Rave is probably the defining music culture of the 90s. So many new styles of electronic music were created in this decade, and so many more genres continue to spin off right up til the present day. But you’re not here for the new stuff, you wanna go old skool with a 90s rave party.
So, if you’re going to a 90s rave party or putting one on, this guide has you covered. We’re going back, way back, to when the beats were electric, the fashion was bold, and the energy was infectious.
Choosing The Venue
Choosing the right venue sets the tone for your 90s rave gathering and ensures a memorable experience for your guests. Here are some venue ideas that will transport everyone back to the vibrant atmosphere of the era:
Spacious Backyard: If you have access to a large backyard, consider hosting your rave party under the stars. Transform the outdoor space with colorful lighting, hanging lanterns, and fairy lights. Set up multiple dance areas and designate chill-out zones with comfortable seating. Install a quality sound system that can handle the heavy beats and deep bass of the music.
Industrial Warehouse: Industrial warehouses were the back bone of 90s rave. So many underground parties were held in disused ones up and down the country and long before raves became more popular in clubs. The raw and gritty ambiance of such a place, with its exposed brick walls and high ceilings, provides the perfect backdrop for your event. Create designated spaces for dancing, lounging, and chill-out areas. Enhance the venue with UV lighting, laser beams, and fog machines to capture the true essence of a 90s warehouse rave.
Retro-Themed Local Club: Choose a venue with multiple rooms or levels to provide different music experiences throughout the night. Coordinate with the club to ensure they can accommodate your 90s rave theme, allowing you to add your unique touches with decorations and lighting. Don’t forget to reserve space for activities like games, photo booths, and a dedicated ‘chill room.’
Rented Event Space: Consider renting an event space specifically designed for parties and gatherings. Look for a space that allows customization, so you can transform it into a mesmerizing 90s rave wonderland. With a rented space, you have more freedom to create distinct zones for dancing, lounging, and dining. Work with the venue staff to ensure they can accommodate your sound and lighting requirements.
Remember to consider the capacity of the venue, ensuring it can comfortably accommodate your guest list. Take into account factors like parking availability, accessibility, and any necessary permits or noise restrictions in your chosen location.
For budget-friendly options, explore community centers, local halls, or even collaborate with like-minded friends to transform a larger private residence.
Decorate Your 90s Rave Space
Raves were all about darkened rooms, lasers, big lights and fog machines. Recreating this feeling will be key to making sure your night is a success.
Blacklight Wonderland: Blacklight or UV lighting is a staple of any 90s rave party. Set up blacklight fixtures throughout the space to make the neon elements truly pop. Incorporate glow-in-the-dark paint or highlighters to create unique designs on walls or floors. Hang fluorescent posters, tapestries, or large sheets of fabric that react to blacklight. Experiment with neon-colored streamers, balloons, and ribbons to add depth.
Psychedelic Backdrops: Create mesmerizing backdrops using colorful psychedelic patterns or tie-dye fabrics. Stretch them across walls or use them as photo booth backgrounds. Incorporate optical illusions, such as spiral designs or kaleidoscopic visuals, to add a touch of whimsy.
Inflatable Decorations: Enhance the visual impact with inflatable decorations like giant neon-colored mushrooms, aliens, or smiley faces. Scatter them around the dance floor or hang them from the ceiling for an immersive experience. You can also include inflatable palm trees or rubber ducks to add that fun sillyness that 90s raves are known for.
Neon Banners and Signage: Design and display neon-colored banners and signs with rave-related phrases or symbols. Use fluorescent paint or markers on large whiteboards or chalkboards to encourage interactive messages from attendees.
Glow Sticks and LED Accessories: Distribute glow sticks, LED bracelets, or necklaces to guests as they enter. These vibrant accessories will add to the overall atmosphere and create a sense of unity among attendees.
Sound System and Lighting: To fully immerse your guests in the music, invest in renting a high-quality sound system with lights and fog machines that can deliver the depth and clarity these genres demand. Consult with professionals or knowledgeable enthusiasts to ensure optimal sound quality throughout the venue.
Invitations To Rave
Designing invitations with vibrant, eye-catching colors is key to capturing the essence of the 90s rave scene. Consider using neon hues, bold typography, and playful graphics that evoke a sense of excitement.
For a more personalized touch, go for traditional paper invitations using neon-colored cardstock or incorporating glow-in-the-dark elements.
