The Best 40th Birthday Party Ideas for an Unforgettable Celebration | Function Central (2024)

A party isn’t a party without decorations. You can transform even the simplest of spaces with some clever touches, and the good news is your 40th birthday party decorations don’t need to cost a lot – you just need to be creative.

Balloons are always a good idea – whether you create a statement balloon arch (perfect for those Instagram-worthy shots) or keep it old-school with a simple bunch of balloons tied with string. Just make sure you opt for biodegradable balloons as an eco-friendly option.

Throwing an awesome 40th birthday party doesn’t have to cost a fortune. There are loads of fun and memorable ways to celebrate the big 4-0 without breaking the bank. Organising a surprise party at your home can be an excellent budget 40th birthday party idea.

Ask friends and family to bring a plate of food and a bottle of something, create your own birthday party playlist and just enjoy being together. The element of surprise makes this super-special, without the need for pricey decorations or catering.

Another option is to invite your friends to come along to a picnic at your local park. Set out plenty of blankets and encourage guests to each bring some picnic food for sharing. It’s a great, low-key, chilled-out way to celebrate a 40th birthday, while actually getting to spend time with the people you love the most.

If the birthday boy is more of an outdoorsy type, why not throw a 40th birthday party camping trip instead? You can’t go wrong with a laid-back BBQ, a few beers and a night sleeping under the stars.

Another great idea is holding your own Pub Quiz 40th birthday party. Transform your home or venue into the local, complete with bar, snacks and the pub quiz to end all pub quizzes. Bag of pork scratchings for the winner!

When it comes to 40th birthday party ideas for her, why not keep it chic with a classy co*cktail party? Hire out a fancy bar or set up your own mixing station at home – you could even book a mixologist to come and shake up something special.

Retro-fans will love a cute roller-skating party – heaven for kids of the ‘80s! Hire out a roller-skating rink, get dressed up in your best ‘80s gear and pretend you’re 8 for the night. Go all out with party bags full of sweets from your childhood, like Dib Dabs and packets of Hubba Bubba. Nostalgia overload.

If a more relaxed 40th birthday party is what you’ve got in mind, throw an indulgent pampering party with a handful of close friends instead. Treat yourself by booking out your local beauty salon or get your favourite beauty therapists to come to you for some home comforts.

Music is crucial to any party, but especially one as epic as your 40th! Choosing the right music for your 40th birthday party depends a lot on your personal musical taste and what kind of vibe you’re going for. A party band is the perfect way to cover all bases; soul, funk, rock, pop – you can find the perfect party band for your 40th birthday at Function Central.

Calling all party animals! If you want to keep the dancefloor jumping all night, hire a professional DJ for your 40th party. It takes the pressure out of having to create the perfect playlist yourself, and no one can read the room – or take requests – quite like a DJ who has 100s of amazing tunes at their fingertips.

Party games are fun, whatever age you are, so it’s worth having a few entertainment ideas up your sleeve for your 40th birthday celebration. Want to help your guests break the ice? How about a ‘grown-up’ pinata, filled with things like wrapped liqueur chocolates and scratch cards?

For a budget 40th birthday party game, try creating your own quiz sheets full of questions about the birthday boy or girl. Get your guests to fill them in during the party then, once all the forms are in, check the scores and give a bottle of wine to the winner.

Karaoke is always a crowd-pleaser. One budget option is to use a home karaoke machine – or even a hands-free microphone and YouTube karaoke videos. If you have the budget, go all out with a karaoke band where you get to live out those rock star dreams, singing your heart out with a live band.

Another firm party favourite is a photo booth. Hire a booth for guests to pile into or set up your own DIY photo booth with an instant camera, homemade backdrop and plenty of props.

Throwing a 40th birthday party at home can be a great budget option, while still feeling really special. You can’t go wrong with a dinner party, but if you want to add something extra into the mix why not turn it into a murder mystery party? These are experiencing a real resurgence in popularity thanks to the hit TV BBC show The Traitors. You can buy murder mystery game kits giving you all the info you need to host your own.

A quirky twist for a 40th birthday celebration at home is a board game party. Get guests to bring their favourite board games, set them up around the house – along with plenty of snacks and drinks – and let battle commence. You’ll be surprised how involved (and competitive!) your guests will get.

An alfresco celebration always feels special, so – if the weather allows – an outdoor garden party is an excellent idea for a 40th birthday. With any outdoor party, it pays to be prepared. Make sure there is some kind of shelter available, just in case the British weather doesn’t play ball. This could be a cheap and cheerful gazebo, or a fancy tipi set up in the garden – whatever space and budget allows.

Don’t forget to provide plenty of seating outdoors, too. Chairs, beanbags, hay bales – whatever floats your boat! It’s also a good idea to create different party areas, to help give the day/evening some flow. A separate place to serve the food, plenty of room for dancing and a quiet chill-out area tends to tick all the boxes.

Make sure there’s enough to eat and drink (you really don’t want to be running out of wine an hour into your celebration!) and crucially, don’t forget the music. While you may need to be mindful of how loud your music is and how late it goes on until when throwing a garden party, nothing will set the tone better than live musicians.

Popular live music choices for outdoor entertainment include steel bands, gypsy jazz bands and acoustic guitar vocalists. A garden party gives you free rein to be a little ‘out there’ so why not hire a Mariachi band or bluegrass band to get your 40th birthday party started?

The all-important question – where should you host your 40th birthday party? Choosing the right venue is all dependent on what kind of party you’d like, how many guests you want to invite, how far in advance you are planning and what kind of budget you have in mind.

If time is of the essence and you’re trying to arrange a last-minute 40th birthday celebration, it’s probably easiest to throw an epic party at home or in your garden, as many place might already be booked up. This is also a great idea for those on a budget.

Hiring out a room at your local pub will offer more space, while hiring out a cool bar will help set the scene for an extra-special celebration, but of course will cost more. These both give the option of inviting more guests as well as taking away the worry about providing drinks yourself.

Your 40th birthday is a once-in-a-lifetime excuse for a massive party, so if you want to really push the boat out you could book a large party house for a weekend-long celebration, or even head off on holiday with your best friends for a party in the sun.

What theme do you have in mind? While you may just want to enjoy the opportunity to get dressed up and party the night away, a 40th birthday does lend itself very well to a fun theme.

If you’re about to celebrate turning 40, you’ll have spent your teenage years living it up in the ‘90s – but what musical tribe were you in? Whether you were a Britpop indie kid, ‘90s hip hop obsessive, Ibiza raver or pop geek, now is your time to shine and set the rules for your birthday party. Theme it around your favourite musical era and genre, with a cool band or DJ and fancy dress for the ultimate trip down memory lane.

Another great 40th birthday party theme is fancy dress beginning with first letter of the name of the birthday boy or girl. This gives guests plenty of scope when choosing their outfits and the results are always amazing!

Whether you’re planning the party to end all parties for your husband, wife or friend, or you’re looking to throw an epic celebration for yourself, a 40th birthday deserves an unforgettable party.

At Function Central we’ve got the very best selection of bands, musicians, DJs and unusual entertainment to make sure your party goes off in style. After all, you only get to do this once, so make sure you do it properly!