Like, oh my gosh! It’s time to totally soak up some sunshine and excellent vibes with a most radical 80s pool party! This killer guide will show you how to throw a summer bash filled with outrageous fun, bangin’ beats, and non-stop aquatic excitement guaranteed to bring out your inner valley girl or gnarly dude.
From the invites to some classic 80s tunes to the excellent eats, games and more, we’ve got you covered to host the most triumphant neon dream pool party that will go down in history! So bust out the teased bangs, neon spandex, and Ray Bans and let’s get planning an 80s nostalgia-fest your guests will never forget!
Select a Party Spot
Finding a prime venue is crucial for capturing that authentic 80s pool party atmosphere. If you’re blessed enough to have your own backyard aqua oasis, deck it out with some inflatables like rafts, noodles, and unicorn floats.
Consider adding a Slip ‘N Slide stretching out across the lawn for maximum wet n’ wild thrills. Construct a diving board area and use pool floor decals with 80s graphics for a really custom vibe. For more of an upscale country club feel, look into renting pool facilities at schools, rec centers, gyms, hotels or public pools in your area. Many offer after-hour rental options perfect for private parties.
Ideal setups will have ample deck space surrounding the water for activities and lounging in lawn chairs under umbrellas with fruit juice cocktails in hand. Outdoor kitchens or grilling areas are prime for serving up tasty bites poolside as well. Having some indoor areas to escape sun or rain is ideal.
Aim for a space allowing you to section off different zones – maybe a food/beverage area, activity zone, chill out lounge, photo booth, dance floor, etc. Bonus points for tropical touches like tiki huts, kiddie pools, cabanas or hanging palm trees to really soak up the exotic 80s atmosphere.
Banging Retro Invites
Design brightly colored printed invites featuring 80s graphics like palm trees, pineapples, boomboxes, neon graffiti and more.
Use classic 80s fonts and tease exciting details like bubble bars, costume contests, dance offs, trivia, or lawn games to get them stoked. Mail physical invites on neon, animal print or acid wash patterned paper. Include map images directing guests to the party venue in 80s lingo like “Be there or be square!”
For digital invites, use sites like Evite or Punchbowl to design e-vites packed with 80s graphics, templates and customization options. Upload images of 80s celebrities like a young Tom Cruise in Risky Business or retro cartoon characters for a nostalgic vibe.
Include an 80s playlist preview to get guests excited for the throwback tunes. Remind them to break out their best and brightest swimsuits, neon accessories, visors and acid wash for that tropical 80s look.
Speaking of neon, maybe you wanna stay on dry land for an 80s neon bash? Read more in my article about that here.
Deck Out Like Club Tropicana
Transform your party zone into a time warp back to the 80s. Hit up thrift and dollar stores to score funky lawn flamingos, plastic furniture, beaded curtains, old boomboxes and other thrifted decor items to scatter around the venue.
Use bright and bold banners, streamers, balloons, and signs in electric neon shades like hot pink, acid green, and yellow highlighter. Make eye-catching signs and banners with bubbly 80s fonts and groovy phrases like “Frankie Says Relax.”
Hang inflatable palm trees, giant cacti, or bead doorway curtains for tropical vibes. Display vintage toys, cassettes, Rubik’s cubes and Atari games for a nostalgic pop culture touch. As the sun sets, illuminate the night with tiki torches, lanterns, string lights and glow sticks to give off trippy vibes.
Use a fog machine, bubble machine, disco balls, strobe lights or even laser light projectors to transform the scene into a dance club atmosphere. If renting a venue, ask if they already have lighting extras you can use to really amp up the party.
Crank Up The 80s Jams
Get the party started by blasting the most radical 80s tunes all day and night long. Check out this mega 80s pool playlist to keep things rockin’ all day and night.
Dress Up In 80s Poolside Style
The 80s were all about expressing yourself through vibrant fashions – so encourage guests to fully embrace the decade with their poolside styles. For rad ladies, rock high cut one piece suits, sexy ruffle maillots, or of course that iconic Baywatch red suit.