Incorporate neon colors, psychedelic patterns, and iconic symbols like smiley faces, peace signs, mixing decks and music notes. Consider adding a touch of UV-reactive ink or neon-colored text to make your invitations stand out. Include a clear message that encourages guests to dress up in their best 90s rave gear.
If doing a social media event, make sure to include that same rave iconography in your banner and profile pictures. Post classic rave tunes to keep guests entertained and excited.
Tunes From The Era
There are so many great tunes from 90s rave, and you will never run out of things to play if you really know your stuff. Here’s some ideas on how to achieve the party atmosphere you want:
Mixing Nostalgic Anthems: Include well-known anthems from each genre to evoke nostalgia and capture the essence of the 90s rave scene. Infuse the playlist with tracks that were popular during the era, ensuring a journey through time for your guests.
Showcasing Underground Gems: Dig deeper into each genre to uncover lesser-known tracks that epitomize the underground rave culture of the time. These hidden gems will delight avid ravers and introduce newcomers to the diversity within each genre.
DJ Set or Playlist: If you have access to a talented DJ, consider having them craft a live mix during the party. Alternatively, create a well-sequenced playlist that captures the ebb and flow of the night.
Requests and Collaborative Playlists: Encourage guests to submit their favorite tracks from the 90s rave era before the party. Incorporate some of their suggestions to make the experience more personalized and interactive.
If you know some DJs who can mix well why not take ravers on a journey through the decade? Start with acid hosue, techno before moving on to old skool hardcore and drum n bass. You can dedicate an hour or two to each genre, or mix and match back and forth between them as the night goes on.
If you don’t know any DJs personally, you can always hire some for the night. Obviously, you will need someone who specializes in 90s rave genres and understands the vibe you want to create. Communicate your preferences and what genres you want for the party.
If you just want to stick to playlists, here’s a couple to get things moving:
A mixture of 90s old skool hardcore and drum n bass
90s Rave Fashion
90s rave fashion was all about individuality and self-expression. So feel free to mix and match different elements, experiment with layering, or even customize your clothing with DIY modifications. Don’t be afraid to incorporate your personal style and make a bold statement that reflects your unique personality. With that in mind, here’s some basics to get your creative juices going.
Baggy Pants: Embrace the iconic 90s rave style with baggy pants, such as wide-legged jeans, cargo pants, or joggers. Look for vibrant and eye-catching colors like neon greens, oranges, pinks, or bold patterns like tie-dye or camouflage.
Neon-Colored Clothing: Neon hues were a staple of 90s rave fashion. Opt for neon-colored t-shirts, tank tops, or crop tops. Combine contrasting colors or create a monochromatic look that pops under the blacklight.
Platform Shoes: Elevate your style with platform shoes or chunky sneakers that provide both comfort and a distinctive 90s rave look. Go for platforms with neon accents, glitter, or holographic elements.
Bandanas and Visors: Complete your outfit with accessories like bandanas, visors, or bucket hats that were popular in the rave scene. Experiment with tie-dye or neon-colored options.
Beaded Bracelets and Pacifiers: Accessorize with beaded bracelets, plastic bangles, or friendship bracelets. Pacifiers, although unconventional, were popular accessories in the 90s rave scene and can be a fun addition to your outfit.
Food & Drink
90s Raves were all about just gathering at a place, having a few drinks, having a good time and dancing. You can just stick to this formula and not really bother with food, except for a few snacks. But if you want, you can provide some food and drink with a more generalized 90s flavor.
General Snacks: Things like burgers, hot dogs and BBQ chicken will go down a treat with your guests. Look into some vegan options too for guests who follow plant based diets.
Nachos: Layer crispy tortilla chips with cheese, guacamole, salsa, and black beans for a satisfying savory snack. Customize with toppings like jalapeños, diced tomatoes, or sour cream.
90s Treats
Pop Rocks: Take a trip down memory lane with the crackling sensation of Pop Rocks candy. These small, carbonated candies come in a variety of flavors and are sure to ignite your taste buds.
Fruit Roll-Ups: Unroll the nostalgia with Fruit Roll-Ups, chewy and fruity treats that you can roll up and enjoy.
Gushers: Experience an explosion of flavor with Gushers, bite-sized fruit snacks filled with delicious fruity liquid centers.
Read More: 90s Party Food Ideas
Drinks
Aside from the usual selection of beers, sodas and juices you’d expect at a party, try some of these to add a rave flavor to the drinks selection.
