Get ready to immerse yourself in the vibrant world of a Hawaiian summer luau party, where the tropical spirit of a summer celebration, and the refreshing atmosphere of a pool party merge into one unforgettable experience!
I can’t wait for you to feast your eyes on all our 50 fantastic Hawaiian luau party ideas, that will transport you to a tropical paradise full of grass skirts, palm trees and coconuts. It’s the perfect theme for both summer birthday parties, baby showers, bridal showers, or any other type of party, the Hawaiian summer luau theme is perfect for every occasion.
Hawaii is one of my favorite places in the world, so this post is near and dear to my heart.
I love the spirit of Hawaii and to capture it at a party… even better!
From mouthwatering recipes and creative decor to entertaining games and lively music, we’ve rounded up an extensive collection of inspiration to ensure you host an extraordinary party!
Aloha! Check out these inspiring Luau party ideas below…
Reasons to Love These Luau Party Ideas
- It’s a great opportunity for friends and loved ones to come together and celebrate, and create lasting memories.
- A luau allows you and your guests to escape to a tropical paradise without actually leaving your location.
- Hosting a luau offers an opportunity to learn about Hawaiian culture, including its traditional music, dance, and cuisine, giving guests a glimpse into the rich heritage of the islands.
- It’s a great party theme if you are celebrating during the summer months.
50 Amazing Luau Party Ideas for a Fun Summer Party!
Download our FREE Hawaiian party printables for the ultimate summer party decoration.
The set has everything you’ll need. Such as a banner, straw flags, food labels, and so much more… Enjoy!
Get your guests in a party mood with this gorgeous luau-inspired party invitation.
The design is so beautiful and just oozes the tropics!
Digital invitations are so quick and easy! There’s no hassle, all you have to do is click on send and your invitation instantly reaches your guests. How cool is that?
Loving the tropical vibe of this invitation with the pineapple and hibiscus flowers.
Let’s start off with this amazing Hawaiian party full of tropical vibes!
It just oozes summer and everything we love about the tropics.
The balloon garland beautifully frames the dessert table and the scattered leaves really make it pop!
If you love Minnie Mouse, how about giving her a tropical vibe and throwing a Hawaiian-themed Minnie Mouse party?
Decorate with paper flowers and pineapples to give your party a luau ambiance and dress your dessert table with a grass table skirt.
The Disney movie Moana is a big hit with kids and is an incredibly popular party theme here on CatchMyParty.com.
She’s such an inspirational Disney character and the music in the movie is ever so catchy, so, how about treating your daughter to a tropical Moana-themed party where she and her friends can travel to Polynesian shores.
Hawaii is a mecca of surfing, which is why this surfboard backdrop is the perfect party decoration for a summer luau party!
It will make any dessert table pop and add so much to your party.
Sleepovers have become increasingly more and more popular over this past year.
Kids love nothing more than staying up late, chatting away, and eating midnight snacks, so throw an unforgettable tropical luau-themed sleepover!
Treat your guests to lovely tropical cushions that can double up as a wonderful party favor.
WOW! This Hawaiian Luau drip birthday cake is an absolute showstopper!
Decorated with gorgeous fresh tropical flowers and an amazing cake topper, you can almost hear the waves crashing on the beach.
This next tropical blue drip cake will look amazing taking center stage on a luau-themed dessert table!
The gorgeous fuchsia fondant flower topping it is spectacular and makes this birthday cake a work of art.
If you love surfing and are hosting a surf-themed Hawaiian party this cake is all the inspiration you need.
Without a doubt, this beautiful cake just proves that life is better in flip-flops and on a tropical island.
Sugar cookies always look amazing on a plate and these wonderful luau-inspired ones are no expectation!
What’s not to love about these cute coconut drinks, hibiscus flowers, and Hawaiian shirts, to name just a few?
Here are some luau sugar cookies you might like!
Hibiscus flowers are native to Hawaii and are ever so pretty.
Simply fill a plate with some gorgeous hibiscus flower cookies and you’ll have everyone scrambling for one!
Kids love cake pops and these pineapple and hibiscus ones are perfect for a luau.
They’ll fit in with all your other tropical party food.
Make your own and decorate them with these pretty fondant flowers.
These Hawaiian lady cake pops in traditional costumes are so much fun and will look fantastic on a dessert table at a luau party.
Loving the little fondant grass skirt and coconut bras!
Hawaiian-themed cupcakes are a splendid luau party food to treat your guests to at your party!
