20 Unique Dinner Party Themes for Your Next Get-Together

Any time is a good time for a dinner party. Whether you’re planning a big celebration in honor of a birthday or simply want to gather your friends for a delicious meal, it’s the perfect way to spend time together, especially with fun dinner party themes.

Take your next dinner party up a notch and add a theme to make it feel extra special. From fantasy-inspired dinners to bring-your-own potlucks, we have all the ideas and inspiration you could need — plus a few of our favorite matching party invites for any aesthetic you land on.

20 Fun Dinner Party Themes for Any Occasion

Ready to start planning your next amazing dinner party? Discover some of our favorite dinner party themes — from retro BBQs to dessert for dinner, there’s something here for every palate, vibe, and occasion. Pair with one of our suggested digital invitations to let your guests know all about your fun theme right from the start.

1. Pizza Party

Design: Becky Nimoy Stationery

Invitation inspiration: Pizza Peel Invitation

When it comes to dinner party themes, pizza is always a tasty choice. You can either keep it classic with a casual pizza party or make a DIY option feel more sophisticated with some sourdough bases and an outdoor pizza oven so everyone can customize their own pizza.

2. Murder Mystery Dinner Party

Set the stage for a dramatic night of mystery and suspense by hosting a murder mystery dinner party. This dinner party theme is a fun way to bring your evening to life, with the bonus of enjoying a delicious meal together. You could curate a sit-down dinner and evening around a specific time period for an authentic feel, or serve a delicious buffet of food for a thrilling theme like the zombie apocalypse.

3. Mexican Fiesta

Take inspiration from Mexican cuisine and treat your friends and family members to delicious food like tacos, burritos, nachos, enchiladas, and tamales. For even more of a Mexican fiesta vibe, put together a playlist of top Mexican artists and dance the night away.

4. Beach Inspired Dinner Party

Design: Patrice Horvath Design

Invitation inspiration: Big Bold Crab Invitation

Serve up a dinner party menu inspired by seafood and refreshing tastes, or transport your guests to your very own version of a Hawaiian luau in your backyard. If you’re lucky, you could even take your dinner to the beach and either rent out a space on the waterfront or pack up an aesthetic picnic to enjoy on the sand.

5. Around the World

Sometimes it’s impossible to decide on which cuisine you want to feature at your next dinner party. If you run into this problem, include them all with an “around the world” dinner party theme. Sample delights from Italian, French, Greek, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, and other cuisines that spark your interest for a well-rounded menu.

6. Seasonal or Holiday Party

Design: Stellax Creative

Invitation inspiration: Big Band New Year Invitation

Holidays like Christmas and New Year or seasons like fall make for great dinner party themes. Turn your home into a cozy spot with fairy lights, hot cocoa, and a menu of comfort food — or host an elegant soirĂ©e for New Year’s Eve instead.

7. Miniature Dinner Party

For an extra cute dinner party idea, what about venturing into the world of mini food? Serve your guests a menu of delicious foods made smaller — like mini burgers, single serve lasagna or pies, and plenty of adorable tiny desserts.

8. Dessert Party

Speaking of desserts… who says you can’t have them as your main course? If you love all things sweet, host a dessert dinner party and treat everyone to an evening of the best ice cream sundaes, cheesecake, brownies, and pancakes with plenty of toppings.

9. Garden Party

Design: Paper Raven Co.

Invitation inspiration: Alfresco Dinner Invitation

Escape into the backyard, a nearby park, or a traditional garden for an elegant or relaxed garden party. Offer a selection of delicious entrees, finger foods, and charcuterie boards, and encourage your guests to mingle while enjoying the beautiful scenery.

10. Fondue Night

Go old school with your dinner party theme and host a retro fondue night for your closest friends. Get the fondue pot ready and fill it with cheese for a savory option, or make things sweet with chocolate fondue instead. Add in some board games or party games and you have the recipe for a perfect night in.

11. American BBQ Classics

Design: frau brandt

Invitation inspiration: Classic BBQ Invitation

It’s time to fire up the grill and invite your loved ones to join you for a classic BBQ party. Enjoy a warm summer evening with delicious burgers, hot dogs, salads, and plenty of ice-cold refreshments in the company of your favorite people.

12. Self-Care Dinner Party

Invite your closest friends over for a dinner party with a self-care theme and enjoy a meal alongside an evening of skincare, relaxing hobbies, journaling, or playing cozy video games together. Keep the menu to comfort classics, or add a wellness theme with details on how the ingredients can help you to take care of your body and mind.

13. Cozy Potluck Dinner Party

Hosting a dinner party doesn’t automatically mean you have to cook up a feast for everyone. Invite your loved ones over for a potluck dinner and enjoy a delicious meal that you’ve contributed to together. Ask everyone to bring an entrĂ©e, side dish, or dessert, while you prepare a tasty main dish for everyone.

14. Casino Night

Design: Hooray Creative

Invitation inspiration: Casino Night Invitation

If you want to take your theme to the max, host a casino night where your friends or family members enjoy not only some fine dining but also delicious cocktails and casino games. This is a fun way to celebrate a milestone birthday, but it works for any occasion.

15. Farm-to-Table Dinner Party

Introduce your guests to the history behind where their meal comes from with a farm-to-table dinner party theme. Prepare a meal that’s as locally sourced as possible and share the story behind your dishes — if you can tour the farm where some of it was grown, then even better!

16. Roaring ‘20s Night

Design: Claudia Owen

Invitation inspiration: Shimmering Lines Invitation

Take inspiration from the roaring ‘20s and host a Great Gatsby-inspired party that’s full of gold and things that glitter. This is a themed dinner party that’s ideal for a moment like New Year’s or big birthday, or for anyone that’s a fan of the art deco style. For your menu, choose classics from the era like sugar-glazed ham, oysters, seafood cocktails, and deviled eggs.

17. “Alice in Wonderland” Tea Party

For a dinner party theme that feels magical and whimsical, you can’t get any better than an “Alice in Wonderland” tea party. This theme idea is full of visual imagery that you can bring to life through your table decorations, menu items, and even your attire.

18. Masquerade Party

Design: Robinson Creative House

Invitation inspiration: Costumes & Cosmos Invitation

Invite a sense of mystery to your next dinner party by hosting a masquerade party. Ask your guests to show up in their finest dress with a matching mask to enjoy an evening of dinner, drinks, dancing, and party games.

19. Fantasy Dinner Party

If you’re a fantasy or sci-fi lover, it’s time to bring some of that to life through your next dinner party. Transport your guests to the heart of a fantasy land where they’re enjoying a fine meal in a castle, aboard a spacecraft, or in a dragon’s lair — with theming, food, and drinks to match!

20. Brunch for Dinner Party

You may be hosting a dinner party, but there’s no rule that says you have to serve a traditional main course. Swap dinner for brunch and celebrate the occasion with waffles, pancakes, and margaritas instead.

Create an Unforgettable Experience with One of These Dinner Party Themes

Come up with dinner party themes your guests will love with the help of this guide. Once you have a theme picked out, you can start planning your menu, brainstorming decor ideas, and finding a fun way to announce the theme of your next get-together to your loved ones.

Whatever your theme, we have a dinner party invitation to match. Browse our collection to find a matching design, then customize the layout, fonts, and colors to make it unique. Tell your guests all about the big event by email or text, then manage your guests’ RSVPs, dietary requirements, and meal requests smoothly with our online platform.