The 30th birthday is a big turning point in most people’s lives. College days are long behind you, it’s time to get serious and tackle “adult” issues. But all this shouldn’t be, and is no reason not to celebrate your 30th birthday as a spectacular party to remember!
You’ve probably heard from your parents, grandparents, or friends that their thirties were their best years. So don’t cry as you enter this “first serious” decade of your life, but embrace it and welcome it in style.
At the very beginning of planning your perfect birthday party, it is important to set the frames in terms of the number of guests and the budget. Big fancy parties with a lot of people is something that not many people can afford. Of course, you can always narrow down the number of guests to your closest friends and family and treat them to an unforgettable party everyone will talk about for days.
Here Are Some Fun 30th Birthday Party Ideas
1. Wine tasting
Do you have a refined taste for wines and a delicate palate? Perhaps the best way to celebrate your 30th birthday is at one of the famous wineries. Today, wine tasting is an increasingly common thing in many regions of the world, and wineries organize tours, tastings, food, and even accommodation for those who want to enjoy their wines for a few days and make it a short holiday. If you plan to drive and you don’t want to sacrifice some of your friends to abstain, spend the night and come home the next day after a hearty breakfast where you will review all the “interesting” moments from the night before.
2. Amusement park
You are not too old yet. You’re never too old for an amusement park. As much as 30 years may seem like a big change in your life because a more serious period of life is coming, it doesn’t have to be that way at all. You will always decide for yourself where and how you want to have fun and that is the point. Take your friends to childhood fun. Ride a rollercoaster, hit with a hammer and be a strongman, drive a bumper car, eat cotton candy and you will feel like the youngest thirty-year-old in the world!
3. Camping is always fun
Maybe you have never been camping or you are someone who has all the necessary equipment in the garage, from tents to small gas stoves, solar batteries, and various props that you once bought a long time ago because they were on sale, and never dared to go to nature and try all those fun things. Surely near the place you live there are at least 2-3 locations where you can proudly set up your tent, light up a fire, and perhaps if you are already experienced, show off your fishing skills and catch dinner to make the feeling in the “wilderness” unique. However, we suggest that you bring basic supplies so that this camping does not turn into a fast in nature. Enjoy a bonfire with friends, bring a guitar or harmonica, or simply sing in the company of your favorite song. P.S. watch out for that fire!
4. Travel somewhere
Go on a trip with friends. Traveling is always exciting and fun. Choose an interesting destination you have always wanted to visit and enjoy with your closest friends or family. You can choose a nearby town or a more luxurious destination. Plan a date, choose a means of transportation, places to visit, and accommodation. But, first of all, set a budget. It is also important that you plan your travel date early enough so that all participants in the trip can coordinate their plans. The travel plan does not necessarily have to be loaded with a lot of content, because the moment you sit in the car, train, bus, or plane with your friends will awaken positive feelings and a dose of excitement. Whichever way you choose to travel will give you a sense of freedom that you may have slowly begun to lose in your late twenties. Travel for your 30th birthday and you will surely remember this anniversary! This is one of my favorite 30th birthday ideas for her or him.
5. Paintball
Want “a little” adrenaline? Paintball will make it possible for you. Haven’t you tried yet? Don’t be afraid or maybe be a little scared :). Paintball is great fun both for men and women (you will be surprised when you find out that your friend, girlfriend, or boyfriend is a ruthless warrior). Prepare yourself! Make sure you are well dressed so that the hits you get are milder and less uncomfortable because honestly, they can be a bit uncomfortable. After the battle, you will be drinking beer and enjoying some delicious fast food while retelling the great excitement, showing each other the bruises left by the balls you were hit with. However, you are 30 years old and maybe this kind of adrenaline fun in a paintball club or polygon in nature (we recommend nature) is the dose of adrenaline that you have been holding back for 29 years. Put on a camouflage uniform, apply camouflage paint, load your rifle, inhale and excitement is guaranteed!
6. Sports match
If you, your friends, love sports and an important match of your favorite club is on your birthday or the day before or after, this might be the right party for you. Support your team heartfully, grab a drink at halftime, eat a hot dog, and indulge in the basic feelings of a real fan. Be sure to go to the pub after the game! It doesn’t matter if your team wins – you are a loyal fan singing fan songs until late at night because on your 30th birthday you are the winner!