Decorate some regular cupcakes with some gorgeous fondant hibiscus flowers and you are good to go.
This next bunch of tropical cupcakes are so on theme.
The mix of fondant palm trees, pineapples, Tiki masks, and Aloha banners with hibiscus flowers are perfect for a tropical party!
Life is a beach so treat your guests to these awesome beach-themed cupcakes.
The fun mix of flip-flop and surfboard cupcakes are sure to put a smile on everyone’s face.
If you a looking for a quick way to create some tropical cupcakes then you won’t want to miss this fab party idea!
Decorate some regular cupcakes with yellow frosting, and finish them off with some pineapple leaf toppers, and you are done.
Couldn’t be easier!
On the other hand, if you love donuts, you are going to love these pineapple-inspired ones.
They are so easy to put together. Just add the fun pineapple leaf toppers to them and you are good to go!
Everyone loves chocolate so why not take your brownies to another level by magically transforming them into fabulous tiki faces.
All you need are a bunch of gel icing pens in lots of different colors and let your imagination go wild!
If you’re looking for an awesome Hawaiian decoration, look no further…
Make a cylinder out of brown card stock and glue Ferraro Roche chocolates all over it.
Finish your pineapple off by cutting out some green card stock leaves and gluing them to the top of your decoration so they stick out.
Add some pretty tropical flowers and you’ve got yourself a stunning pineapple candy decoration!
Fruit is an excellent choice for party food, especially at a luau, because it’s so healthy and easy to prep.
Grab some pineapples, watermelons, mangos, and any other tropical fruits you can get your hands on, and arrange them so they’ll impress your guests.
You can’t get more tropical than a refreshing drink from a coconut!
Be it coconut water or a cocktail, serve your drinks in coconuts decorated with pretty fresh flowers and colorful straws.
You can bet your guests will love them!
Another cool way to add some tropical vibes to your cocktails is to place one of these delicate hibiscus flower cocktail umbrellas into each glass.
Add some mint leave and a slice of fruit and I doubt anyone will be able to resist one!
If you’d rather keep it simple then fill a drinks dispenser with some juice and decorate it with a lei.
The colors from the flowers help create a Hawaiian vibe!
You are going to love this welcoming party decoration!
Hang a wreath made of cocktail umbrellas on your front door or at the entrance to your party to welcome your guests, and let them know they’ve arrived in paradise.
Balloon garlands are so on-trend right now. It’s a must-have at any party and will look amazing at yours!
This colorful balloon garland with tropical leaves is so impressive and the perfect party decoration.
Hibiscus flowers are so beautiful and colorful and are perfect for decorating a luau.
These large paper flowers are just what you need to decorate your party. Use them as a backdrop for your dessert table, or even your luau photo booth.
Place this lovely ‘Aloha’ poster at the entrance of your party to welcome your guests to your luau.
The design is so pretty with all the lush greenery and tropical flowers!
You can’t have a luau and not have a Tiki party decoration!
Tiki motifs are a wooden or stone carving of Polynesian supernatural powers, that are characteristic of the tropical regions of the South Pacific.
Try and get a hold of some and use them to decorate your party.
This luau party sign is another great party decoration that is so on theme.
Add it to your party and make your guests feel like they really are in paradise!
WOW! This lush party decoration is fabulous and just what you need at your party.
Decorate either a number or a letter, with lots of leaves and stunning flowers. You can bet it will look amazing!
These impressive tropical table settings are absolutely gorgeous and will give any luau so much sophistication.
The gold accents will take any party up a notch and together with the floral arrangements your guests will be mesmerized!
Create a stunning tropical dream by going all out with your Luau party decorations.
Transport your guests to Hawaii by using lots of bright vibrant colors and as many hibiscus flowers as you can get your hands on.
Decorate your table with beautiful grass skirts for a truly tropical feel.
If you are planning a more relaxed get-together then a laid-back boho-style luau party may be just what you need.
Set up a low table and a bunch of comfy floor cushions for seating. It’s an excellent way to celebrate without much fuss.
Add these pretty colorful hibiscus flower paper plates to your table settings for the ultimate luau experience.
The bright bold colors are so cheerful and will definitely liven up your party!
These fruity and fun pineapple cups bring a tropical twist to your party, making every sip feel like a mini vacation.
They'll add a splash of exotic charm to your tropical party!
If you want to do something a little different how about dressing up individual bottles as Hawaiian ladies?
Decorate with grass skirts, a cute cutout hibiscus flower, and place a pretty straw in each bottle.
