25 Unique Prom Themes That Set a Magical Mood
You’ve seen the classic movie cliché of the high school prom—the one held in a sweaty gymnasium, bright white lights grossly illuminating the dance floor with measly balloons decorating the bare walls. Why not break this trope and hold the most magical prom your school has ever seen? Check out our list of 25 of the best prom themes with accompanying decorating ideas that will put a unique spin on this year’s high school prom.
(Just a heads up, WeAreTeachers may collect a share of sales from the links on this page. We only recommend items our team loves!)
1. Starry Night
Source: chicagonow.com
Immerse your students in Van Gogh art by projecting his iconic painting onto the walls and adding fun elements like stars and blue details to the tables.
Get the look: Projector on Amazon, Space Tablecloth on Amazon, Artificial Daisies on Amazon
2. Follow the Yellow Brick Road
Source: rosebrand.com
Get a yellow carpet or mat, add a rainbow onto the wall, and project or build a small Emerald City for one of the most whimsical prom themes.
Get the look: Yellow Brick Road Runner and Emerald Castle Backdrop on Amazon, Blue Gingham tablecloth on Amazon
3. Great Gatsby
Source: pinterest.com
Take your students back to the Roaring ’20s with this Great Gatsby theme. All you need is some flashy decor and you can transport your venue into a Gatsby-esque party!
Get the look: Gatsby Theme Welcome to the Party Door Cover on Amazon, Roaring ’20s balloon set on Amazon, Roaring ’20s Photo Booth Props on Amazon
4. Under the Sea!
Source: feelgoodevents.com
Blow up some fish and jellyfish balloons and let them float to the ceiling, add some blue LED lights and white furniture, and let your students feel like they are swimming through their prom venue.
Get the look: Jellyfish decorations on Amazon, Blue LED strip on Amazon, Fish balloons on Amazon
5. Disco Party
Source: pinterest.com
All you need for this theme are TONS of disco balls. Put them on the tables, hang one from the ceiling, and let them spin.
Get the look: 50 Disco Balls on Amazon, Disco ball balloons on Amazon, Disco light on Amazon
6. Fun in the Sun
Source: corporateeventinspiration.wordpress.com
For a fun summery theme, all you need are beach balls and beach ball balloons paired with fun primary colors to feel like your venue is a beach.
Get the look: Beach ball balloons on Amazon, 36 count leis on Amazon, Fishnet Decorative and Tablecloth Set on Amazon
7. Or Fun in the Snow?!
Source: myschooldance.com
Alternatively, for a winter theme, all you need are blue LED lights and glistening decor to simulate ice! You can also get fake snow and line the floors to really transport your students to a snowy mountainside. Bonus points if you get the linked inflatable snow globe for prom pics!
Get the look: Blue LED strip on Amazon, Artificial Snow on Amazon, Inflatable Snow Globe on Amazon
8. Candy Land
Source: pinterest.com
For a Candy Land theme, put colored squares on the floor to simulate the actual game. Put candy all around the venue and some colorful balloons to complete the theme.
Get the look: Candy Land decorations on Amazon, Candy balloon arch on Amazon, Colorful floor squares on Amazon
9. Carnival
Source: icbritanico.edu.ar
If you can’t afford to go all out with a circus tent, hanging some tapestries from the ceiling and adding twinkle lights would work just the same! Make sure to decorate with primary-color details.
Get the look: Red balloons on Amazon, Red and white pennant banner on Amazon, Remote control curtain lights on Amazon
10. Enchanted Forest
Source: Pinterest
Use dim lighting and maybe add some prop trees to create a magical forest for your students.
Get the look: Wisteria arch on Amazon, Large mushroom paper lanterns on Amazon, Fake topiary trees on Amazon
11. Masquerade Ball
Source: myschooldance.com
Show up wearing your very best, and don’t forget a unique masquerade mask to perfect the theme.
Get the look: 30 Piece Masquerade Mask on Amazon, Black and gold party decorations on Amazon
12. The Big Apple
Source: briansnyderentertainment.com
The perfect way to re-create New York in your prom venue is to project the most iconic buildings onto the walls. With dim lighting, the venue will be transported to NYC!
Get the look: Projector on Amazon, NYC Street sign cutouts on Amazon, New York City Neon sign on Amazon
13. Rustic
Source: Pinterest
A barn is such a cute venue for a wholesome prom night. If you can’t pick your actual venue, pick minimal decorations and add tons of fairy lights with white tablecloths for a rustic theme.
