Halloween might be over for the year, but I am not ready to say goodbye to dressing up to go to a party. Thankfully, we are in Lund so I probably won’t have to. I love, love, love “sittningar” with a good theme, where all the participants go all out and all the activities revolve around one specific theme. But sometimes it can be quite difficult to come up with a theme that matches a bigger setting, which is why I am here to help. I have been to my fair share of “sittningar” and parties, so therefore I have made a list with some of my favorites. Obviously, the party or “sittning” is no better than the participants, but a theme can definitely add that final touch to make it truly incredible!

1. Decades Party

I love a classic decades party. It’s a great theme because there are lots of different decades to choose from and most of them have some defining quality or look about them. My favorite way to use this theme is either during a regular “sittning”, in which the participants are put into different pre-party groups with different decades. The other way is during a bike party. I think it fits bike parties so well because every stop is a different decade with activities that touch on it. This is fun because it’s very customizable, especially if the participants are put in groups that can each get a decade.

Pro: Lots of fun outfits

Con: There are not endless decades to choose from

Rating: 5/5

2. Dynamic Duos

The thing that I love about this theme is that there are endless possibilities on what to do with it. Let people choose anything at all or give them a more precise theme, it is up to you. People can come as peanut butter and jelly, Anakin and Padme or the princess and the frog, there are no limits. Another great thing about this is that it is also a good way to have people get to know each other by giving them a partner to dress up with. Get everyone to guess which duo people are dressed up as for an extra element.

Pro: Very customizable

Con: Difficult if someone isn’t in a duo

Rating: 3.5/5

3. Hollywood Glam

This one is a classic if you ask me. This theme gives participants more freedom to dress up compared to some of the others, which can be an advantage depending on your preferences. I would personally say that this one is better suited for a dark suit event, but obviously you can customize the theme to fit any kind of party. I know lots of people who love getting to wear a pretty dress or suit and feel like a celebrity so this one is definitely recommended.

Pro: Great opportunity to look good

Con: Difficult to use at a less nice setting

Rating: 4.5/5

4. Red flags

I don’t know about you, but a theme that has been all over my TikTok for a good while is a red flag party. That is where every participant puts on a red shirt on which they have written a red flag that they consider themselves having. I think this is so funny because the red flag can really be anything, and it’s always fun to see what other people have written. At first I thought that this theme would fit better with just some close friends, but then I thought, wouldn’t it be a really random and fun way to get to know new people? But, pro tip, go for a lighthearted, funny red flag to keep things from getting awkward.

Pro: Great conversation starter

Con: Could get awkward

Rating: 4/5

5. Murder Mystery

I have been to my fair share of murder mystery parties, and every time I love it! It does perhaps take a bit more planning, but if you’re up for it, it’s always a blast. There are prepared mysteries that are possible to buy online, or you can make your own if you feel like it. I like to send out the characters that people are portraying beforehand, so that way they can get a bit more familiar with them, but it is also fun to have people dress as their characters. This theme also presents a good possibility to mix friend groups as the game acts as an icebreaker.

Pro: Fun and entertaining evening

Con: Takes a lot of preparing

Rating: 4.5/5

6. Around the World

The great thing about this theme is that it is super customizable and that there are lots of different countries to choose from so participants can wear lots of different outfits. I know that there also are a lot of international students here at LUSEM so it would definitely be fun to see lots of people from different cultures at a party like this. This theme can also be broken down into smaller, more niche, themes, so there is a great opportunity to dig even deeper.

Pro: A lot of countries to choose from

Con: Could be too broad

Rating: 3.5/5

These themes are just some examples that I’ve ran into recently and liked, it’s obviously not a complete list. However, I do think that a good theme rally can make a night so much more fun, especially if people really give it their all! Some of my most fun nights out have been where I’ve looked crazy, it somehow just makes everything more fun. So if you don’t usually plan your parties around themes, pick one and try it out. I promise you’ll love it!