THE BEST OSCAR WATCH PARTY GUIDE
The Oscar party that I host is one of my favorite days of the year. It is my Super Bowl, the true end of the movie year. I believe it to be the best way to experience the long, gold and glam event that is the Academy Awards.
Here is my guide to hosting your own Oscar party, from what time to start, to what to provide, what to wear, and different levels of fancifulness you can get with your food and drink.
THE CEREMONY
This year the Oscars will be on March 2nd at 7:00pm EDT / 4:00pm PDT / 11:00pm GMT / 7:00am CST. You can stream it on Hulu or watch it on ABC as usual.
The red carpet typically starts an hour or so ahead of time, which you can watch on E!. It makes for great background vibes while you talk to your guests, get photos, or play some trivia, or you can all watch and ooh and ahh at who’s there and what they are wearing.
Typically, I find it best to have my guests arrive an hour before the main event. I believe this leaves a good amount of time for chit chat, the pouring of drinks, and the filling out of the Oscar ballot (we’ll get to that later). However, if you’re providing a full dinner or a lengthy game, earlier might work better for you.
SETTING THE SCENE
The first thing to worry about is the comfort of your guests. Before you’ve even invited anyone, it’s best to be sure of how many you can fit comfortably with a fine view of the television or projector screen. For myself, I can fit about ten people if a couple are willing to sit on the floor. If you have chill people in your group who don’t mind sitting on the floor, provide the appropriate pillows and blankets to make things as comfy as possible. After the initial first hour of schmoozing, it’s time to get comfortable. The ceremony is 3+ hours long, and you want the last problem to be uncomfortable seating.
Once that is settled, the next step is decorations. The Oscars have had a pretty standard color pallet for years, and this is simply gold, black, and red.
Gold and black is what is used in most of their marketing, with black backgrounds for the images of gold statuettes and gold lettering announcing nominees and presenters. Red is simply the infamous red carpet.
I tend to stick to gold and black decor for my actual decorations. My standby the last few years has been this incredibly long strip of film reel ribbon that I drape about the walls of the room that is the entrance of my home. This is also the room where I keep the ballots and pens, the wine for when we are first getting started, and the photo booth (more on that momentarily).
As they walk through the door, a red carpet lays across the floor from the entrance to said photo booth. I first started with one made of cheap plastic which easily ripped, and have since found success with a felt one that has lasted a few years now.
This leads to our photo booth. I don’t have an actual photo booth, but merely a simple backdrop with my phone set up on a ring light. You can purchase this for a relatively low price, or you can make do with standing your phone up on something just at chest level or have others take turns taking the photos. The quality of your photos with the ring light and tripod however are unmatched, and tend to turn out almost like an Entertainment Weekly campaign.
2024 Oscars
Me, myself and I holding my (paper) Oscar while wearing what makes me feel fabulous.
I highly recommend a box of paper props that you’ve either purchased or made yourself. These are great for a laugh and make for some memorable photos, but most important is getting a cutout or a dupe of the Oscar statuette. This has made for some of our best photos from my events, as we stand as if we have just won such Oscar whilst in our best looks.
2024 Oscars
The type of fun photo you can have in your photo booth set up.
One tip is that not everything worked great for a photo op in my kit, so I took the sticks off of these props and double stick taped them where appropriate around the house, such as the Now Playing right below the television and the VIP right over the doorway of the viewing room, etc., so feel free to get creative with the props that wouldn’t be used as much for photos.
The adjoining viewing area (which may also be the same room as your entrance depending on how your home is set up) is where I’ll have the potential snacks in order and where I will move the wine selection once we are within ten minutes of show time.
I have these lovely gold stars on strings that I drape over the window trim, over the clock above the television, over the lamps, and wherever gravity and some push pins would allow to reflect that Oscar glitter and glam. Before I had an official backdrop for my photo booth, I used these stars over a white sheet and they looked marvelous.
Lastly, to give off that final Hollywood edge, I use the award show themed sets of flatware, utensils, and napkins to use with their snacks. For me, if you can theme it, theme it. Whatever is possible between the sandwich of your budget and your creativity, go for it.
CLOTHING
The Oscars in recent years has become a time for me, family, and friends to dress up in our realistic best as we walk the red carpet and take our press release style photos. This could mean one of two things. Me, my brother, and my sister all go for the slacks and button-down route, sometimes with a tie and/or a blazer, always with more color than most of the Oscar guests want to give. I have friends who come in a dress that makes them feel good. Others will go for fake fancy, which is when they wear a t-shirt that has a graphic of a tuxedo on it or wear a bow tie over their usual casual clothes.
