think plaid shirts, ripped jeans, and band tees.

With dancing, gaming and trivia done, guests will be hungry for nostalgic party bites. Imagine village halls or dining rooms filled with party rings, sausage rolls and iced gems and you’re on the right lines. Add the below to your party shopping list to really take guests back in time.

Mini pizza slices – nothing says 90s party like buying a giant pizza and cutting it into strips to serve.

Cocktail sausages – spear each one with a cocktail stick for easy pickings and nostalgic vibes.

Pineapple and cheese on sticks – cover a baking potato in foil and stick them in for the authentic 90s look.

Jam tarts – cheap and simple, a plate full of these will add colour and a touch of sweetness to your buffet table.

Potato smiles – filling and delicious, these potato treats will put a smile on the faces of your guests.

Quiche – cut a cheese and ham quiche into bite size fingers to add a little sophistication to your spread.

Fairy cakes – make them yourself for that authentic childhood party vibe.

Retro crisps – think mini cheddars, Monster Munch, Skips or cheese puffs in bowls scattered around your venue.

Jelly and ice cream – after the main buffet has been served why not surprise guests by dishing out some traditional jelly and ice cream? Extra points for making traffic light jelly.

Fizzy drinks – offer guests lemonade, cola and 90s favourite, cherryade, in plastic cups.

Pick’n’mix – who didn’t love a good pick’n’mix back in the 1990s? Add sherbet straws, flying saucers, marshmallows, cola bottles and drumstick lollies to a sweetie table to give school tuck shop vibes.

Alcopops – the 1990s party scene was filled with fun and colourful alcopops. Invest in a selection of fruity vodka drinks or some mini fruit vodka shots to hand out to guests when they arrive.

With the details taken care of, all you need to do now is book a DJ or party band to really kick off your 90s theme party with a bang and keep the dance floor full all night long.