If you’re new to hosting and need help planning a Halloween party in general, you might want to start with Halloween Party Planning 101. It covers the 12 things you must absolutely keep in mind when organizing a Halloween party.
And if you find that an 1980s party isn’t quite your style, check out the Themes page for more start-to-finish party ideas!
Invitations
Start off with 1980s-themed invitations
Regardless of which ones you choose, remember to send them out well in advance of your party. If you need more information, you can check out my post on how long in advance to plan your Halloween party.
Decor
To help you get started, here are some key decorations and design elements that you might want to get your hands on to set the stage for your 80s party:
In addition to the above, I’ve also added accessories like fedora hats, mullet wigs, zebra ties, and zigzag sunglasses to my usual Halloween props for laughs and to give them an 80s vibe. That’s right – I basically got costumes for my props, and they were very well received!
Costumes
Considering that the 1980s was a time period that left a memorable impact across all forms of popular culture, there’s a huge variety of inspiration for costumes. Here’s a quick selection to get the ideas flowing. When you’re done, check out the Costumes section for more ideas and tips on buying costumes online.
- Ghostbusters
- Back to the Future
- Weird Science
- Ferris Bueler’s Day Off
- E.T.
- Indiana Jones & the Raiders of the Lost Ark
- Weekend at Bernie’s
- Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
- Beetlejuice
- Pretty in Pink
- Friday the 13th
- A Nightmare on Elm Street
- Goonies
- Mad Max
- Beverly Hills Cop
- The Princess Bride
- The Terminator
- Blade Runner
- Rocky
- Godzilla
TV Shows
- Cheers
- The Cosby Show
- The A-Team
- ALF
- Knight Rider
- Dukes of Hazzard
- Dallas
- The Smurfs
- WWF (Hulk Hogan, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Randy Macho Man Savage)
- Max Headroom
- Wonder Woman
- The Incredible Hulk
- Michael Jackson
- Boy George
- Madonna
- Tina Turner
- Cindi Lauper
- Motley Crue
- Kiss
- The Police
- Journey
- ZZ Top
- Brian Adams
- Bananarama
- Pat Benatar
- Joan Jett
- Eurythmics
- The Pretenders
- Stevie Nicks
- Stevie Wonder
- Heart
- Bon Jovi
- AC/DC
- Def Leppard
- Van Halen
- Poison
- Duran Duran
- The Cure
- Twisted Sister
- Blondie
- Pac-Man
- Donkey Kong
- Frogger
- Q*Bert
- Space Invaders
- Super Mario Bros.
- The Legend of Zelda
Public Figures
- Ronald Reagan
- Nancy Reagan
- Mikhail Gorbachev
- Pope John Paul II
- Princess Diana
- Prince Charles
- Margaret Thatcher
- Brian Mulroney
- Terry Fox
- Muammar al-Qaddafi
Extra Touches
- You will absolutely need a good 1980s music playlist, including Halloween classics such as Thriller
and Ghostbusters
- Serving your food on 80s tableware
will definitely enhance the mood
Want more? Visit the Hosting section for party planning advice, or check out the Ideas section for ways to further enhance your party.
If you have a question or comment, please feel free to post it below. I’m more than happy to help and usually respond within a day or two!
Hey Patrick,
This is pretty cool. I’m dressing my son up as Chucky this year. I may have to take one from your list, Bernie Lomax..haa.
Another category that you can add is 80’s Fitness Icons. I was Richard Simmons a couple years back. It was funny as heck.
Awesome ideas sir. I’ll stay tuned for the 90’s Theme post.
– Oscar
Hi Patrick,
I would say you’re a Party animal. Hehe. Thank you for sharing your cool ideas. You really know how to organize events like this. Your links help me lot on where to buy, or how to start such a party.
And yeah, I miss the good old days when I used to enjoy watching Alf and the ghostbusters. I envied the kids who can afford to buy the ghostbuster car toy and the whole crew.
Cheers!
Thanks Raymond! Glad you enjoyed the posts! Let me know if you need anything else, and enjoy the site.
This is so helpful. If you tell me to dress up an 80 theme, I seriously have no idea and clue what’s in my head to wear.
Worse, I thought Godzilla is 90’s. Darn! I need to know some general facts! Fair enough, not a huge fan.
Actually, I like the new Godzilla. One which was released and I think if someone wears something similar like that, that would be a cool costume.
Thanks Tar. Godzilla has been remade numerous times and the original actually dates back to the 1950s, but the height of its popularity in my opinion was in the 1980s. I’m glad you found the post helpful. If you need anything else, don’t hesitate to ask. Cheers!
Hi Patrick, you saved me a ton of time and a ton of worries hosting a party! What I liked most is that you covered all areas (costumes, invitations…) I sent hours trying to put this together because you can find decor on one site and costumes on another site..but your has all 🙂
Thanks Kat! Glad you found it helpful!
It’s always great coming across posts that are really detailed to what they have to say. Your 80s Halloween party ideas are spot on. As I was going through your lists I was taken back to all what was happening back in the 80s so you are right on the money with your idea.
Your concept is great and I can see plenty of cool party ideas coming from you in the future.
Great site and worth book marking.
Thanks Travis! I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Don’t hesitate to reach out if I can be of assistance with anything!
Hi Patrick,
This is a really cool idea. I know plenty of people who would love to attend an 80’s themed halloween party. It’s awesome how you don’t just cover the costume part, but other aspects such as decorations and invitations. It really jumps the party from typical to immersive! Very impressive!
Thanks R! Stark, huh? I’m not sure if you’re a fan of the show or not, but I do have a post on how to plan a Game of Thrones party and another on the best Game of Thrones costumes that you might enjoy.
In either case, don’t hesitate to let me know if you have any questions!