50th Birthday Party Ideas
Time to start planning for the big day and the big party to see the next phase of your life in with a swing.
Here are a few ideas…
1959 Party
A great theme for the year you (or your partner) were born. You could have a rock and roll party playing songs from 1959. This could include Buddy Holly and Chuck Berry.
Surprise Party
Obviously you can’t do this one on your own, but a surprise party is a great idea. To make it really effective you have to let your partner know that a party is planned - with just a few close friends, but you keep the number of people a secret.
Hire a boat
A great party venue is to hire a boat. This could either be on a river or on the sea. (Watch out for the sea as some people may get sea sick). My brother hired a boat from Central London down to the Thames Barrage.
Hire a castle
A castle is a great venue for a party. Many castles have a banqueting hall. Even better you could also combine it with a Medieval Banquet. This would make an unmissable event.
Hire a hotel for the weekend
A great one to keep the festivities going. This was one that my sister-in-law Chris did for her 50th birthday.
Beach party
A nice thing to do in hot weather is to have a party on the beach. You may need to pick a location where you are not likely to get told off. In the middle of winter you could plan an indoor beach party where you wear hawaian shirts and spread sand on the floor. Jo went to a great 50th beach party recently. They even managed to get a boat in the marquee! We have built a page specially for Beach Party Ideas
Themed party
There are lots of other types of themed parties that you can try.
- Caribbean
- Pirates
- Vicars and Tarts
- Film Stars
- School Dinners
Hire a big villa
Hire a big villa for a week or two abroad. Share the cost with your close friends. (sent in by Salli)
Hire a steam train
Nothing quite like a bit of nostalgia. 50 years ago steam trains were still in everyday action. Many railway preservation trusts will hire out a steam train for a party.
Party like Philip Green
For the ultimate of 50th Birthday Parties - if you had £5 million ($10 million) - to spare could could not do much better than emulate Philip Green.
He hired a Boeing 747 to fly 200 friends to a 50th birthday party in Cyprus. He paid Rod Stewart and Tom Jones to perform for his guests. Michael Aspel surprised the party by arriving on stage for a version of This Is Your Life.
It ended with a toga party in a mock Roman amphitheatre.
Any other ideas?
If you have any other ideas - why not add them in the box below.

For the man with a stout heart, take an aerobatic flight.
A look back on your life a slide show of the person celebrating their 50th and go thorough all the good and bad times in their lives.
OR hire a jukebox and they can listen to all their favourite tunes in the era they were born in, get way to have fun with mates and have some fun it is your special day after all.
you could have you and your partners family over for a meal at your house , get caterers to do the cooking so that you can be with your guests
You could send a singing telegram to a party.
No one ever forgets receiving a singing telegram, especially one featuring a song or character that has special meaning .
islander theme
hire a BARGE FOR THE NIGHT
a 1958 cd with rock and roll music or either classic and peaceful
make love all night
Get a group of friends together & go camping. Have a big bonfire, plenty of wine etc, marshmallows to toast, stories, go on a night walk, BBQ.
get the invited guests to write a note of a special event they remember of the birthday person and compile them before the party then have someone read them and get the birthday person to try and guess who wrote it. put them into a memory book and present it as a gift
tina
everyone goes dressed as the host
a small dinner party for 20 followed by a marquee in the garden for the rest of your friends the next day
a beer bus “Black Country Tours” west midlands
a children’s tea party theme for your 50th cake jelly, balloons pass the parcel, musical chairs!
A Famous five theme with the five go on a holiday book as the atmospheric set up.
play snooker
strum your guitar
for a relaxing fun night everyone wears pyjamas. and there cheap
get a limo pick up in the morning and then drive to the perfect spa
Everyone arriving at the surprise party bring a picture of the birthday person that they don’t mind that person to keep. Just for a for a keep sake.
think of a time she nade you laugh and tell her in person at the party
have a spanish themed party and do that as a theme
Book a capsule on the london eye and have a champane party followed by dinner.
Theme Attraction Spookers (Auckland) great laugh with family and friends
Have a 50years in the life of ….. (Birthday Person) printed by sourcing pics from the invited guests; speaches, copies of interviews; special moments - like births; weddings; 1st steps etc. Have the book printed and bound for the birthday person on his birthday.
If you have people of all ages
Simple mask party include the people young & old with little cost
Combine your 50th with your first primary school class reunion. Project a scanned 1964 class photo on the wall and get everyone to group in the same order for a 2009 photo. Everyone come to the party in school uniform!
get all guests to send a picture of themselves approx 40yrs ago and then make up a pin board with the photos.All guests try to match the childhood ohotos with the party guests on the night.
Put sand on your lawn - HAVE A BEACH PARTY !!
ask groups of guests to make up a verse to Happy Birthday to you and then go round the room singing them.
Have a Karaoke Party…….or have guys dress as girls and girls dress as guys! I’ve done both and they were GREAT!
have a party in the street for a laugh
have a barby at the sandy beach and then let off some fireworks
Ideal for any 50th Birthday, how about having the birthday guy or girl appering on the cover of a magazine. Of course, it fake, but so much fun. Take a look here for some ideas: My Cover Pics
These are designed and personalised for you and are affordable, with fast delivery.
have a dogde ball party great fun
Launch 50 lanterns and make it a day for all to remember.
They can also be personalized.
“Hawaii Five O” Theme Party, Book it Dano !
I am 50 in November 2009. I,m organizing a pipe and slippers party.
men:
have a Hawaiin theme BBQ with beer,burgers and cake
Women:
Girls night in, or out, go for dinner and maybe bowling or a sleepover with your friends
or you could just beat it
invite family and friends over, shoot off fire works, BYOB of course, and party like its 1999.
B.Y.O.B!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!