70th Birthday Party Ideas for a Spectacular Celebration

Whether you’re about to become a septuagenarian or you’re celebrating a loved one turning the big 7-0, this milestone birthday is certainly one for the books. To help you plan the ultimate celebration, we’ve created this list of sensational 70th birthday party ideas. From casual get-togethers to full-on glam festivities, you’ll find something for every taste and budget.

15 of Our Favorite 70th Birthday Party Ideas

Ready to start planning the best birthday bash ever? With these 70th birthday party ideas, you’ll dream up a party that you (or your guest of honor) will love and remember for all time. Plus, we’ve made your event planner duties even easier by including 70s birthday party invitations that you can start customizing within minutes.

1. Host a Decades Party

Design: Owl and Toad

Invitation Inspiration: That 70s Party Invitation

Why not celebrate entering a new decade by honoring an old favorite? A decades party is always a fun theme idea for a milestone birthday — especially if the birthday honoree has a favorite decade in mind. Take a journey through decades past with a 60s soiree, 70s era party, 80s theme bash, or 90s style party. 

2. Have Fun With Flower Arranging

Does the birthday guest of honor love flowers? Well, let your creativity bloom with a themed party centered around florals. Choose a theme like “Flower Power” or “Pretty in Peonies” and then host a flower arranging session for all your guests. 

Hire a pro to instruct everyone on how to create a beautiful seasonal bouquet, succulent terrarium, or other arrangement that guests can take home. If that’s out of budget, consider hosting a DIY flower crown tutorial and don’t forget to snap photos!

3. Keep It Casual With a Family BBQ

Keep things casual and focus on good conversation and good food with a family BBQ. Get the grill set up and serve BBQ classics alongside iced drinks and delicious ice pops. Create a DIY chalkboard sign to let guests know where the party’s happening, and hang bunting, string lights, and birthday banners in the yard to create a party atmosphere.

4. Go Glam With a Casino Night

Design: Claudia Owen

Invitation Inspiration: Wildcard Invitation

Whether you love James Bond or can’t resist the lure of the blackjack table, a casino night is a great 70th birthday theme. Keep it on the simpler side by planning a cocktail party at home with card games and birthday party supplies that suit the theme. 

Or if you want to step up the celebration, hire a professional event planner to create the ultimate casino night at a local venue. Another option is to hit the slots at a favorite casino and enjoy a night with your favorite people (and Lady Luck)! 

5. Go Retro at an Ice Cream Shop

You’re never too old to look forward to a visit to the ice cream shop. Gather friends and family members for a retro celebration at an ice cream parlor and indulge in cones, sundaes, milkshakes, and ice cream birthday cake. This might not be your first thought for a 70-year-old’s birthday party, but it’s easy, affordable, and nearly impossible to miss with ice cream!

6. Host a Pottery Class

Does the birthday honoree love to use their hands and get crafty? If so, a pottery class not only makes a great party idea but it also makes a thoughtful birthday gift. Plan a birthday celebration at a local studio and enjoy a pottery class. Everyone is sure to have a blast during the creation process, painting and glazing away with their favorite colors. Best of all, folks will have a keepsake from the special day.

7. Tour a Vineyard

Is the 70-year-old birthday guest of honor aging like a fine wine? Well, then, it only makes sense that you’d mark this special occasion with a day at the vineyard. Treat your loved one (or yourself!) to an afternoon of relaxation, wonderful views, and incredible wine. 

Explore a vineyard you’ve been looking forward to visit, then enjoy a light lunch with some locally produced wine. Or if your budget allows, make it a weekend getaway to wine country. Either way, this experiential gift idea is one the septuagenarian won’t soon forget.

8. Plan a Classic Movie Night

Design: Signature Greenvelope

Invitation Inspiration: Starlight Cinema Invitation

Set up a big screen in the backyard for a fabulous outdoor movie night. (If that’s not an option, host the ultimate movie night indoors or even at a local movieplex.) Be sure to add themed party decorations to your space, buy plenty of snacks, and don’t forget the beverages. 

If this isn’t a surprise party, ask the guest of honor which movie they’d like to view for their birthday bash. On the night of the celebration, surprise them by rolling a slideshow of happy birthday video messages from loved ones before the motion picture plays.

9. Rent a Villa for the Weekend

A milestone birthday is the perfect opportunity to go big and host a family get-together over the weekend. Rent a villa or home that can accommodate your group and be sure to fill it with 70th birthday party decorations ahead of time. 

For a fancier affair, hire a caterer who can whip up the foodie guest of honor’s favorite dishes. You can also play dinner party games for adults as well as some all-ages games the whole family can enjoy.

10. Celebrate With a Platinum-Themed Party

As with a 70th wedding anniversary, platinum is the precious metal that represents a 70th birthday. As a bonus, a platinum theme works with just about any of the other 70th birthday party ideas on this list. 

Whether you’re hosting at home or another venue, use silvery-white hues in your online invitations and across all your birthday party supplies, including the tableware, napkins, and party favors. Set up a photo booth with platinum-themed props and encourage everyone to snap photos for the memories.

11. Host a Vintage Tea Party

Design: Jen Montgomery

Invitation Inspiration: Dainty Doily Invitation

For a sophisticated 70th birthday celebration, make it a tea party. Invite your closest friends to don their finest attire for afternoon tea at a swanky hotel. For a more budget-friendly idea, host a tea party at home. Set the scene with dainty tablecloths and vintage tunes, and serve different types of tea in adorable teapots. Don’t forget the delectable finger sandwiches and mini cakes!

12. Plan a Murder Mystery Dinner

If the guest of honor has a morbid sense of humor, this 70th birthday party idea should make the cut. Host a murder mystery dinner party with a tagline like “Getting Old is Murder” or “Killin’ It at 70!” This party idea is sure to engage your party guests and you can frame it around a particular era, location, novel, or crime drama.

13. Enjoy a Relaxing Spa Day

Reaching a 70th birthday is no easy feat, so treat the birthday honoree to a day of relaxation. Plan a sensational spa birthday party replete with massages, manis, pedis, and facials. If you’re not able to book a day at a chic resort or day spa, go the DIY route and transform your space into a soothing retreat with at-home masks, relaxing music, tasty treats, and plenty of cucumber water.

14. Focus on Their Favorite Things

Design: Becky Nimoy Stationery

Invitation Inspiration: Record Player Invitation

For this milestone moment, celebrate the birthday person’s favorite things. Plan a night centered around their hobby — whether that’s golf, fishing, painting, dancing, singing, or something else. Use their hobby to inspire the party decor, food, drinks, and party favors and get ready for a wonderfully personal and thoughtful get-together.

15. Create a Milestone Memory Book

Milestone birthday parties often have a mix of age groups coming together from afar to celebrate the guest of honor. With everyone gathered for the special occasion, it’s a wonderful time to create a memory book or scrapbook. 

Ask family members and friends to bring along their favorite photos with the birthday honoree and any other relevant clippings that they can add to the keepsake book. Then, you can present it as a gift on the big day.

Create a Memorable Celebration With These 70th Birthday Party Ideas

When it comes to party planning for a 70th birthday celebration, these ideas will steer you in the right direction. Whether you want to go big and bold or intimate and low-key, there are plenty of 70th birthday ideas to inspire your big bash.

When it’s time to let everyone know about the big day, use our birthday party invitations to spread the word. Every design is customizable, so you can choose the colors, layout, and fonts to match your style and theme. Plus, you can easily track RSVPs and send updates directly from your device. No matter which way you go, your party guests will certainly look forward to celebrating this milestone moment.