The main thing to press is to wear what makes them feel fabulous. Whatever will make you feel great in front of that camera. Plus, if they do decide to dress up, it doesn’t have to be all night.
The transition to soft clothes is an important one. The night is long and you don’t want to be confined by a suit and tie all night. During a commercial break, I’ll be putting on soft clothes, which could be pajamas or just casual clothes you are comfortable in. For instance this year I’ll be wearing an ‘And the Oscar Goes to…” t-shirt and a soft pair of cargo pants. I would suggest this to your guests too. Let them feel free to bring a bag of soft clothes to change into. It’ll make the lengthy night all the more enjoyable.
Alternative: If you have no desire for fancy clothes in your life of any kind, another theme is black and gold clothes and accessories, or movie themed shirts. If you and your friend group have a lot of movie love between you and most can showcase that love through your clothes, go for it.
FOOD AND DRINK
Let's talk about drinks.
Right on the table as you come in, having wine glasses set up next to the wine you’re offering is a lovely invitation. Wine is the drink that gives the most Hollywood / Academy Award vibes, especially if you go with the luscious sparkle of a prosecco, champagne, or any white sparkling wine.
I personally love prosecco myself when it comes to taste, so I get one bottle for myself and one for my guests, and then a type of red and a non sparkling white to round things out.
To get in some extra movie theming, I choose Coppola wines (not a sponsor by any means) since he has created Oscar winning films and is an Oscar winner himself. Again, if you can theme it, by all means.
While it is nice to offer these wines, also feel free to have your guests bring their own wine that suits their taste (or beer, or any drink).
If you want to go heavier on the liquor content and more creative, you can create a cocktail for the night. A simple hack for this is to get a basic cocktail recipe that is clear like a gin/vodka martini, a mojito, gin and tonic, vodka/tequila soda, etc., and add gold edible glitter to it. It’ll make it all dazzling and appropriate for the evening.
You could also create your own custom cocktail for the night if you want to get really fancy, maybe even a couple based off of your favorite nominated films. Here’s some suggestions:
Anora - White Russian, or anything made with Russian vodka
The Brutalist - Any cocktail made with liqueurs from Zwack, a Hungarian based company, or a simple whiskey old-fashioned (or whiskey straight) like Van Buren seems to be drinking.
Conclave - A deep red wine based cocktail like a sangria seems appropriate for the Vatican located film.
A Complete Unknown - Dylan himself actually has a whiskey brand called Heaven’s Door, so while you don’t have to get that particular brand, I would stick to a simple whiskey cocktail.
Dune: Part Two - Either a spiced rum drink with angostura bitters (for extra spice) or something with blue curaçao to make a bright blue drink inspired by the ‘Water of Life’.
Emilia Pérez - A tequila based drink like ranch water or a margherita.
I’m Still Here - The Caipirinha is Brazil’s national drink, so that’s an easy choice.
Nickel Boys - There is a striking shot of oranges in an orange tree, which makes a screwdriver or fuzzy navel my suggestion.
The Substance - A cocktail made with Midori for that fluorescent green color of the Substance activator would be perfect.
Wicked - This one requires dual drinks - something like a grasshopper for Elphaba, and a pink squirrel for Galinda. For less creamy drinks, there’s an absinthe drip for Elphaba and a cosmo for Galinda.
Of course, not all of us drink. Having water available for your guests, even juices or sodas (whether to drink by themselves or add to the liquor they bought) is always good to have on hand.
Now, for the food.
Here are some recommendations that I’ve found successful in my years of Oscar hosting.
The takeout plan:
Inspired by some loose theming, I’ve gone for the Chinese take out route, inspired simply by the Hollywood icon of the Grauman's Chinese Theatre, or TCL Chinese Theatre now. Whether you are willing to get every one at your party individual meals (more so if it’s a small gathering) or simply get cartons of favorites like fried rice, sweet and sour chicken, beef and broccoli, etc., to share, this is a decent option, especially if you have more time for dinner before the event.
What’s even easier and almost always a winner is pizza. A few pies of various flavors, maybe a salad and breadsticks. It’s simple, it’s delivered, it’s a crowd pleaser, and it’s quick and typically mess free.
The Non-Takeout Plan:
What I find to be good for most parties is the potluck option. Everyone brings their particular dish, or snack item, creating a diverse table of food that is sure to please most. You could be more specific in your requests and say only snack items or only real, hearty food like casseroles and sandwich platters, or just let your guests run wild.
