How to Host a Disco Party

Co-authored by Mimi Perryman

Last Updated: January 17, 2023

Disco was a style of music that was popular in the 1970’s. Having a disco party is a fun way to honor the genre and the style, decorations, and dance that went along with the music. You can easily have a successful disco party if you have the have the right décor, music, costumes, dance moves, and games.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Creating a Groovy Environment

1
Get disco inspired decorations. The most important element of your disco party is the disco ball! You can purchase or rent a disco ball at a party store to hang on your ceiling to set the mood for your party. Hang posters of bands and popular idols from the 70’s (The Bee Gees, Farrah Fawcett, The Brady Bunch) on the walls. Get a black light and hang black light posters up as well. Finish off the decorations with lava lamps, strobe lights, beaded curtains, and bean bag chairs.
- Be sure to have some nice, bright lights set up at your party (colors like pink and purple are especially good).
2
Serve food that was popular in the 1970’s. Popular food from the decade was deviled eggs, hamburgers, casseroles, fondu, and nachos. ^{[1]
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Research source} Jiffy Pop Popcorn, Tang, Twinkies, and Hamburger Helper were popular brands during that time that you can still purchase today.
- Jazz up your party drinks with edible glitter to match the disco theme.
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3
Play disco music. Although you can play music you like from today, make sure to include at least some songs that were hits in the disco era. Popular musicians were Donna Summer, Kool and the Gang, Village People, and KC and the Sunshine Band. You can make a playlist yourself, use a pre-made one on Spotify or Apple Music, or purchase a CD of 70’s party music hits.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Dressing up for the Party

1
Wear disco themed clothing. Dress up for the party and tell your guests that they have to dress up too. Wear a jumpsuit, a leisure suit, bell bottoms, a flared sleeve top, a band t-shirt, metallic pants, or a mini skirt or dress. Finish off the look with plenty of peace signs, bright colored accessories, and large, round sunglasses. ^{[2]
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- Platform shoes are a great addition to a disco-themed outfit. Roller skates are another good option.
2
Do 1970’s inspired makeup. Not wearing makeup with your costume is actually a very authentic way to look like you are from the 1970’s because many women during this decade stopped wearing makeup. This was not always the case though, especially for discos. If you want to wear makeup, wear bright and metallic eyeshadows and black, blue, or white eyeliner. ^{[3]
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3
Style your hair or get a wig for your disco party. Long, straight hair that is parted down the middle was popular in the 1970’s. You can also blow dry and curl your bangs and the ends of your hair up to create “wings” in your hair. Get an Afro wig for an authentic disco hair style that works well for all genders. ^{[4]
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4
Dress up as your favorite 70’s star. You can try to copy the look of your favorite 1970’s musician, actor, or celebrity. Donna Summer, Sonny and Cher, Joan Jett, Barbra Streisand, Olivia Newton John, Carrie Fisher, Burt Reynolds, and John Travolta are examples of stars you could dress up as. ^{[5]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Having Disco Party Activities

1
Have contests for the guests. Have a few friendly competitions for your guests to partake in at your party. To encourage your guests to get into the theme, have a costume contest. Tell your guests beforehand that you are going to have a 1970’s disco themed costume contest at the party so they can plan ahead and dress up. Other 1970’s themed contest ideas are a Rubik’s Cube solving competition, a karaoke contest, and a dance contest.
2
Play games at your disco party. People aren’t going to want to dance the entire time and will want to play games. “Name That 70’s Song” is a game where you play a song and the guests have to guess what the name is and who the artist is of the song. Have a pet rock table, a popular fad in the 1970’s. Lay out rocks on a table and let the guests choose and decorate their own pet rocks. Play board games like 70’s trivia games and Twister.
3
Teach your guests popular disco dances. This is a fun way to get everyone to dance and to keep your party true to the theme. Popular dances in the 1970’s were The Hustle, The Bump Dance, The YMCA, The Funky Chicken Dance, and The Bus Stop.
- The Hustle was a very popular disco dance that involved stepping, tapping, and snapping. It was a mixture of Swing and Latin done to disco songs.
- The Bump Dance is where partners stepped or swayed to the music then bumped hips every other beat.
- The YMCA is an easy dance done to the song “YMCA” by Village People. Put your arms in the shape of a Y, an M, a C, and an A to the music. ^{[6]
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Community Q&A

Question

What contests should I have at my disco party?

Community Answer

You could hold a dancing competition, karaoke contest, a costume contest or any other kind of party game you would have at a normal party.