How to Plan an Around the World Party Theme

My friends and I recently hosted an around the world party theme, and it turned out to be such a fun and enriching experience. So if you’re looking for inspiration for your own around the world party or just want a unique get together idea, this theme is definitely worth considering.

Our around the world party theme came to life because we were searching for a fun Friendsgiving idea and wanted something super creative. We ended up choosing this theme, and it was perfect.

But you can easily use this theme for so many different occasions. Like a Christmas around the world party, a graduation celebration, or even a fun girls’ night in. So without further ado, here are some of the things we did to bring this party to life.

Around the World Party Theme 

1. Create a Party Invitation

One of the best ways that I love to build excitement and anticipation for a party is by starting with a cute invitation. While you can absolutely send a quick text with the party details and still have a great turnout; taking the time to create an actual invite can really amp up the anticipation. It gives your guests a sneak peek at the party’s theme and helps build their excitement before the big day.

And don’t worry, you don’t need to be a graphic designer to make a beautiful and festive invitation. There are so many easy to use apps and platforms for creating digital invites. Personally, I love using Canva because it offers tons of free templates and has a user friendly interface. All you have to do is pick an invitation template, add your party info, customize it to your liking, and you’re done! 

CHECK OUT: 22 Creative Friendsgiving Themes That’ll Blow Your Guests Away

2. Have a Potluck

For your Around the World party, you can definitely choose to provide all the food yourself. However, a great way to build anticipation, boost guest engagement, and take some of the stress off your shoulders is to make it a potluck style party.

Ask your guests to choose a country and bring a dish, drink, and/or dessert inspired by that country. They can order it from a restaurant or even cook it themselves. 

3. Potluck Style: Bring a Dish from Your Culture

I’ve seen so many videos online where the theme is to “bring a dish from your culture,” and I absolutely love that idea! If you’re hosting a culturally diverse group of guests, you can make this your theme. Or you can have your guests pick a country and base their potluck dish off of that country.

4. Set Up a Potluck Form

You’ve probably been there… at a potluck where multiple people show up with the same dish. To avoid duplicates and make sure your Around the World party has a nice variety; create a form where guests can share what they’re bringing. This also helps prevent too many people from choosing the same country and encourages a mix of global cuisines.

You can easily make a shared Word document, a Google Form, or even start a group chat depending on how many guests you’re inviting. If you’re going with a shared word document or Google form; send it with the party invitation so guests can RSVP, share their chosen country, and list the dish they plan to bring.

5. Ask Guests to Dress up Representing Their Chosen Country

While your guests can absolutely come in regular attire; adding a themed dress code can make your Around the World party even more fun and festive. Encourage everyone to take inspiration from their chosen country and wear an outfit that represents it. 

The outfits don’t have to be complicated. Guests can keep it simple with a T-shirt featuring their country’s name or flag, or get creative with iconic looks inspired by that country. For example, someone representing France might wear a beret and a black and white striped shirt, while someone going for Hawaii could wear a floral skirt and a flower in their hair.

6. Create a Party Playlist

Make a playlist with a variety of global songs or from the countries your guests are representing. For our party, we looked up popular songs from each country and built a playlist around that. We ended up with a fun mix of Haitian konpa, American pop, Mexican hits, K-pop, and so much more. 

Around the World Themed Party Food Ideas

For my Around the World party, my friends absolutely showed out and brought some delicious dishes to share! It was such a fun (and tasty) way to experience different cultures through food.

Here are some of the foods that were brought and you can use them as inspiration for your own party:

7. USA: Philly Cheesesteak Sliders

For my country, I chose the USA. When I started thinking about food ideas and classic American dishes, my mind instantly went to burgers. But since America is so big and every state has its own signature dishes, there are so many different options you could bring to the party. (Honestly, you could even host a Taste Around the U.S. party featuring foods from different states!)

Eventually, I decided on Philly cheesesteak sliders. They’re super popular across the country and can be found on the menu at many American diners. Plus, they’re easy to make, shareable, and a crowd favorite.

8. USA: Coca Cola & Pepsi

The great debate between Coke and Pepsi is a long standing rivalry over which one tastes better. So for the party, I offered mini cans of Coca Cola and Pepsi for everyone to drink.

9. Global Food Ideas

Below are some of the dishes my friends brought to our “Around the World” potluck for their respective countries:

France

• Macarons

• Croissants

• Limonade

• Charcuterie board

United Kingdom

• Shepherd’s pie

• Assorted tea bags

• Fish and chips

India

• Garlic butter naan bread

• Chicken tikka masala

• White rice

• Mango lassi

Haiti

• Diri djon djon (mushroom rice)

Mexico

• Chicken tacos

• Jarritos soda

Argentina

• Assorted empanadas

• Guayakí yerba mate

China

• Fried rice

• Sweet and sour chicken

• Teriyaki chicken

South Korea

• Korean fried chicken

• Korean pancakes

• Kimchi

• Kkakdugi

Germany

• Sausage roll

Around the World Themed Party

10. Organize the food by country

During the party, when guests arrive with their different dishes, organize all the foods by country. That means placing all the American foods together, all the French foods together, and so on. You can even take it a step further by setting up separate tables or mini food stations so each area represents a specific country. 

11. Self Serve Food Stations

Since this is a party, the goal is for everyone to mingle; not stay stuck in one spot. A great way for everyone to highlight their chosen country and dish while still enjoying the freedom to walk around and try other foods is to set up everything as self-serve.

Before anyone starts digging in, have each person quickly share which country they had and what dish they brought. Then say “bon appétit” and let everyone walk around, explore the tables, and serve themselves.

12. Consider Your Serving Plates

Consider your serving plates for the party. You can choose large plates so guests can walk around each food station and build their own sampler plate, or you can offer lots of small plates so each dish gets its own serving space.

Large plates:

Pros: Great for creating one big sampler plate with a little bit of everything.

Cons: Since each dish has its own flavor profile, guests might not want all the foods touching on one plate.

Small plates:

Pros: Each sample stays separated in its own little plate, so no flavors mix.

Cons: You’ll need to purchase a lot more small plates to make this work.

Around the World Party Decoration Ideas 

13. Decorate with Different Flags

Since this is an around the world party, you’re celebrating different countries, so what better way to highlight that than by displaying beautiful flags from around the world? You can buy flag themed decor, or you can even DIY your decorations.

14. Have Guests Decorate Their Own Mini Country Station

Along with their dish, you can even encourage guests to bring small decorations to dress up their food station. 

For example, one of my friends chose Argentina, and in addition to bringing a variety of empanada flavors and fillings; she wore an Argentinian inspired jersey and decorated her station with an Argentina flag. She even added a light-up table prop of the iconic Argentinian soccer player Lionel Messi, to amp up her table decor. 

15. Create Printed Menu Posters for Each Country

Another cute decor idea is to create a printed menu for the food at your country station. For example, for America, I made a little menu listing the items I brought. Like Philly cheesesteak sliders and the soda drinks, which added a nice visual touch to my table setup.