How to host a party

Hi. I’ve hosted a couple pregames at this point and I think I figured out what to do. Here’s a short and sweet guide on how to host for around 15-20 people.

What to buy

• Big bottle of Costco vodka
• One bottle of Bacardi
• One bottle of Pink Whitney (people loooove Pink Whitney. Seriously)
• A bottle of lemonade for chasers
• As many cans of soda and sparkling water as you can grab
• A box of hard seltzers
• Costco popcorn, the big bag
• Three bags of chips
• Stack of red cups
• Shot glasses if you wanna do shots

That’s it. People will bring stuff too. Your job is just making sure nobody shows up to an empty table.

Hosting

Introduce people to each other early. Merge the groups. Don’t let people sit in their little cliques the whole night.

Don’t make it about you. You’re not the main character. You don’t have to be everywhere doing everything talking to everyone at the same time. Chill.

The first few people that show up, that’s when you set the energy. Pour some drinks, put on music, get people talking. But once it picks up and people start vibing, the party takes on a life of its own. Just let it happen.

Music and lighting do more work than you think. Blast something good, set the right lighting for the mood, and you’re already 80% there.

Later in the night just relax. Let people find each other. Let the groups break apart and reform on their own. You don’t need to manage anything at this point.

If it’s a pre-game, kill the music when it’s time to bounce. Get everyone’s attention. Let people hit the bathroom. Then rally them and go.

Music

Anthems. Early 2000s, 2010s hits. Songs everybody knows. You want people singing along and hyping each other up. That’s what gets the ball rolling.

Throw in some niche bangers too. Stuff that only a few people in the room will recognize, and when they hear it they’ll go crazy. I threw in a bunch of Latin music and the people who knew it lost their minds. That energy spreads to everyone else.

Keep it high energy. Nothing sad. You want hype. Songs like “Club Can’t Handle Me” where people hear the first beat and they’re already moving.

One rule though. Every song needs critical mass. It can’t be something only you know. Most of the room should know it or at least be able to vibe with it. Niche is good. Obscure is not.

General advice

Keep it simple. You can go all out if you want but don’t overdo it. Too much planning kills the vibe.

Don’t stress RSVPs. People bring plus ones, people cancel, whatever. Send the invite like a month in advance and let it sort itself out.

Remember the party isn’t for you. It’s for everybody to let loose and have a good time. You’re not performing. You’re just setting the stage. Let it take a life of its own.

It’s really not that complicated. Drinks, snacks, music, good people. That’s the whole formula. Stop overthinking it and everybody will have a great time.

Get a disposable camera or a Polaroid. Put it somewhere visible and let people take pics of whatever they want. Way better than phone photos.

Guest book. Leave a notebook out and tell people to write whatever. Notes, doodles, drunk thoughts. You’ll love reading it the morning after.

Collaborative playlist. Share a queue and let people add their own bangers. Takes the DJ pressure off you and people love hearing their picks come on.

Now go host a fuckin’ rager. Make people feel alive again. Let loose.