Glow-in-the-Dark Cocktails: Create mesmerizing glow-in-the-dark cocktails using tonic water or specialty fluorescent mixers. Add UV-reactive ingredients like blue curaçao or edible glow powder to elevate the visual experience. Garnish with neon-colored fruit slices or glow sticks for an extra touch of magic.
Jello Shots: Prepare fun and colorful Jello shots and incorporate vibrant hues with edible neon food coloring. Serve them in neon-colored shot cups to add to the rave vibe.
Jello Shots: Prepare fun and colorful Jello shots and incorporate vibrant hues with edible neon food coloring. Serve them in neon-colored shot cups to add to the rave vibe.
Mocktails with Colorful Garnishes: Craft refreshing mocktails using a variety of juices like pineapple, cranberry, or citrus blends. Garnish with neon-colored straws, edible flowers, or fruit skewers.
Raver Games & Activities
Raves in the 90s had lots of fun games and activities alongside the lights and music. Some of the raves I went to, back in the day, had giant Jenga, connect 4 and photo booths. Keep guests entertained with these ideas.
Dance-Offs: Organize friendly dance-offs where guests can showcase their moves on the dance floor. Encourage participants to embrace the iconic dance styles of the 90s rave scene, such as the Melbourne Shuffle or the Hakken. Have the crowd cheer for their favorites, or designate judges to determine the winners.
Retro Video Game Station: Some of my favorite raves had video games set up on a large projector screen in a more chilled out area. Recreate one with classic video game consoles like the Sega Genesis or Super Nintendo. Set up popular multiplayer games like Mario Kart, Street Fighter, or Sonic the Hedgehog.
Neon Face and Body Painting: Provide UV-reactive face and body paint for guests to express their creativity and enhance their look. Set up a dedicated station with neon colors and brushes where attendees can paint intricate designs, patterns, or even symbols that were popular during the 90s rave era. Encourage participants to embrace the neon aesthetic and use glow-in-the-dark or UV-reactive paints.
Chill-Out Zone: Create a designated chill-out area where guests can take a break from dancing and relax. Set up comfortable seating with bean bags, floor cushions, or inflatable sofas. Decorate the area with UV-reactive tapestries or neon-colored fabric to create an inviting and soothing ambiance. Have a playlist or DJ spinning some ambient, downtempo, or chill-out tunes. Add those giant Jengas and connect 4s I was talking about earlier, too.
Rave Photo booth: Set up a dedicated photo booth area with a backdrop that complements the rave theme. Include props like neon-colored sunglasses, glow sticks, or oversized headphones for guests to pose with. Provide a Polaroid or instant photo printer to capture instant memories or create a digital photo booth experience where guests can take photos with their own devices.
Read More: 90s Party Game Ideas
Rave Favors & Giveaways
Give your guests some little gifts and giveaways to give them something to remember the night by and to show your appreciation for them coming to your event.
Glow Sticks and Neon Accessories: Distribute glow sticks, neon bracelets, or necklaces to your guests as they enter the party. These vibrant accessories not only add to the overall rave aesthetic, but also provide a sense of unity and excitement among attendees. Opt for high-quality glow sticks that offer long-lasting brightness, ensuring guests can continue the glow even after the party ends.
Neon Sunglasses: Hand out neon-colored sunglasses as stylish and practical party favors. These iconic accessories were a staple of the 90s rave scene and will not only protect your guests’ eyes from the bright lights but also serve as a fun fashion statement. Look for sunglasses with UV protection for added functionality.
Temporary Tattoos: Provide an array of temporary tattoos featuring 90s rave-inspired designs such as smiley faces, peace signs, or music notes. Set up a tattoo station where guests can apply these colorful and nostalgic tattoos to their skin.
Rave Pins and Buttons: Offer a selection of rave-themed pins and buttons for guests to choose from. These small, wearable accessories can feature symbols like smiley faces, peace signs, or phrases that capture the essence of the 90s rave culture.
Customized LED Bracelets: Provide LED bracelets that can be customized with personalized messages or phrases. These bracelets emit a soft glow and can be programmed to display different colors or patterns. Guests can select their desired message or have it personalized on-site, creating a unique and interactive experience.
That’s it for this guide. Whether hosting a 90s rave party or attending one, you now have everything you need to have a fantastic night filled with bangin’ tunes, neon glow, dancing, fun and laughter with your friends. I hope you have an amazing time!
Leave a Reply