7. Painting course / Photography course
Are you creative and like art? If you and you and your friends are interested in some creative learning, organize a unique birthday party with a one-day painting course. These courses often go very well with a few glasses of wine so this will fit in very well with the birthday celebration. Of course, you can also bring food and cake, your painting teacher will certainly not have a problem with that. After learning the basics of painting and a little wine, the portrait of you that your friends will paint will surely be a “wonderful” memory of your 30th birthday. If you don’t want to get dirty with colors, organize a one-day photography course and take unforgettable photos of you and your friends with the same recipe.
8. Karaoke night
All of us, or at least most of us, like to sing a little here and there. Those shyer in the shower, and those braver / drunk in front of other people. 30th birthday is a great opportunity to, surrounded by people you are not ashamed of, relax and become a singer for a day. Buy a quality karaoke machine (or one of your friends already has it – beware of that singer) and celebrate your birthday with your favorite hits. This is an opportunity to play the music that you are ashamed to admit you normally listen to. When it’s your birthday and you’re a bit tipsy – no one will blame you!
9. Throw a Murder mystery party
When you were just a kid you wanted to be a detective, you didn’t miss a single episode of Poirot, and True Crime Daily is your favorite YouTube channel? This might be the perfect idea for you! Invite your friends (the more, the better), create a dark and exciting atmosphere, pour red wine, and serve a medium-rare steak. You’ll have fun for hours trying to find out who the killer is in your company. Much better than “Among Us”!
10. Dinner Party
Dinner is always a good idea especially if you want to demonstrate your culinary skills to your friends that you have adopted by watching YouTube videos of world-famous chefs or learning from your mom’s cooking. Prepare food for you and your guests and enjoy it with some good wine and aperitif. Create an atmosphere and spice up the evening with some decoration and music related to the country where your recipe comes from (Mexico, Italy, France …). You can also cook with your friends and buy the dinner supplies together. If you are not into cooking and do not have the will to prepare and tidy up, just book a table in a restaurant you like and enjoy.
11. Cocktail party
Everyone loves cocktails! Colorful, fragrant, sweet drinks that easily deceive us. Become a cocktail master, buy a cocktail mixer, and stock up on a variety of liqueurs, brandies, juices, fruits, and decorations. Make a cocktail list and let your friends choose what to drink. If you are really a grandmaster, show your skills with fire and ignite the atmosphere. In doing so, try not to lose your eyebrows.
12. Pool party
It’s summer, hot and you just want to cool off in the pool and sip cocktails. Organize a pool party for yourself and your friends and family. If you don’t have a house with a pool (if you have one we’re jealous of) rent a house for one night, decorate it and enjoy yourself by the pool with music, food, and drinks. When you get tired of chatting with guests, show everyone your best jumps on the diving board – just make sure you don’t run out of swimwear.
13. Go bowling
Most bowling alleys have the option of organizing birthday celebrations. Gather your company and rent a part of the bowling alley just for you. There will be tables, food, and drinks at your disposal, and if you want to be extra, bring your glittery birthday bowling shoes. Relax and don’t let the over-competitive spirit spoil the celebratory atmosphere. Everyone loves bowling and everyone loves parties so the mix of the two has to be a spectacle.
14. Shopping spree
We all love to buy something nice for ourselves. Especially on special days like birthdays. If you are lucky and you can afford a dream car, apartment, or motorbike on your jubilee birthday, great! Most will be content to visit their favorite boutiques, hardware stores, or home depo stores. Be smart and don’t spend your monthly budget in a couple of hours but reach into your wallet deeper than usual.