So, my particular favorite option is the pure snacks option. You can let your guests know it is a snacking kind of situation so they can eat dinner first if they prefer, but I find there is typically enough food to keep people satisfied. You can put the potluck aspect into this, however me and my family as hosts provide the majority of the snacks, in form of bread and olive oil dip, veggie and fruit trays, chips and dip, and easy from the freezer hot food like pizza bagels and mozzarella sticks. To top it all off, a great and cost-effective thing to provide throughout the night is popcorn. Keep the buttery bags going (maybe even with some candy like M&Ms or Reeses’ Pieces) and people can pretend they’re at the movies.
For those who want to provide their guests with something sweeter, getting a bucket of ice cream to scoop towards the last hour, or simply toss around some old school ice cream sandwiches can be a fun special treat.
If you want to get real intricate and make for an earlier start time, you could either create a feast with meals inspired by the films, or assign your friends a film to make an appetizer, entree, side, or dessert for. Here are some suggestions:
Anora - You could go two ways with this: either Russian foods such as borscht and blini, or New York/Coney Island favorites like hot dogs and pretzels.
The Brutalist - Hungarian dishes such as paprika chicken*, or go simplistic with a Philly cheesesteak since the film mostly takes place in Philadelphia.
Conclave - Italian! Vatican City is in Italy, so Italian dishes like chicken parmigiana or spaghetti and meatballs would be perfect.
A Complete Unknown - You could also lean into the New York of it all with bagels, New York style pizza, or a corned beef sandwich. Alternatively, as many moments in the film take place in Newport, Rhode Island, you could incorporate seafood like clam chowder or clam cakes.
Dune: Part Two - The Dune series gives Middle Eastern vibes, so I would go with hummus or baba ganoush with a hearty pita bread, or an entree like lamb meatballs or falafel sandwiches.
Emilia Pérez - Mexican dishes will work well here. Think Mexican street corn, enchiladas, or tamales.
I’m Still Here - Brazilian is the way to go. Pão de queijo or cheese bread, Feijoada or black bean stew, or foods featuring acai like fruit bowls or sorbets will do the trick.
Nickel Boys - The main food showcased in the film is oatmeal, and not really in a good way. There is a lingering scene of the main character Elwood’s grandmother as she slices a cake, which if memory serves is an orange cake with cherries on top (if you know differently though please let me know). You could also either lean towards Florida foods like key lime pies, or go for the 50s/60s aspect and have meatloaf or another classic mid century dish.
The Substance - You could either choose French food, a simple roast chicken, or shrimp/prawns dipped in butter.
Wicked - As not much food is featured in Wicked, I’m leaning more towards dessert options that can compliment the pink and green of it all. Strawberry ice cream and mint ice cream for Glinda and Elphaba could be lovely, or a raspberry and lime sorbet for something fresher.
*Paprika chicken is actually featured in the novel Dracula, and could also be used to represent Nosferatu, also a nominee at this year’s Oscars.
ACTIVITIES
We’ve already established our photo booth, which is one of my top three activities, as it allows for a block of time to capture the memory of the night, and makes for a great collection of photos to post the next day.
If you happen to have the time or are making it a half day event like your own Superbowl, a movie inspired game can be the way to go. There are loads of excellent movie board games such as Blockbuster the Game or drinking games like (insert game here). If you want something free and quick, there are plenty of fun trivia games on YouTube! Spark Your Cinema has their own channel now with some quizzes inspired by this year and past years’ Oscars. Check them out below!
Something I absolutely love to do is have everyone fill out an Oscar ballot. This allows a quick one page overview of the nominees, and everyone can pick who they believe will win. I usually offer a tiny trophy I got at my local party store to whoever wins at the end of the night. However, I’ve never given it to anyone since I always win the ballot myself.
I used to purchase these off of Etsy, but now I make my own! Enjoy the free 2025 Oscar Ballot below!
What I don’t always win though is the Oscar Bingo, which is my ultimate tool to keep my guests engaged in the show. While I love it, I know it isn’t beloved by everybody, and what makes it super fun (and hilariously hectic) is having one, two, to three bingo sheets in front of you to fill out and pay attention to. This makes people pay attention, and gives them something to catch up on during the inevitable commercials.
They are randomized, filled with the most possible potential winners, all the categories, presenters, and/or random anecdotes such as ‘Winner thanks kids at home’. Every sheet is slightly different, and you never know who is going to hit a bingo first, or the most bingos in one night if two people hit it at the same time. If there are ties, the win will go to who has the earliest time marked. If I can’t determine a winner, it’s an official tie, and they share the prize, which in the past has been a set of movie themed socks, or a gift card to our local movie theater.
I still buy the bingo from Etsy! Just type in Oscar Bingo in the Etsy search and choose your favorite!
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So there you have it! My 2025 Oscar party guide. I hope it was helpful, and if you use any tips, videos, or printables, I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. Have fun!
