
Birthday Party Ideas
& Birthday Party Entertainment!
How do you plan a Birthday Party that will really make an impression? How do you make it a special event that will stay in people's memories for all the right reasons? Well... with over 1,750 live party bands and amazing party entertainers available to hire UK wide, Alive Network helps to make planning a great birthday party easy!
A Brief History Of Birthdays
The tradition of holding a party to celebrate the anniversary of birth began centuries ago in Europe when it was feared that evil spirits sought out people on their birthdays. To protect them from harm, friends and family would gather around to bring good thoughts and wishes. Giving gifts brought even more good cheer to ward off evil spirits, and candles were placed on cakes to transport the birthday wishes directly to God.
Initially, only royalty was deemed important enough to have a birthday celebration, but the tradition soon spread with the introduction of the children's party in Germany, the Kinderfeste.
For the trivia buffs amongst you; the lyrically astounding ‘Happy Birthday to You’ song was written in 1839 by sisters Mildred and Patty Smith Hill!!
Birthday Party Ideas For Adults / Grown-Ups
As an adult, the possibilities are endless with regards to how you can celebrate your birthday. Here just a few examples:
Murder Mystery | Come Dine With Me Party |
Board/Card Game Party | Gambling Party |
Karaoke Party | Ice Skating Party |
Beach Party | Film Night Party |
Hollywood Star Party | Drinking Games Party |
Tea Party | Wine and Dine Party |
Adults' Birthday Party Entertainment Ideas >>>
Bands Who Offer Bandeoke
The Dukes
5 stars - The Dukes are Highly Recommended 281 Rock & Pop Function Bands London
Fun, dynamic, energetic & experienced band guaranteed to get everyone dancing! Hits from The Killers, Kings of Leon to classics like Bowie, Queen & Beatles. Dance off's encouraged! The Dukes will not stop rocking until everyone is on their feet!Price from £1,512Vinyl Beats
5 stars - Vinyl Beats are Highly Recommended 60 Rock & Pop Function Bands London
Vinyl Beats are a slick & stylish 4 piece band with a varied repertoire offering something for everyone! With chart hits from Rudimental, Taylor Swift & Bruno Mars to old school classics from AC/DC, Stevie Wonder & Chic, Vinyl Beats live sets include Pop & Rock anthems everyone wants to get up & dance to! A talented band whose members have all studied music to degree level, Vinyl Beats are the perfect live band for any event!Price from £1,526The Blueprints
5 stars - The Blueprints are Highly Recommended 15 Rock & Pop Function Bands London
The Blueprints mantra is, if they are having a party on stage, you will certainly be having one on the dance floor! Providing acoustic, electric and now BANDEOKE sets. (or all 3!) The Blueprints play all your favourites from Rock, Pop, Soul and RnB.Price from £1,475
'Night Out' Themed Events
Campervan Cocktail Bar
5 stars - Campervan Cocktail Bar are Highly Recommended 1 Surrey
Starting life as a 1970's VW, these amazing campers have been fully restored & converted into the coolest self-contained cocktail bars! Full of colour, personality, a built in sound-system, lighting, & amazing mouth-watering cocktails, these mobile bars are designed to deliver a fun, exciting & totally quirky bar experience!Price from £1,419
Vegas / Hollywood Themed Events
5 Star Fun Casino
5 stars - 5 Star Fun Casino are Highly Recommended 13 Staffordshire
Luxury Mobile Casino Hire for all events! Full size casino gaming tables available, all supplied with friendly, professional croupiers. James Bond, Las Vegas, Hollywood and Gatsby theming packages, Glitzy Photobooth, Las Vegas Showgirls, and much more also available!Price from £609Suzie Kennedy as Marilyn Monroe
5 stars - Marilyn Monroe (Suzie Kennedy) are Highly Recommended 19 Look-a-likes & Impersonators London
London based Suzie is one of the UK’s top Marilyn Monroe look alikes, travelling all over the world impersonating the Hollywood sex symbol. She never fails to turn heads and attract media attention wherever she goes, making her the perfect choice for PR events, product launches, meet and greet as well as awards presentations and walk about entertainment.Price from £517Steve Wright as Daniel Craig
5 stars - Daniel Craig (Steve Wright) are Highly Recommended 2 Look-a-likes & Impersonators Suffolk
Steve Wright is a Daniel Craig/ James Bond look-alike who can mix and mingle or meet and greet at any event at which you require a Look Alike with a Licence to Kill.Price from £577Mr T Lookalike
5 stars - Mr T Lookalike are Highly Recommended 1 Look-a-likes & Impersonators Northamptonshire
The UK’s best Mr. T Lookalike & Soundalike Impersonator, as seen on Britian’s Got Talent 2010!Price from £641Audrey Hepburn Lookalike
5 stars - Mr T Lookalike are Highly Recommended 1 Look-a-likes & Impersonators Powys
Working as a celebrity Audrey Hepburn Lookalike for many years our lookalike has developed the movements, voice, style and graceful attitude of Audrey Hepburn. The perfect choice for adding glamour, fun and sophistication to any event!Price from £641
Children's Birthday Party Ideas
Try the following themes as a starting point when organising kids birthday parties.