15. Sailing
You’ve probably heard a lot of stories about unforgettable sailing get-togethers, especially if you live somewhere relatively close to the sea. If you haven’t, you’ve probably watched some movie where the company is having fun on some boat/sailboat. For this way of celebrating your 30th birthday, you will need to reach a little deeper into your pocket. However, if this is not a problem for you this is certainly one of the best ways to have an unforgettable experience with your friends. Certainly, if you are not self-sufficient in sailboat management and do not have someone who has been on the boat at least 2 times and can help you, you will need to hire a skipper. It’s just up to you to listen to the instructions when sailing and docking and not to fall overboard. Bring food, drinks, sun cream, and a few pieces of waterproof clothing in case of bad weather. However, if the forecast is consistent and if you have planned everything well this can be a memorable trip in your 30s. Sail towards a beautiful bay, visit a beautiful coastal town or village, sunbathe, try fishing, feel the sea and nature and simply enjoy! You deserve it.
16. Day at the spa
Do you work all day or have children so you don’t sleep at night? Your eyelids are like a raccoon’s or your back hurts from sitting at work and you can’t do a handstand anymore (let’s be honest, you probably never could). The thought of another sleepless party night gives you a headache? Take a deep breath and pay for a spa day. Let them pamper you with massages, facial treatments, detox in the sauna, and splash in the pool. All this with a glass of champagne and fresh fruit. Enjoy!
17. Dinner at your favorite restaurant
If you’re not exactly a man of over-organization or just don’t have the time, opt for a classic and rent a room at your favorite restaurant for your celebration. A few days before, arrange a menu with the restaurant staff, drinks to be drunk, and give instructions for interior design. Everyone loves a celebration like this. Superb food, drinks, socializing, laughter, and one of the most important – no cleaning and washing dishes when the celebration is over and the guests disperse.
18. Movie night
You are a fan of the seventh art and not a day goes by that you don’t watch the movie. Why break that tradition? Organize a movie night for your birthday party, relax, prepare a bunch of popcorn and nachos for your team and the fun can begin. Of course, since it’s your birthday, everything should be at a slightly higher level than usual. So get comfortable armchairs, soft blankets, dim the lights and turn up the volume. You are the celebrant and you determine the genre. Of course, you won’t turn on an Exorcist if the kids are present at the party or one of the guests has heart problems, but primarily indulge yourself.
19. Go to a festival or a concert
Celebrate your 30th birthday at a concert by your favorite band or singer. Buy tickets on time for yourself and your friends or if you like to enjoy music on your own, go solo. Why not! If the concert is outdoors, prepare for potential weather disasters and don’t let anything spoil your day. Sing, dance, and have fun with the sounds of your favorite music.
20. Visit a gallery or museum
You don’t like crazy parties, crowds, and drunkenness? Maybe you think that by entering the 30s you are obliged to get serious or you are simply an art lover? Celebrate this jubilee birthday in a very special way – visit a museum or art gallery. Explore the current museum and gallery settings in your city or visit a museum you’ve always wanted but something would always come up. Treat yourself with art.
21. Call the tarot card reader
You’re not superstitious but you do think it would be really fun to invite a tarot reader to your party? You always wanted someone to tell you what to expect but you were afraid of being ridiculed by friends. The 30th birthday is an ideal occasion for that. You will be surprised how many of your “serious and realistic” friends will want to know their “fate”. Laughter and fun are guaranteed. And maybe you too will get an insight into your bright future in the third decade.
22. Mancave / Girls just wanna have fun party
You are married or living with a partner and you feel like you are together 24 hours a day. We are sure that by applying the “Bambi look” method and taking your sweetheart to a romantic dinner in a restaurant, you will be able to persuade your sweetheart to a mancave/girls only celebration of your 30th birthday. Invite your male friends and celebrate your birthday in a tracksuit with a beer in hand watching matches or playing video games. Or invite your girls, make margaritas, and dance to the Spice girls hits until your legs hurt. Fun fun fun!
23. Backyard party
You have a nice yard or you don’t but one of your family/friends has and will give it to you to use for a day. Super! If you are celebrating a birthday in the spring or summer, organize a garden party. Set up barns with decorated food, cakes, and drinks, hire a DJ or band, decorate the yard with lamps and comfy blankets. Music, dancing, socializing, fine food and drinks, you don’t even need anything else for a spectacular birthday party.