Your guests are going to love them. They are a great option for a Moana-themed party!
You won’t believe this show-stopping centerpiece!
Grab a bunch of pineapples, hollow them out, and use them as a vase for some tropical flowers.
Scatter them about your dessert table or use them as centerpieces. Either way, they are a stunning party decoration.
It can be quite challenging to keep your guests entertained at your party.
A great way to do so is to have them get creative with a fun craft.
If flip flop craft is a wonderful way to get the creative juices going by having your guests decorate their own pair of shoes.
You’ll need a bunch of accessories for them to glue onto their flip flops such as flowers, sparkly hearts and stars, and anything else you can get your hands on.
Get everyone up on their feet doing the hula with this fun luau party game of hula hoops. What’s fantastic about it is that doubles up as a Hawaiian party favor for kids to take home too!
Play some traditional Hawaiian music and have a laugh watching everyone dance. Don’t forget to take photos cause they make a great photo booth prop for your Luau party too.
An essential luau party decoration has to be a lei. They are so much fun to make, so why not have your guests make their own? Not only do they add a splash of color to your luau but they also keep your guests busy.
This Lei-making craft is great for older kids (especially if they’re doing the paper punching) and simple for the youngsters, as there’s no big mess to clean up at the end, the supplies are inexpensive, and everyone gets something pretty to wear once done.
Follow these instructions to make your own…
Keep your guests entertained with a fun game of bingo.
Download and print these ‘Aloha’ bingo cards and watch as everyone has a laugh.
Treat your guests to their very own lei, grass skirt, and straw hat as soon as they arrive at your luau.
Not only are they the traditional way to welcome guests, but they also make fun photo booth props and even party favors!
Create a gorgeous Hawaiian photo booth frame like this one.
It’s so easy to make and such a beautiful way to create wonderful photos.
Make a wooden frame and with the help of a hot glue gun stick as many artificial hibiscus flowers as you can from a bunch of leis.
The more flowers you use the better it will look. Don’t forget to mix the colors around the frame for a multicolored frame.
Photo booths are an excellent way to make memories.
Everyone always has so much fun fooling around with cute props like these.
This set comes with a bunch of colorful luau-themed photo booth props that are just what you need when snapping lots of pics of your guests!
If you’re looking for the perfect summer luau party favor we’ve got just what you need!
These flip flops are a fun and cheap gift you can place in a basket for your guests to take home with them and wear throughout the summer.
Send your little guests home with one of these lovely tropical bracelets.
They are the perfect party favor for a luau party and will delight your guests.
Place all your luau-themed party favor goodies in these beautiful paper bags decorated with a hibiscus flower.
They’ll look so impressive on a table at your party and are so on theme. Your guests are going to love them!
Luau Party Ideas FAQs
A luau is a traditional Hawaiian feast and celebration that includes food, music, dance, and cultural performances, bringing people together for a festive and enjoyable gathering.
For an authentic backyard luau party atmosphere, decorate with luau party decorations such as tiki torches, flower leis, and inflatable palm trees. Set up a lively tiki bar, scatter hula-hoops, and for added entertainment provide a ukulele so your guests can play around and create the perfect tropical soundtrack! Use some sand and palm leaves to create a beautiful centrepiece.
Serve a delicious spread of Hawaiian and Polynesian-inspired savoury dishes and desserts, including kalua pork, teriyaki chicken, grilled fish, lomi lomi salmon, poi, haupia, pineapple fried rice, macaroni salad, fresh fruit, like kiwi, and refreshing drinks, like pineapple juice, or cocktails like Mai Tais and Pina Coladas.
Set the mood for your Luau, by playing a combination of traditional Hawaiian music from artists like Israel Kamakawiwo’ole and The Brothers Cazimero, along with popular tropical tunes such as “Pearly Shells,” the “Hawaii Five-O” theme song, and “Kokomo” by The Beach Boys.
Treat your party guests to a hula dance lesson by some professional hula dancers, a limbo contest, a DIY photo booth with tropical-themed props, like beach balls and flower garlands, and a mesmerizing fire dance performance to entertain and awe everyone.
Decorate your luau kids party with playful elements, offer child-friendly Hawaiian dishes and mocktails, organize interactive games and craft stations, hire a face painter, play upbeat kid-friendly music, and provide luau party favors, such as sunglasses, beach towels, flip-flops, and hula skirts.
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For more inspiration, check out all these amazing Hawaiian luau parties on our site.
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