40th birthday party ideas: 14 ideas for a night to remember
A 40th is one of those birthdays people actually turn up for. Old school friends, work mates, family from all over, and quite often a few kids running around the dance floor. That mix is what makes a 40th fun to plan, and a bit tricky.
We’re Snazzy Photo Booths, based in Coventry, and we bring our booths to birthday parties across Coventry and the surrounding towns. Here are 14 40th birthday party ideas that work for the kind of crowd a 40th brings, whoever it’s for, or for a joint do.
Planning first: guest list, venue, date
Before the fun bits, settle three things:
- Who’s coming. Adults only or family? A 40th with kids needs an earlier start and food that arrives early.
- Where. A function room, a pub back room, a rugby or cricket club, or your own home with the sofa pushed back. If you’re near us, our guide to party venues in Coventry and our list of birthday party venues in Leamington Spa are good places to start.
- When. Saturday nights often book up first, so book the room before anything else.
Themes and dress codes
1. The year they were born. Music, sweets, TV and fashion from the year the birthday person was born. It gives everyone an easy costume and a playlist that writes itself.
2. Fancy dress with one rule. A loose theme like “film characters”, “icons” or “anything sparkly” gets more people in costume than a strict one.
3. Black tie or “dress to impress”. Some 40ths are a chance to dress up properly. It works well with a cocktail hour and a sit-down meal.
4. A colour theme. Pick two or three colours and carry them through the balloons, the cake, the table settings and the photo booth overlay. It’s simple, and it makes every photo from the night look like it belongs together.
Food and drink
5. Easy food that keeps people mingling. Pizza, street food, a hog roast or a grazing table all beat a long sit-down if you want people up and chatting.
6. A signature cocktail. Name a drink after the birthday person, or make their favourite from the year they turned 18.
7. A cake that tells a story. Their hobbies, their football team, their favourite holiday. It’s a talking point and a photo in one.
Entertainment
8. A photo booth. On our birthday photo booths page we put it simply: 30ths and 40ths are “the age where people have stopped taking photos of each other. A booth in the corner is the only reason anyone ends up with pictures from the night.”
Two options work at a 40th:
- The Selfie Pod. A sleek standing booth with a camera at eye level and a screen that talks guests through it. Four or five fit in frame, so it suits groups of old friends. It’s digital as standard (from £200), with unlimited 6×4 prints as an add-on (from £375). Our photo booth prints and guest book guide explains how that works.
- The 360 Booth. Guests step onto the platform, the camera circles, and a slow-motion clip is created. Up to five on the platform, from £300 for 3 hours. It’s the one people crowd round once the music’s up.
Not sure which? Our Selfie Pod vs 360 booth guide compares them, and what photo booth hire costs in Coventry covers prices.
9. A playlist built by the guests. Ask everyone to name one song on the RSVP. You’ll get a mix of decades and a few surprises.
10. A DJ or live band. If the dance floor is the main event, it’s worth the spend. Put the booth near the dance floor, not in a far corner.
11. A surprise. A surprise 40th takes planning, but it’s worth it. If you book a booth, tell us what time the birthday person is arriving and we’ll be set up and out of sight before then.
Keepsakes and personal touches
12. Personalised everything. Every Selfie Pod print and every 360 clip carries a custom overlay with the name, the age, the date and your colours. We send a proof before the day.
13. A photo booth guest book. With the Selfie Pod, you can add a guest book for a small cost. Every visit prints twice: one copy for the guest, and one for the book, with pens beside it. You get messages next to faces, not just signatures.
14. A “40 things” wall or memory jar. Ask guests to bring a photo or write a memory of the birthday person. Put it up next to the bar and watch people gather round it.
A real 40th: the 360 at The Clarence, Hinckley
At the end of August, we took the 360 Booth to a 40th birthday party at The Clarence in Hinckley. It had a real family feel, with plenty of pizza, and the 360 barely stopped spinning all night. Read about the 40th at The Clarence.
It’s a good reminder that a 40th doesn’t need to be adults only to be a great night. The booth gave every age group something to do, together.
Other milestones work the same way. At a themed 60th at Broadstreet Rugby Club in Coventry, the Selfie Pod sat among balloons and fairy lights, with a custom welcome design on the screen (see the 60th at Broadstreet). And at an 18th at Ivy House, Coventry, guests took home 6×4 prints from the Selfie Pod (see the 18th at Ivy House).
Quick planning checklist
- 8–12 weeks out: book the venue, and book any booth, DJ or caterer.
- 6 weeks out: send invitations and settle the theme and colours.
- 2–4 weeks out: confirm numbers, and send overlay details for the booth.
- On the day: the booth needs about 30 minutes to set up, outside your hire time. It needs a standard plug socket within a few metres and a flat floor.
FAQ
What are good 40th birthday party ideas for men?
A “year they were born” theme, a sports-club venue, good food, a DJ and a 360 Booth for the dance floor all work well. Base it on what they actually enjoy, rather than a stereotype.
What are good 40th birthday party ideas for women?
A colour theme, a cocktail hour, a dress-up dress code and a Selfie Pod with prints and a guest book work well. Again, plan around their favourite things.
Is a photo booth worth it at a 40th?
It often decides whether anyone ends up with group photos from the night at all. Our Selfie Pod starts from £200 digital, and the 360 Booth from £300 for 3 hours.
Can you set up for a surprise 40th?
Yes. Tell us when the birthday person arrives and we’ll be set up and out of sight before then. If the booth would give it away, we can set up after the surprise.
Do you cover venues outside Coventry?
Yes. We travel within 30 miles of Coventry with no travel charge, including Leamington Spa, Rugby, Nuneaton and Hinckley.
Planning a 40th? Check your date with your date and venue, and we’ll reply the same day with availability and a price. Or call or WhatsApp 07825 089792. No deposit until you’re sure.