Alice in Wonderland | Kite Flying Party |
Arabian Princess Party | Ladybug Party |
Arts and Crafts Party | Lion King Party |
Ballet Party | Mermaid Party |
Barbie Party | Mickey Mouse & Minnie Party |
Beach Party | Movie Theater Party |
Beauty and the Beast | Nursery Rhyme Party |
Buzz Lightyear | Peter Pan Party |
Butterfly Party | Pirates of the Caribbean Party |
Camping Party | Robin Hood Party |
Cartoon Characters | Rock Star Party |
Cheerleading Party | Roller Skating Party |
Cinderella Party | Safari Party |
Circus Party | Sleep Over Party |
Clown Party | Snow White Party |
Dinosaur Party | SpongeBob SquarePants Party |
Fairy Party | Star Wars Party |
Football Party | Superheros Party |
Hannah Montana Party | Tea Party |
Harry Potter Party | Teddy Bear Party |
Hollywood Star Party | Under the Sea Party |
Ice Skating Party | Wizard of Oz Party |
Jungle Party | Winnie the Pooh Party |
Childrens' Birthday Party Entertainment Ideas >>>
Face Painters
5 stars - Face Painters are Highly Recommended 1 London
Facepainting is a great way to ensure your children have a memorable day, whatever the party. They can be transformed into anything from wild animals to kooky clowns; from beautiful butterflies to their favourite superheroes!Price from £192Miss Balloonist
5 stars - Miss Balloonist are Highly Recommended 13 Childrens Entertainment Hertfordshire
Miss Balloonist is an incredible balloon artist who keep everyone entertained and give you something to take home. She can craft anything from monkeys to pirates and jetpacks to jewellery. The limits are endless when Miss Balloonist gets to work!Price from £224Mime Artists Inc
5 stars - Mime Artists Inc are Highly Recommended 3 Street Entertainers Oxfordshire
Animate your event & delight your guests with our hand-picked, company trained, extremely experienced & highly entertaining Mime Artists.Price from £388Martin Reed
5 stars - Martin Reed are Highly Recommended 61 Magicians London
*London Magician of the Year Award 2023* – As seen on BBC 1, LIVE on Channel 4 and at over two thousand events worldwide! 20 Years Professional - Martin Reed will make your event truly unforgettable with incredible Close-up Magic and/or a Stage Show.Price from £507Living Human Statues
5 stars - Living Human Statues are Highly Recommended 3 Street Entertainers Oxfordshire
Living Human Statues provide mesmerising stillness which melts into surreal comedy moments and high drama. Perfect for providing entertainment in small areas and adding artistic kudos to your event!Price from £385
Birthday Party Ideas
Birthday party fancy dress themes work really well, such as James Bond, Hawaiian, Phantom of the Opera, The Godfather, Alice in Wonderland, Hollywood Oscars Night or Wild West Theme.
It's good to ensure there are plenty of attractions to keep guests talking & mingling so you could also consider casino tables which can tie in nicely with a James Bond theme, for example, and create a space for guests to meet, mix and break the ice. Also check out our mix and mingle acts who will work the floor & get people talking.
For a rocking party, you could book a band to play songs fitting to that theme or just a general rock and pop, rat pack / swing, soul or jive band to keep your guests dancing all evening long.
“Ceilidhs” are great for those who want a different kind of music or for those with Celtic roots – hire a band with a caller to shout out the dance moves and you’re away!
Hiring a look alike of your birthday girl/ boy’s favourite celebrity would be a great touch. For a great surprise you could hire some singing waiters who can act “incognito” for part of the evening before bursting into song when your guests least expect it!
A Night To Remember
If you’re asking guests to wear fancy dress then your room should be decorated in a similar theme. The Essential Party Planning Supplies box below contains useful links to many high quality suppliers. From balloon displays to historical memorabilia, unusual cocktail ideas to table decorations or fireworks, Alive Network can put you in touch with everything you need.