24. Scary getaway
Do you like horror movies and scary stories? Are your friends (or at least some of them) brave enough to keep you company on your research expedition? Then this advice is for you. Search the internet and find abandoned mental hospitals, cemeteries, and haunted houses near you. Get ready for a rush of adrenaline and the occasional scream of your friends. Of course, take photos of it all and post your heroic birthday venture on social media.
25. Make it a surprise party
This advice can only be put into practice by top party organizers. To organize a surprise party for your birthday, start planning on time, be secretive and watch your every move so that you are not discovered before the party starts. Invite your friends and family, one by one, at home, to some boring activity. For example, say you need help with a project at work or in moving a closet. And when they come, jump them with balloons, confetti, whistles, and hours of unforgettable fun.
26. Cooking class
Do you like to cook, are you a real gourmet and food is a big part of your everyday life? Super! Take a cooking class, alone or with friends/partners. Have your first course be on your birthday. You will enjoy the aromas and flavors with a glass of wine. You will learn some new dishes and laugh at your friend who is struggling with peeling potatoes.
27. Go to a pub quiz
You and your friends are real connoisseurs and your knowledge of general culture is at an enviable level? Also, you like to compete and drink a couple of beers with pretzels and peanuts. Celebrate your 30th birthday at the pub by competing in a knowledge quiz with your friends. The more the evening progresses, and the number of mugs on the table grows, the concentration will decrease and the answers will be hilarious. Smart is sexy!
28. Spend your birthday in the air
This advice is for all adrenaline addicts who think that the 30th birthday is the right time to dare to cross the scariest things from the wish list compiled on the 18th birthday. Celebrate your 30th birthday in a hot air balloon, a panoramic helicopter flight, try air sailing, or a parachute jump. Of course, the most important thing is to organize such a celebration with clubs that are professionally engaged in such activities, under the watchful eye of trained coaches and with all the necessary protective equipment. Definitely a birthday to remember!
29. Start volunteering
If you love helping others but daily commitments don’t allow you to volunteer as much as you’d like, why not set aside a couple of hours on your birthday to help someone. You can ask your friends to pay money to a charity or shelter for abandoned animals instead of gifts. You and your team can visit a nursing home, cook in the public kitchen or arrange cleaning of the local children’s playground. By helping on your birthday you will do good to both yourself and others. Because there’s no better gift for your 30th birthday than a smile on someone else’s face for something you’ve done for them.
30. Party in the mountains
If your birthday is in winter or summer but you want to escape the heat and cool off in the mountain air, head to the mountains. Rent a mountain lodge with friends, family, or a loved one, light a fire in the fireplace, swim in the heated jacuzzis and enjoy the activities in the snow. Or if it’s summer, play sports games on perfectly green meadows, take a walk in the woods and spend your birthday actively and healthily in nature.
31. Hire a stand-up comedian
The essence of a birthday celebration is to have fun and laugh. So, if you’re not exactly the most humorous person in the world or you don’t want to be entertained on a birthday by a friend who is a court jester on duty – hire a stand-up comedian. Investigate the recommendations for a good stand-up comedian (so that the celebration would not be a complete disaster – both for you and the comedian’s self-confidence) and let the fun begin. You can organize the celebration at home (if you have the time and nerves) or buy tickets for a stand-up performance for yourself and your friends. In any case, we hope that the next day you will have an inflammation of the abdominal muscles and a couple of new wrinkles of laughter.
32. Have a game night
We all love to organize or go to friends to have game nights. Video games, board games, or fictional games that only we and our team know. For your birthday, go a little extra and make this evening of games extra special. Of course, buy enough drinks and food (make your life easier by ordering food), borrow or buy fun games and the fun can begin. From Pictionary air, monopoly, timeless twister, or console video games, the possibilities are endless and good fun is guaranteed.
33. Throw a costume party
You’re never too old for a costume party and don’t trust anyone who tells you otherwise! So show off your creative side and throw a crazy costume party for yourself and your friends. As a party host, you can set costumes for your friends (be a little naughty and laugh at them all night) or let them choose their own costumes. Enter your third decade as a bad cop, Beyonce or Frankenstein and you’ll have a birthday to remember.
