Tips for hosting the perfect Super Bowl party, depending on your guest count (2024)

Tips for hosting the perfect Super Bowl party, depending on your guest count (1)

By Katrina Sirotta

Updated: Feb. 4, 2024 at 9:00 AM CST

(Stacker) - Decorations in your team colors and platters of buffalo wings might be Super Bowl party staples, but are you ready to take your party to the next level? On Feb. 11, 2024, Las Vegas will host the Super Bowl for the first time in city history at its newly opened Allegiant Stadium, which means celebrating Sin City will be a popular game-day theme to add extra fun.

“Since the game is in Vegas, we will see more extravagant touches on VIP areas/themes and Casino Royale themes. Casino game-style setup will be a popular one,” said Party Hero co-founder Shannon Crist about this year’s most prevalent Super Bowl party theme. “The Vegas vibe with taking ‘bets’ and predictions on anything and everything will be a centerpiece of the party. Making prediction cards like these gets everyone excited and involved regardless of what team they are rooting for.”

If you’re throwing a Super Bowl party this year, going all-in on the Vegas theme can make your party memorable. But remember, the most important thing for hosts is keeping your guests comfortable, fed, and hydrated. Crist and her Party Hero co-founder Brie Gebhardt have seen the “over the top” party trend fading and replaced with “thoughtful, meaningful, and intentional experiences.”

The centerpiece of any football viewing party is the TV, so no matter the guest count, your #1 priority should be making sure you’ve got great reception and sound, and that there is space for everyone to see. And definitely don’t run out of food and drinks, because let’s be real, many of your guests will just be there to eat, drink, and watch Usher’s halftime show (especially if you’re throwing a big party).

Ready to plan an unforgettable Super Bowl party? Peerspace interviewed experts, scoured the web, and found tips on hosting the perfect Super Bowl party, whether your guest count is five to 10 people, 20 to 40, or a 50-plus-guest extravaganza.

Tips for hosting the perfect Super Bowl party, depending on your guest count (2)

gpointstudio // Shutterstock

Small and intimate: 5 to 10 people

A Super Bowl party doesn’t have to be an extravagant blowout. In fact, sometimes it’s more fun if the get-together is smaller because everyone is sure to have a great seat, plus chatter or crowding won’t drown out the sound of the game. You can still go all out with the food, drinks, and games while sharing quality moments with friends and family.

For a Super Bowl party with five to 10 guests, making a football-inspired snack board is an excellent way to be festive and offer a variety of foods all in one. You can get creative with the presentation, but beige foods like pretzels, crackers, and Chex Mix tend to sculpt the best football, and green fruits and veggies can surround it like turf. Serve with an easy ranch dip or hummus for an even better snacking experience. Football cake pops, a football calzone, and football finger sandwiches are some other fun football-themed snacks you can make.

Hosting a smaller party also means you can get more creative with your drink menu. If you want themed cocktails but don’t want to be playing bartender all night, consider pre-making cocktail and mocktail pouches in both teams’ colors.

“[Accommodating] the guest that does not drink will go a long way,” Gebhardt added. “It’s a great touch for everyone to enjoy and also ensures the guest without alcohol will not stand out in the small group.”

Adding in some games can make a Super Bowl party more interactive. For something this size, you can keep it simple while playing on the Vegas theme by setting up Super Bowl Squares, commercial bingo (all about the items in the famed Super Bowl commercials), and predictions cards.

Tips for hosting the perfect Super Bowl party, depending on your guest count (3)

Jon Cherry // Getty Images

Midsized and memorable: 20 to 40 people

If you’re hosting a midsized Super Bowl party with 20 to 40 people, “it’s all about the logistics,” Gebhardt advised. “This size gathering is often when the basic things get overlooked that leave the host scrambling during the party,” so make sure to prepare and plan as much as you can ahead of time by doing little things like stocking the bathroom and hanging a sign on the front door inviting guests to come in without knocking.

Make sure you’ve got plenty of seating both for TV viewing and for eating and drinking, and get creative if your current setup isn’t large enough to fit everyone. Bean bag chairs, ottomans, foldable chairs, and even pillows make great alternative seat options when you’re in a pinch.

Football-themed food is always a fun idea, but let’s be honest: No one wants to bake 80 football-shaped cake pops. A large football-shaped cake might be more doable though! If you’re feeling really crafty, you can make a stadium-shaped snack tray that festively holds all your chips, dips, veggies, sliders, or whatever you choose to fill it, while sticking to the theme.

If you’re not feeling crafty, no worries, you can always purchase football and stadium-themed plates, cups, and/or snack containers instead of going the DIY route. Some go-to Super Bowl recipes that won’t take forever to prepare are nachos, chili, pizza, sliders, wings, and dips—basically, anything you can make in a big batch and let people serve themselves! The same goes for drinks: You’ll want plenty of beer, water, and sodas on hand, but you can also up the drink game with batch cocktails.

With this many people at the party, chances are not everyone will be glued to the TV analyzing every play-by-play, but you can keep even non-football fans engaged with games of your own! Take the Vegas theme a step further by setting up your own “casino” where guests can pick and choose what games and bets they want to participate in.

Tips for hosting the perfect Super Bowl party, depending on your guest count (4)

Philip Pacheco // Getty Images

The gang’s all here: 50 or more people

If you’re hosting a Super Bowl party with more than 50 guests, you’re probably already preparing to go all out. Make sure you have multiple viewing areas and seating spread out so people have a seat to watch the action. If you only have one area with a TV, you could rent a projector and screen and set up another room with chairs, bean bags, pillows, and whatever else you can find to make for comfortable viewing. For those showing up for the social fun and less of the football, you can also set up seating areas away from the TV or even outside for lounging and chatting.

