13 Halloween Party Themes That Are Honestly Genius

Award shows such as the Grammys and Oscars can offer some of the most memorable pop-culture moments of the year. Whether your concept is a specific event or just award shows in general, this is an exciting theme to organize your party around since it gives people a chance to dress up in fun costumes and recapture celebrity looks, performances, and even mishaps. Roll out a faux red carpet and take some pictures to commemorate the night!

There's just something glamorous and glitzy about Old Hollywood, don't you think? Guests will have a lot of fun dressing up, whether they're stopping by as Audrey Hepburn from Breakfast at Tiffany's or Gene Kelly from Singin' in the Rain. Have a projector playing old movies in the background and print out classic movie posters as decoration.

Music videos are a gold mine for costume ideas — just look at the rainbow treasure trove that is Taylor Swift's "You Need to Calm Down." Also good? Missy Elliot and Lady Gaga's truly fantastic music video repertoires.

Keep things simple with a color theme. It's easiest to go with the Pantone Color of the Year, which, for 2019, is living coral. Chances are guests can probably find costume pieces in that color anyway, since retailers have been hopping on the trend all year long. This theme also gives you a clear-cut direction in terms of decorating — just find basic decor items in the color!

If there's a franchise that's perfect for Halloween, it's Harry Potter. Unlike many elaborate fantasy fandoms, the spooky wizarding world has a relatively simple go-to look: school uniforms, robes, and witch hats. Hosts can also draw from plenty of magical decoration and snack ideas floating out there.

Romantic comedies are both classic and trendy at the same time, recently undergoing a revival with beloved films such as Crazy Rich Asians and To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Rom-com outfits also aren't too elaborate to put together, either — the most involved undertaking would probably be a fancy dress like Rachel Chu's from Crazy Rich Asians. On the hosting end, repurpose last year's Valentine's Day decorations and set a playlist of love songs for an added touch.

Between big hair and neon leggings, the '80s offer many zany and exciting ideas in terms of decor and costumes. Plus, you don't have to go for pure '80s classics like Back to the Future or Ghostbusters — Netflix has been serving us some serious nostalgia through hits like GLOW and Stranger Things. Play '80s music and lean into the '80s aesthetic of bold colors and geometric shapes for decorations.

With all of the recent Disney reboots and the advent of Disney+, we should pretty much just admit that Disney owns pop culture. Disney decorations and songs aren't hard to find, and chances are that your guests have probably watched more than a handful of their movies already.

It's lit! Literally. From Goosebumps to Edgar Allan Poe, the possibilities are endless when it comes to outfit inspiration for a literature-themed party. Books also make excellent decoration props, whether you use them as centerpieces or party favors.

We live in chaotic times, but if we have a force that unites us, it's meme culture. Whether it's Keanu Reeves's lovely gait from Always Be My Maybe or the yodeling kid at Walmart, the internet has truly blessed us with a bottomless well of LOLs. If you're feeling a little extra, print out your favorite memes as decor and blast meme songs (such as "Never Gonna Give You Up" or "All Star") to get in the mood this Halloween.

It's a superhero world, and we're just living in it. Captain Marvel, Shazam, Spider-Man, and Endgame are only a few of the franchises that rolled out this year. Superhero costumes are fairly commonplace, and even if you don't want to shell out the money for an entire outfit, you can also get something like a Captain America shirt on a Target run. As with Disney, it's also not too hard to find superhero decor if you want to lean into the theme.

It's Halloween, so why not just stick with horror cinema? Each year, you'll see Freddy Krueger, Ghostface, and Michael Myers costumes on the racks anyway. On the hosting end, pin up iconic scary movie posters and go all out on the scary Halloween props.

Between Justin and Britney's denim outfits and Lizzie McGuire's inner monologue self in chunky sandals, the aughts gave us serious looks. Look through our favorite 2000s pop-culture trends and songs for tube-top-tastic party inspiration.