16 70th Birthday Party Ideas | LoveToKnow (2024)

A 70th birthday is truly something to celebrate. Throw a bash worthy of the platinum milestone and let the guest of honor know how much you cherish them. Try these fun party ideas for a 70th birthday milestone, and you will impress the birthday guy or gal and all their guests.

Throw a Glitz and Glamor Gathering

For a platinum birthday bash, plenty of shine and glitter are in order. Host an extravagant celebration full of shimmering decorations and glitzy details. Encourage guests to arrive in their most glamorous attire and be prepared to enjoy an evening of gourmet food and drinks. Show the guest of honor they are worth pulling out all the stops for the birthday party of the century.

Plan a Sock Hop

The sock hops of the 1950s and 60s were a time for letting loose and having a bit of good, safe fun. For the next few years, people celebrating their 70th birthday will know something of the sock hop scene. Give them a blast from the past with a 50s or 60s inspired dance party complete with poodle skirts and hits from Elvis and Chubby Checker.

Throw a Groovy 70s Party

Use Black & White Decor

For a 70th party without an overall theme, try to include some timeless and elegant details. Black and white decor feels refined and will help your guest of honor feel like the true lady or gentleman they have always been. Use black and white balloon displays, place settings, and even floral arrangements. Encourage guests to arrive in black tie for an elegant evening.

Display Photos of the Guest of Honor

70 years hold a lot of memories, milestones, and accomplishments. Celebrate the birthday person with a photo display in their honor. Hang photos on a board, turn them into decorative bunting, or frame some of the best for keepsakes. Print all the photos in black and white for a cohesive look. You can even make a fun party game out of guessing the decade or year they took the photo to see who knows the guest of honor best.

Create a Play List of Favorite Songs

Music can tell more stories than words, and it certainly encourages nostalgia. Create a party playlist that features all the favorite jams of the celebrant. Include the greatest hits the year they were born, songs that played on the radio when they were learning to drive, popular songs from the year of their prom, and the song that played during their wedding. Encourage guests to get on the dance floor and party like it's 1953.

Host a Potluck

The guests you're inviting to this celebration are likely close to the one you're all celebrating. So, ask everyone to make a dish the birthday boy or girl loves. Have a table ready for all the contributions and let the guest of honor go first for a plate full of their favorite foods.

Go Big for the Cake

You only celebrate the platinum birthday once. So, go big on the cake. Try an over-the-top tiered cake to serve a large crowd and show the celebrant how important they are to the family. Choose gold, silver, and black frosting details for an elegant approach or lean into the maximalist trend and display a cake full of frosting flowers, rich colors, and plenty of candles.

Try a Numerical Layer Cake

Let's be honest, 70 candles could be overwhelming. Swap the traditional display of age for an elegant layer cake or cookie cake. This sort of cake is displayed as two separate cakes, one in the shape of each number, and it's a beautiful centerpiece for any dessert table.

Encourage Speeches

All the friends and family gathered to celebrate 70 years of life will surely have a long list of stories to tell. Set up a stage for speeches in the main party area and encourage guests to say a few words about the honoree. Tell fun stories, list accomplishments, and share how the birthday guy or gal has impacted the lives of those around them.

Try a Roast

If the birthday guy or girl has a great sense of humor, a lighthearted roast would be a fun way to entertain guests and shine the spotlight on the honoree. Have partygoers share jokes in good fun for a night full of laughs.

Send Guests Home With a Bag of Favorites

Give guests a parting gift full of the celebrant's favorite things. Include their favorite packaged snack, candy, and bottled beverage. Add details about their hobbies or beloved entertainment by including a personalized golf ball, a set of personalized spatulas, a copy of their favorite DVD, or a personalized luggage tag. Whether they love sports, gardening, or travel, be inspired by their favorite things to create a party favor that truly honors them.

Give an Experience

For a small group of close friends and family, the gift of an experience is a wonderful way to celebrate a 70th birthday. Gather the guest of honor and all the partygoers for a sip and paint, a spa day, a sailing adventure, or an afternoon on the golf course. This 70th birthday party experience can double as a thoughtful and generous gift.

Have a Photo Booth

Send every guest home with a memory frozen in time. Set up a photo booth in the main party area and encourage everyone to grab a selfie with the honoree. Include a fun backdrop like a balloon arch, photo collage, or a wall of streamers for a picture-perfect spot. Make sure all the guests forward their photos so you can create one big photo album of family and friends celebrating.

Host Birth Year Trivia

Keep guests engaged with a few rounds of birth year trivia. Use the year the celebrant was born to create a list of trivia questions about world events, entertainment, traditions, and fun facts. Have a few small prizes set aside for winners or divide everyone into a few groups and let the winning group hold the official title of Birth Year Trivia Champions.

Play Younger or Older

Younger or Older is a game everyone will enjoy, and you can pull it together easily. Make a list of events, inventions, or celebrities and have guests guess if the list item is older or younger than the celebrant. You can play the game aloud or give every guest a printed page upon arrival and designate a time to score the answers.

Throw the Milestone Bash of the Century

Seventy years of life is worthy of a big celebration. Pull out all the stops and host the birthday party of a lifetime for your guest of honor. Include all the things and people they love the most for an unforgettable birthday.