30 Of The Best 21st Birthday Party Ideas For Your Celebration - Style Events (2023)

1. Black and White

If you want your 21st to be a classy and totally insta worthy affair, a black and white theme is a great way to go. This dress code is easy to abide and will ensure all your guests look their very chicest. By wearing red you can be sure that no matter what you are always the center of attention. Now that you’re nearly 21 it’s time to put away the cruisers and get yourself a cocktail. Speak to a bartender about designing some signature drinks for your big event.

2. Latin Fiesta

Latin Fiestas are having a moment on the 21st birthday party scene and for good reason. A fiesta is a fun and colourful celebration that your friends and family will love. For your 21st Fiesta decorate your event space with as much colour as possible. Organise a variety of Latin inspired dishes bursting with exotic flavours to be served to you and your guests. It wouldn’t be a 21st birthday party without cocktails, so stay on theme organise some cocktails that incorporate the popular Central and South American spirit ‘mezcal’.

3. Weekend Away

Why have a birthday party when you can have a birthday weekend? Gather the gang and head to the coast for a luxurious couple of days spent relaxing on world-class beaches and evenings hanging out at the wide range of quality restaurants and bars the area has to offer. If you’ve got a big group, you may want to consider hiring out a waterfront property via Airbnb. This is surprisingly affordable with a big enough group.

4. Spit Roast

Having your 21st in your private home is a great way to ensure every element of your big night is exactly how you like it without the restrictions of a commercial venue. Just because you are hosting your party at home, doesn’t mean you can and your guest shouldn’t feast like you’re at a five star venue. Fire Cue provides catering to private events and will bring an incredible Latin style spit roast right to your door. This exotic catering choice is sure to have your friends talking long after the hangovers subside.

5. Luxurious Pool Party

If you happen to be a summer baby, a pool party is a unique way to celebrate turning 21. We’re not talking about a kids pool party in the backyard with games and your Dad on the BBQ, we’re talking a Malibu style luxury Pool Party with cocktails, a DJ and possibly a buffet style food station with plenty of light and refreshing summer dishes.

6. Go Glamping

For those who love the outdoors, glamping or camping could be the ultimate 21st experience. Or if actually glamping is too much, stick to a glamping inspired party theme. Pick an outdoors destination and light up the space with festoon lights. Set up teepees, place rugs and throw cushions on the ground around low slung tables. Organise a live musician for the start of the night and then switch to big speakers and the ipod later on when the dancing begins. Have a BBQ going with grilled meats, burger stations and salad bars. Don’t forget the pièce de résistance; a blazing campfire.

7. Intimate Feast

There are only so many 21st birthday parties you can attend before the stock standard over crowded, booze filled events get a little old. Why not treat your best friends to an intimate dinner instead? Set up a drinks tab, fuel your guests with cocktails and a range of share platters and laugh the night away. There’s nothing better than a good meal with great friends. Book out a table at Fire Cue and we’ll design an exquisite menu to suit your taste.

8. Space cowboys

Celebrate your 21st in style with this super fun dress up theme. In honour of an NSYNC classic, think glitter, colored cowboy hats, boots, fun outfits, mesh. Get creative with your friends and design your own outfits. Then dance the night away to groovy tunes, be sure to have a photographer or photobooth present to capture all the awesome outfits.

Your 21^st birthday party is a special occasion. While you may want it to be classier than your 18^th, this may be your last chance to party like a teenager before your next milestone birthday (the dreaded 30^th) rolls around. To make your 21st birthday one to remember we have 21 tips to help you celebrate!

9. Plan Your Birthday Party theme

You only turn 21 once, have fun with it! Set your 21st birthday party theme to something that’s all about you, whether you create the ultimate function club andall your friends dress up as something beginning with the first letter of your name or something/someone from the year you were born to celebrate you and your big day!

10. Start Early: Birthday eve

One of our favourite 21st birthday party ideas: Take a practice run and host a pre-party on the eve of your 21^st birthday! You’ve got all day to recover before you do it all over again for your actual 21^st birthday party!

11. Hottest 21

Dedicate your 21^st birthday party to the things you love! Have a “Hottest 21” countdown of your favourite 21 songs. You’ll be guaranteed to spend the night on the dance floor showing your friends just how well you can move.