Get the look: Remote-control curtain lights on Amazon, White tablecloths on Amazon, Full-size straw bale on Amazon
14. Wild Prom Night!
Source: decoratingforevents.com
Get a green carpet for your students to walk down, add blow-up or stuffed wild animals, and make sure to include tons of plants around your venue to re-create the jungle inside.
Get the look: Grass area rug on Amazon, Inflatable animal figurines on Amazon, Fake tropical plants bundle on Amazon
15. A Night in Venice
Source: brainerddispatch.com
A prop boat and blue carpet to simulate water with “Venice” in the background would be the perfect photo op for your prom. (P.S.: Masquerade masks come from Venice, so combine the two themes for an elaborate prom!)
Get the look: Blue runner rug on Amazon, 3D cardboard canoe on Amazon, 30 Masquerade Masks on Amazon
16. Tropical Getaway
Source: partyslate.com
Transport your students to a tropical vacation dinner, with candle-lit tables and fake palm trees adorning the space.
Get the look: Artificial palm tree on Amazon, Tea light candles on Amazon, Purple LED string lights on Amazon
17. Evening in Paris
Source: Delmarva.now
A prop Eiffel Tower is a necessity for this “Evening in Paris” theme. Additional decorations could include tons of fairy lights and fun Parisian food like croissants and baguettes!
Get the look: Eiffel Tower Cardboard Cutout on Amazon, Remote-control curtain lights on Amazon, 18 count jumbo croissants on Amazon
18. Neon Night
Source: Pinterest
This theme is a lot easier than it looks: Paint everything neon! Neon wristbands, neon balloons, neon paint, and a black light to make everything glow.
Get the look: 88-piece Glow Party Pack on Amazon, UV neon balloons on Amazon, Glow-in-the-Dark face paint on Amazon
19. Haunted Mansion
Source: Pinterest
This is the perfect Halloween-themed prom. Place elaborate candelabras on tables and put cobwebs everywhere, but make it classy.
Get the look: Spiderweb decorations on Amazon, Candelabra decoration on Amazon, Gothic mansion banners on Amazon
20. Mad Tea Party
Source: architecturaldigest.com
Paint the floor with black and white tiles in a curved design and fill the venue with plants. Place eccentric, colorful tea cups and decks of cards on the tables, and you are transported to Wonderland!
Get the look: Alice in Wonderland Tea Party set on Amazon, Alice in Wonderland playing cards on Amazon, Alice in Wonderland balloon arch set on Amazon
21. Casino Night
Source: Pinterest
To pull off a casino theme, make everything themed to a deck of cards. You can be creative with this one, but definitely keep the colors to only black and red to sell the theme.
Get the look: Dice boxes decor on Amazon, Casino Night backdrop on Amazon, Casino party hanging decoration on Amazon
22. Out of This World
Source: disneyparks.com
Transport your students to a whole other planet with this intergalactic theme. What a great excuse to buy some lasers! Also, an astronaut helmet is the perfect photo-booth prop.
Get the look: Astronaut vests and helmets on Amazon, Galaxy/Star Projector on Amazon, Planet paper lanterns on Amazon
23. Back to the ’80s
Source: Facebook.com
Have your ideal prom with this blast from the past. Your students might not get the niche references, but they will still have a great time while you get a blast of nostalgia. Neons and scrunchies are a must.
Get the look: ’80s party bundle and backdrop on Amazon, Neon balloons on Amazon, Inflatable boombox beverage cooler on Amazon
24. A Star Is Born
Source: Pinterest.com
Let your students feel like Hollywood stars with one of these classic prom themes. You will need a red carpet (obviously) and have your chaperones take flash photos of your students as they walk down.
Get the look: Red carpet on Amazon, Movie hanging decorations on Amazon, Paparazzi cardboard props on Amazon
25. On Cloud 9
Source: Pinterest.com
This theme is gorgeous for all seasons. All-white everything with DIY clouds lining the ceiling will make your students feel like they both literally and mentally on Cloud 9!
Get the look: Cloud decoration with remote light on Amazon, Transparent bubble balloons on Amazon, White and silver napkins on Amazon
Did you enjoy these unique prom themes? For more inspiration and prom themes, check out our 18 Favorite Prom Chaperone Outfits for Teachers!
Want more articles like this? Subscribe to our newsletters!
Dig Deeper With Our Longreads
Newsletter Sign up to get our best longform features, investigations, and thought-provoking essays, in your inbox every Sunday.
The MEN was founded by John Huber in the fall of 2020. It was founded to provide a platform for expert opinion and commentary on current issues that directly or indirectly affect education. All opinions are valued and accepted providing they are expressed in a professional manner. The Maryland Education Network consists of Blogs, Videos, and other interaction among the K-12 community.