Accessories like lace gloves, floppy hats, coverups with geometric prints, and scrunchies complete the look. Guys can channel Magnum PI in bold neon Hawaiian shirts, tanks, board shorts and ray bans. Or go full Miami Vice in pastel suits, no socks, and loafers.
Set up a decked out stranger things style photo booth station with boas, wacky wigs, props and accessories for excellent photo ops. Award best dressed prizes or hand out rad temporary tats, 80s makeup like blue eyeshadow, and hairspray to support the theme.
Quench Thirsts with 80s Beverages
Keep guests hydrated with plenty of radical drink options channeling the 80s. Fill up coolers with classic sodas, see if you can label the coolers with vintage 80s stickers.
For boozy drink stations, serve up colorful neon cocktails like electric lemonade, orange creamsicles, blue lagoons, and bright strawberry daiquiris. Mix up wine coolers, vodka spritzers, piña coladas, and summery rum punch bowls.
Fill drink dispensers with custom “bug juice” flavors using Kool-Aid and seltzers. Add far out garnishes like pineapple wedges, branded ice cubes, Swedish fish, and rock candy swizzle sticks. For low alcohol options, try this spiked punch bowl recipe. For alcohol-free options, make virgin daiquiris and different mocktails.
Consider hiring themed bartenders to really take the drink menu over the top with their mixology skills and costuming. Add extras like drink umbrellas, crazy straws, and flavored syrups so guests can get creative mixing their own radical beverages.
Dish Out Delicious 80s Bites
Keep guests fueled up with a spread of poolside nibbles and bites. Fill hollowed out pineapple halves with 7-layer dip or fruity chicken salad for a tropical party presentation.
Serve chips with French onion dip in retro Tupperware for a throwback treat. Make cookie or brownie bites featuring nostalgic brands like Chips Ahoy, Oreos, and Reese’s. Stack rainbow sandwiches on a tiered tray to create a colorful retro lunch spread.
For plant-based eaters, grill up tempeh kabobs, jackfruit pulled ‘ no pork’ sandwiches, and tofu pups. Create a sundae bar with classic 80s candies as toppings like Razzles, Pop Rocks, Nerds, bubble gum and candy necklaces.
Provide safer serving options with mini bottles of condiments, individual bags of chips, and snacks pre-portioned in compostable boats or wood trays. Just be sure to mark common allergens and meet all dietary needs!
Get Wet & Wild With Aqua Activities
Make a super splash with bodacious pool games and water activities. Challenge guests to rounds of pool volleyball using a floating neon net and beach ball. Have relay races like inner tube obstacle courses or greased watermelon carries across the pool.
Play rounds of Marco Polo or floating Foosball with pool noodles for gear. Give out dive sticks and snorkel gear for underwater challenges to retrieve prizes like waterproof playing cards from the pool floor.
In the evening, hang up an inflatable movie screen and project 80s flicks poolside for a far out dive in viewing experience. Bring out water balloons, super soakers, and water guns for epic aquatic battles. Use glow sticks for night swims and hand out light up floats and glasses, so the fun never stops when the sun goes down.
Award winning teams or individuals fun prizes like inflatable rafts, family pool passes, summertime buckets, and towel wraps. The wetter, wackier, and wilder the games, the more epic the party memories will be!
Get more ideas from 80s party games article.
Send Guests Off With Excellent 80s Swag
After a most triumphant time, give guests thoughtful parting gifts to commemorate the shindig. Offer customized sunglasses, visors, fanny packs, or pool bags featuring 80s graphics and sayings as they depart.
Fill goodie bags with bangin’ candies like Bubble Tape, Fun Dip, Razzles, Sweet Tarts, Nerds and more retro treats.
Any neon, tropical, or 80s themed swag like floating keychains, beach balls, tooth gems or commemorative tees make excellent takeaways.
To Sum Up
There you have it. Now you’re fully equipped to make some waves and soak up the sun at the most excellent 80s pool party under the palm trees!
So grease up that mullet, slap on some zinc, and get ready to Marco… Polo your way to pool side.
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