Here’s how to throw an A-list Oscar viewing party!
The biggest night in Hollywood is right around the corner! Just because you aren’t a celebrity on the red carpet at the Dolby Theatre doesn’t mean you can’t celebrate the 94th Academy Awards in style. This year, gather your friends for a night in and get fancy with your very own Oscar viewing party.
Since the big night — Sunday, March 27 — is fast approaching, it’s time to get into party planning mode. Here’s how to throw an Oscar-worthy at-home Hollywood bash.
1. Give your guests enough time to mingle and settle in
PHOTO COURTESY OF @LIZLAGMANPHOTO
Hosted by Amy Schumer, Regina Hall and Wanda Sykes, the Oscars start at 8 p.m. ET. One of the best Oscar viewing party ideas is to plan ahead for when you want your guests to arrive.
If you want to watch the red carpet pre-shows, aim to have your friends arrive at least two and a half hours before showtime. If you’re less concerned about what Kirsten Dunst is wearing on the red carpet or you don’t want to watch celebrity interviews, have guests arrive an hour before start time. This should give your party ample time to settle down before this year’s hosts take the stage!
2. Make a game out of the night
Photo courtesy of @lizlagmanphoto
“One of the best ways to create an award-winning Oscar viewing party at home is to let your guests play along with the fun. This keeps the show engaging for everyone!” says Britni Virgil of Play Party Plan, “Print out Oscar ballots and let them vote for the winners. Then, give out an award for the person with the most correct guesses. Or, print out these Oscar bingo cards and let your guests mark off nominees as the show goes on!”
Want to make your own Oscar ballots or bingo cards but need to know all the nominees? The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences has a complete list of nominees and awards on its website.
3. Create a fun yet affordable DIY selfie station
“One of my favorite Oscar viewing party ideas is to create a DIY selfie station. Backdrops are easily purchased online and guests can use their own phones for selfies, so it’s perfect,” says Dee from No Worries Event Planning. “This station can feature a gold-tinsel backdrop, a small table with a selfie stick and a sign with your party hashtags. Decide where you want the selfie station to go in your house. Then, get crafty. Create small signs for each Best Picture Nominee and affix popsicle sticks to each sign, so guests can hold up which movie they think will win Best Picture!”
These are the movies nominated for Best Picture:
- “Belfast”
- “CODA”
- “Don’t Look Up”
- “Drive My Car”
- “Dune”
- “King Richard”
- “Licorice Pizza”
- “Nightmare Alley”
- “The Power of The Dog”
- “West Side Story”
4. Pop some popcorn
“We love a reason to roll out the red carpet and celebrate the year’s top Hollywood stars,” says Nirjary M. Desai, owner and CEO of KIS(cubed) Events. “First off, we recommend welcoming guests with a red carpet and gold and black balloons arches. This kind of décor will set the mood!”
If you want to feature a red carpet, no need to splurge on anything too expensive. There are plenty of red carpets available online. Want to splurge on your Oscar night viewing party? Look for red pile carpets. Want to save a few bucks? Opt for a polyester red carpet.
“Another one of our favorite Oscar night party ideas is feeding guests popcorn!” says Desai. “It’s a must-have for an Oscar viewing party because there are so many ways to take it to the next level with sweet and salty toppings. To make it really fancy, offer a sparkling wine bar with optional fruit or juice as toppings. This will certainly make your guests feel like VIPs!”
Need some additional inspiration for your Oscar viewing party popcorn? Try these:
- Bouillon
- Buffalo sauce
- Cayenne
- Chipotle seasoning
- Chocolate or caramel sauce
- Cinnamon sugar
- Curry powder
- Dried parsley
- Furikake
- Garlic powder or salt
- Honey
- Lemon juice
- Matcha sea salt
- Nutritional yeast
- Old Bay seasoning
- Parmesan cheese
- Ranch dressing seasoning
- Rosemary
- Taco seasoning
- Toasted coconut
Since the Oscars are all about the movies, serve your popcorn in buckets. It will feel like you and your party guests just picked up concessions at the movie theater!
5. Let the movies influence your Oscar viewing party ideas
“One of the best Oscar viewing party ideas is to have your party guests get to know the nominated films in the Costume Design category before the big night! Have guests dress in costume! This is a great year for this category — “Cruella,” “Cyrano,” “Dune,” “Nightmare Alley” and “West Side Story” are all nominated,” says Brian Theis from The Infinite Feast. “Whoever is dressed as the movie that wins the Costume Design category gets a prize! A gift certificate to a local vintage clothing store is perfect!”
Want to lean into more movie themes for the night? One of the best Oscar party ideas is to base food choices on the Best Picture nominees. “This year, I would choose “Licorice Pizza” (serve up a variety of pizzas), “Belfast” or “West Side Story” (Irish or Puerto Rican treats) and “Drive My Car” (sushi) to build my menu around!” says Theis.
6. Give your space a golden glow
PHOTO COURTESY OF @LIZLAGMANPHOTO
“First, since champagne is the drink of the evening, why not make it part of your party décor? We recommend incorporating lots of gold throughout the space, including a gold-toned floral arrangement like this one from Dakota Flowers,” says Patty Flores, CEO of Festively.
Looking for a non-alcoholic party drink that will offer you a fizzy golden glow when you pour it in a glass? Just swap champagne for sparkling cider or kombucha.
7. Get glitzy
PHOTO COURTESY OF @LIZLAGMANPHOTO
“Dress up your normally plain walls with black and gold fringe curtains, cut to size for a festive and glitzy look,” says the Festively team.
To add additional pops of glitz and festive glam around your party, decorate serving areas with gold, champagne or black-colored confetti. If you have balloons at your Oscar viewing party, you can even fill them up with glitter or confetti before inflating for extra sparkle.
8. Serve up sweet and savory snacks
PHOTO COURTESY OF @LIZLAGMANPHOTO
“Custom cookies are a must-have, like these gorgeous ones from the Cali Cookie Co. Keep the rest of the food simple with lots of grazing options like a fabulous charcuterie board from Korver Farms and traditional movie snacks like popcorn, licorice and chocolate,” says the Festively team.
If you’re looking for a cheap and easy option, put together a candy bar where guests can pick and choose from movie theater candy. Here are some of the most popular movie theater candies:
- Buncha Crunch
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Bites
- Goobers
- Good & Plenty
- Gummy Bears
- Junior Mints
- M&M’s
- Mike and Ike
- Milk Duds
- Raisinets
- Red Vines
- Reese’s Pieces
- Skittles
- Sour Patch Kids
- Sno-Caps
- Starburst
- Swedish Fish
- Twizzlers
- Whoppers
And the winner is…
Whether “CODA” wins for Best Picture or “The Power of the Dog” walks away with the top prize, one thing’s for sure — you and your party guests will have a dazzling Oscar night with the help of these Oscar viewing party ideas.