How to Plan a Y2K Throwback Party

Short answer: A Y2K throwback party works best when you lean into the absurdity of early 2000s culture. Think beaded doorways, a TRL-style karaoke station, LimeWire-themed drinks, and a strict “no smartphones in photos” rule. Pick 3-4 elements from each category below and you’ll have a party people actually remember.

• Set the scene with magazine collages, CD garlands, and lava lamps
• Create a dress code around Y2K archetypes (pop princess, skater kid, early tech nerd)
• Run 2000s trivia, karaoke showdowns, and a shared playlist station
• Serve punny food like Napster Nachos and Blue Screen of Dew punch

Why Y2K parties hit different right now

We’re 26 years out from the early 2000s, which puts us squarely in the nostalgia sweet spot. Millennials actually lived through TRL countdowns and burned CD culture. College students grew up on reruns, memes, and TikTok sounds pulled from Britney and Fall Out Boy deep cuts.

The timing works. We’re hitting major anniversaries for Shrek, the first Harry Potter film, and the golden era of teen TV. Meanwhile, Y2K fashion has fully cycled back. Baby tees, low-rise silhouettes, and trucker hats are in thrift stores and trending feeds alike.

A Y2K party lets everyone romanticize the pre-algorithm internet for a night. No doom-scrolling, just AIM away messages and frosted tips.

Who this is for (and not for)

This guide is for:

• College students planning apartment or house parties
• Millennials organizing friend group reunions
• Anyone who remembers what T9 texting felt like
• Party planners who want a theme that requires zero explanation

This might not be for:

• Formal events or corporate gatherings
• Anyone who needs a sophisticated aesthetic (this is deliberately chaotic)

Decor: Turn your space into 2000

Focus on three zones to maximize impact without overwhelming your budget.

Entrance: Hang a beaded or fringe curtain at the door. Print a giant fake AIM sign-in screen or “MSN is now signing in…” poster. Hand out laminated “party passes” designed like old school IDs.

Walls: Create a magazine collage wall with printed covers from early 2000s teen mags. Feature Britney, Destiny’s Child, Avril, and boy bands. String CD garlands using old burned discs (Sharpie fake titles like “Spring Break Mix 2003” on them). Add pixelated icons: the MSN butterfly, MySpace logo, and Windows XP hills wallpaper.

Lighting: Colored string lights everywhere. Lava lamps or fiber-optic lamps if you can find them. Blacklights with neon posterboard covered in highlighter doodles. Glow-in-the-dark ceiling stars complete the bedroom aesthetic.

Photo corner: Silver tinsel backdrop with magazine cutouts and MySpace mirror selfie frames. Props include toy flip phones, wired headphones, trucker hats, butterfly clips, and inflatable microphones. For ideas on capturing great group shots, see our guide to taking group photos at parties .

Dress code: Pick your archetype

Give guests a framework so they show up on theme.

Pop Princess / Boy Band Member: Low-rise jeans or mini skirts, baby tees with rhinestones, velour tracksuits, tiny shoulder bags, platform sandals. Add butterfly clips and body glitter.

Skater / Pop-Punk Kid: Dickies or baggy jeans, studded belts, band tees (blink-182, Paramore, MCR), Converse or Vans, smudgy eyeliner, colored hair streaks.

Early Tech Nerd: Oversized graphic tee with old tech logos, cargo shorts, zip-off pants, a wired gaming headset as a prop, lanyard with a fake “LAN Party Pass.”

Reality TV / Club Kid: Ed Hardy or Von Dutch trucker hat, tight graphic tank, flared jeans, chunky sunglasses worn indoors.

Low-effort option: One accessory (butterfly clips, tiny sunglasses, trucker hat) plus jeans. You’re in.

Games and activities

TRL Karaoke Showdown: Curate a 2000-2008 playlist. Include “Oops!… I Did It Again,” NSYNC classics, Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone,” and pop-punk anthems. Award “TRL Headliner” slips for best performance and most dramatic interpretation.

2000s Trivia: Run a Kahoot with categories like “Name That Ringtone” (play old polyphonic clips), “Guess the Show” from theme songs, and “Which 2000s star said this?” quotes.

MySpace Profile Station: Print fake MySpace profile sheets. Guests fill out their “Top 8” friends at the party, favorite 2000s song, and an “About Me” in ridiculous fonts.

Burn a Playlist: Set up a laptop where guests add 1-2 songs to a shared Y2K playlist. Name it something like “First iPod Shuffle 2004.” Share the link in your event group chat afterward.

Console Tournament: If someone has an old Wii or GameCube, run Mario Kart or Guitar Hero brackets. Winner gets a cardboard medal shaped like a burned CD.

Food and drinks with Y2K names

Snacks:

• Napster Nachos – Loaded nachos you “definitely didn’t legally download”
• TRL Tenders & Fries – Chicken tenders and curly fries in red plastic baskets
• LimeWire Lime Wings – Lime-chili glazed wings
• Nokia Brick Bites – Rectangular mozzarella sticks
• Pop Punk Pizza Rolls – The ultimate after-school snack

Sweets:

• Frosted Tip Cupcakes – Funfetti with blonde/brown swirl frosting
• Flip Phone Fudge Brownies – Cut into rectangles with icing keypads

Drinks:

• AIM Away Margaritas – Classic lime with colored sugar rim
• Ringtone Red Punch – Cranberry, pineapple, and soda in a big bowl
• Blue Screen of Dew – Neon blue lemon-lime soda with citrus
• LimeWire Lemonade – Spiked lemonade with fresh lime

Serve in clear plastic cups with Sharpie-drawn T9 keypads.

How Gather Shot fits into this

A Y2K party generates a lot of chaotic, blurry, perfect content. The problem is collecting it afterward. Nobody wants to chase down photos in five different group chats.

Gather Shot is a photo sharing platform for events that lets guests scan a QR code and upload directly. No app downloads, no account creation. Print the QR code on your party passes or tape it near the photo corner.

After the party, you have every photo in one place. Download them all, share a curated album, or just relive the chaos with your crew.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a Y2K party cost to throw? Most decor comes from dollar stores or thrift shops. Budget $30-50 for decorations, $50-100 for food and drinks depending on headcount.

What music should I play? 2000-2008 pop, R&B, and pop-punk. Britney, Usher, early Beyoncé, Destiny’s Child, Fall Out Boy, Paramore, early Kanye, and 50 Cent.

Do I need to buy costumes? No. Encourage thrifting or raiding parents’ closets. Most people have something that works already.

How do I collect photos from guests? Set up a Gather Shot event with a QR code. Guests scan and upload from their phone’s browser. You get everything in one gallery without chasing people down.