If you’re a big fan of one of the teams, decorating the space with your team’s colors and logo is a must. If you’re not a diehard fan but know that many guests are, you could decorate with both teams in mind, or you could lean into the Vegas theme and pick casino or VIP-type decor. Another option is to go a more timeless route by using a color palette with green, white, black, and brown and accent with generic football decorations. A bonus for frugal hosts is that these can be used again for future Super Bowl parties.

For a party this size, you can save stress and request guests bring dishes. A concessions theme will no doubt bring on the nachos, wings, pizza, hot dogs, popcorn, hamburgers, and chili. Set up a “concessions table” and let guests add their goodies to it. When it comes to drinks, buying in bulk and batching cocktails will make your life much easier. Or you can go the tailgating route and ask guests to BYOB.

The big game will be the centerpiece of your party, but having more to do can make the party more fun and interactive for the less diehard fans in the crowd. You can set up a “casino” or simply pass out games like predictions and commercial bingo, but it’s also good to have activities set up that aren’t focused around the football game at all like cornhole or a DIY photo booth.

Crist also suggested setting up a “game face” station “that gives guests some basic supplies to show some spirit. Face paint, fake tattoos, stickers, body glitter … it’s all set up on a table with a mirror for guests to get game-ready during the pre-show.”

Story editing by Carren Jao. Copy editing by Tim Bruns. Photo selection by Clarese Moller.

This story originally appeared onPeerspaceand was produced and distributed in partnership with Stacker Studio.

Copyright 2024 Stacker via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts

Las Vegas will host the Super Bowl for the first time in city history on February 11, 2024, at the newly opened Allegiant Stadium. The Super Bowl being in Vegas has inspired many party hosts to incorporate a Vegas theme into their celebrations. According to Party Hero co-founder Shannon Crist, popular party themes this year will include extravagant touches on VIP areas/themes and Casino Royale themes. The Vegas vibe with taking "bets" and predictions on anything and everything will also be a centerpiece of the party. Making prediction cards is a great way to get everyone excited and involved, regardless of which team they are rooting for [[1]].

When planning a Super Bowl party, it's important to prioritize the comfort, food, and hydration of your guests. While the trend of over-the-top parties is fading, thoughtful, meaningful, and intentional experiences are becoming more popular. The centerpiece of any football viewing party is the TV, so ensuring great reception and sound, as well as providing enough space for everyone to see, should be the host's number one priority. Additionally, it's crucial not to run out of food and drinks, as many guests attend Super Bowl parties primarily to eat, drink, and enjoy the halftime show [[1]].

Now, let's dive into the concepts mentioned in the article and provide more information on each one:

Small and intimate: 5 to 10 people

For a Super Bowl party with five to ten guests, it's recommended to create a football-inspired snack board. Beige foods like pretzels, crackers, and Chex Mix can be shaped into a football, while green fruits and veggies can surround it like turf. Serving it with an easy ranch dip or hummus can enhance the snacking experience. Other fun football-themed snacks for a small party include football cake pops, a football calzone, and football finger sandwiches. When it comes to drinks, consider pre-making cocktail and mocktail pouches in both teams' colors. It's also important to accommodate guests who do not drink by providing non-alcoholic options [[1]].

Midsized and memorable: 20 to 40 people

For a midsized Super Bowl party with 20 to 40 guests, logistics are key. Make sure you have plenty of seating for both TV viewing and eating/drinking. If your current setup isn't large enough, consider alternative seating options like bean bag chairs, ottomans, foldable chairs, or pillows. Football-themed food is always a hit, and you can get creative with a large football-shaped cake or a stadium-shaped snack tray. Nachos, chili, pizza, sliders, wings, and dips are popular choices that can be made in big batches. For drinks, have plenty of beer, water, and sodas on hand, and consider making batch cocktails. To keep everyone engaged, set up your own "casino" where guests can participate in games and bets. This adds to the Vegas theme and provides entertainment for non-football fans as well [[1]].

The gang's all here: 50 or more people

For a Super Bowl party with more than 50 guests, it's important to have multiple viewing areas and seating spread out so that everyone has a comfortable seat to watch the game. If you only have one TV area, consider renting a projector and screen to set up another viewing space. Decorate the space with your team's colors and logo, or opt for a Vegas theme with casino or VIP-type decor. A color palette with green, white, black, and brown can also create a timeless football atmosphere. Requesting guests to bring dishes can help alleviate stress for the host, and a concessions theme with nachos, wings, pizza, hot dogs, popcorn, hamburgers, and chili is always a crowd-pleaser. When it comes to drinks, buying in bulk and batching cocktails can make hosting easier. Additionally, set up activities like a "casino" or games such as predictions and commercial bingo to keep the party interactive. You can also create a "game face" station with supplies like face paint, fake tattoos, stickers, and body glitter for guests to show their spirit [[1]].

In summary, hosting a Super Bowl party can be a memorable experience by incorporating a Vegas theme. Whether you have a small gathering or a large extravaganza, prioritizing the comfort of your guests, providing delicious food and drinks, and offering engaging activities will ensure a successful and enjoyable event.

Tips for hosting the perfect Super Bowl party, depending on your guest count (2024)

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