12. 21 Drinks

Now, we’re not recommending that you do this in the space of a few hours. Start your 21^st birthday off with a champagne breakfast, make your way to some lunchtime mimosas and see if you can get through 21 drinks before midnight (or before passing out, whichever comes first).

13. Invitation Ideas

Make your 21^st birthday invitations kooky enough that nobody will want to miss it. You can write a riddle that your friends will have to solve to figure out the party details or just get crafty and make them on the back of cut outs of your face.

14. Scavenger Hunt

Make a list of 21 tasks to complete before the night is up for you and your friends at your 21^st birthday party. The tasks can be simple enough that they can be performed at the bar, the losers have to buy the winner a drink!

15. Decorate Your Function Space

Once you’ve finished searching for the top function room reviews, design your function spaceyour own by hanging 21^st birthday decorations everywhere. Create a photo timeline or slideshow, cover the place in balloons and lanterns to make the party truly your own.

16. Digital birthday cards

In lieu of birthday cards, organise a responsible person (i.e mum or dad) to go around the party videoing your friends wishing you a happy 21st birthday. The messages are bound to get funnier through the night.

17. Memory jar

Have an empty box, blank paper and pens set up somewhere at your 21^st birthday party and instruct all of your friends to write down a funny or nice memory they have with you, you can read out them out later in the night for some laughs and “awws”.

18. Disposable cameras

Place disposable cameras around the party so that people can snap away throughout the night and document your 21^st birthday party! This is bound to have funny results that, unlike a bad iPhone selfie or snapchat story, can’t be deleted.

19. Get Supplies

Don’t go in unprepared, make sure you stock up on 21^st birthday supplies so that you’re ready for whatever the night throws at you. Tissues for those heart-warming speeches, a sick bag for the next morning and a pizza ready in the fridge for when you stumble home at the end of the night with the munchies.

20. For girls

For a truly girly girl’s 21^st birthday, pamper yourself! Get your hair, makeup and nails done. Splurge on that dress you love so that you can look and feel like the party princess you are for the big night!

21. For guys

Guys can pamper themselves too, but if that’s not your idea of fun, you can have more of a “blokey” guy’s 21^st birthday by doing whatever you fancy, whether it’s catching an afternoon game or sinking some pre-party beers with your mates.

22. Gifts

You’re probably going to get some pretty special gifts for your 21^st birthday but if you’re worried you won’t get that special something you have your eye on, start dropping subtle hints to your friends and family leading up to the big day so that your 21^st birthday presents won’t end up getting returned.

23. Games

A fun way to make your 21^st birthday unique is to play some games that will not only show how much your friends all know and care about you but will also give you a walk down memory lane. Think up some games that will test your friends’ knowledge of how well they really know you.

24. Karaoke

Hire a karaoke machine and get ready to belt out all your favourite songs! Not only is karaoke lots of fun but you can totally embarrass your friends when it comes to their 21^st birthday with the sneaky footage you took when it was their turn behind the mic.

25. Party X

Attach a go pro to your person or place it somewhere in the venue at your 21^st birthday party or even just tell everyone to take lots of videos. You may not want to watch the footage the next day though, or ever.

26. Birth-weekend Bender

You only turn 21 once, you may as well milk it for all it’s got! Three nights of partying means triple the fun, right?

27. Get fancy

Demonstrate your maturity and organise classy canapés and cocktails at the venue for your 21^st birthday party so that you can look the part of being a legal adult (even if you don’t quite feel like it yet).

28. Don’t get fancy

Totally disregard tip #19 and embrace your youth before it disappears forever! Turn those canapés into mini cheeseburgers and swap those cocktails for beers! It’s your 21^st birthday party, you can act however you want!

29. Hire An Epic Venue

A killer party calls for the perfect 21^st birthday venue: somewhere that will cater to your needs for your special night, is in the perfect spot for all your guests to access and has beautiful big function rooms to fit in all your guests with plenty of room for dancing, like the Pineapple Hotel!

So now you’ve got some ideas on how to make sure your 21st birthday party goes off without a hitch and you and all your guests will all have a blast! Book a function room for the big night at the Pineapple Hotel now and talk to them about your ideas, they’ll be happy to do whatever they can to make your night special and all about you!

30. Bonus: Arrive By Helicopter

Take a scenic tourwith your best friends and capture spectacular sights of the city, then amaze your guests and arrive at your 21st birthday party by helicopter!