34. Pottery class
Ever wanted to feel the rotating pottery under your fingers, that you shape to your liking? When actors do this in movies it seems like the most relaxing feeling in the world. Find the nearest pottery studio on the Internet and pay for a pottery course for yourself and your friends or loved ones. Don’t expect to make an admirable vase the same day but be persistent and the effort will pay off. After the first course, let us know if it really feels as good as it looks.
35. Visit a national park
Going to nature fills you with positive energy and is an experience for all the senses. Have you visited national parks? Gather your company, equip yourself with fine birthday sandwiches and beer and enjoy sightseeing and natural beauty. Spend a day in nature, tire your body and recharge your mind, sit on a bench with your crew, eat those sandwiches, drink a cold beer and make jokes. Organize a visit over the weekend, spend the night in one of the motels in the national park, and let the birthday party last a few days.
36. Theme party
Want a touch of Great Gatsby in your home for your birthday? Or maybe Hawaii? Love the nineties vibe? A themed party is then the perfect party for you. Don’t get involved in organizing a themed birthday party if you don’t have enough time, nerves, and money (or you’re a mega DIY talent). When guests enter your house, the theme must be more than obvious. So pay enough attention to decorating the house, birthday decorations, food and drink, music, and of course your outfit.
37. Train trip
Have you watched the movie Orient express and since then you have been dreaming of a multi-day trip by luxury train with a sleeping and restaurant car? Treat yourself, a loved one, or a best friend with a journey of a lifetime. There is something mysterious and extremely sublime about traveling by train. The focus is always on the journey itself, not on the destination. Enjoy sumptuous bedrooms, superb dinner, and feel like a character in Agatha Christie’s novel for one night – your birthday! Of course, spice it all up with a festive outfit and super cool photos.
38. Go ice skating
Do you love winter, snow, mulled wine, and watching your friends fall on skates? Rent a skating rink big enough for you and your friends, rent skates, dress well and enjoy the ice with your favorite music (make sure to give the DJ a USB / cd with your favorite songs). Most skating rinks have tables or even small cafes so the fun will be even twice as good if you drink a couple of glasses too. Of course, if you are a total anti-talent put on a protective helmet and shields (expect bursts of laughter from your guests). You will sweat, have fun, laugh, and relax. A great way to get into your 30s.
39. Rent a jet ski
If the circumstances allow, (that means the proximity of a lake or a sea and the season is right), take your group of friends on a water adrenaline enjoyment. Find a renter on a lake or beach and sit on jet skis. If you haven’t tried it by now you have to for your 30th birthday. Everyone would get excited by the sound of the engine and turbine as they race on the water and the wind and drops splash their face. Both the calmest and the most passive simply have to go wild when they try jet skiing. After half an hour of crazy driving, you will feel phenomenal! Of course, leave drinks and food for later so that this ride doesn’t turn into something you don’t want. So, an empty stomach before jet skiing is a must! Afterward, everything is allowed. Sit in a nearby beach bar and regain strength with a few drinks and a burger. You will remember this and want to repeat it for your 31st birthday.
40. Night in the city/clubbing
If for you, fun means – crazy fun, then just go crazy in the city. However, it is your 30th birthday, so this time try to organize the exact route you will take in a crazy night out. To calmly enjoy the evening and drinks, you can rent a limousine. It may sound like a cliché, but few remain indifferent to a real presidential ride with champagne. You will surely attract a lot of views, but that’s what you wanted, so show off, it’s your 30th birthday!. Make a tour plan of your favorite bars and clubs and give it to the driver. You will feel like a star. Take a picture and make sure everyone sees it – it’s just such a party. Try not to stumble before dinner when you are getting out of the limo in front of your favorite restaurant. Take it easy with drinks, you don’t have to drink everything from the minibar before the 1st traffic light. It’s a long night for your 30th birthday!
We hope we’ve given you at least one idea (out of 40) of how to celebrate your big 30th birthday. When making a decision about how you will celebrate your birthday, first of all, take care to celebrate it with the people you love. Another thing you need to think about is to spend a reasonable amount of money. Don’t take out a loan to organize a party nor do you mortgage a house. Be aware of your material possibilities. After all, what is most important, and that all your guests will remember, is a good atmosphere, laughter, and unforgettable fun. We hope you have a day to remember!