Looking for another excuse to host a party this summer? You’re in luck, as the 2024 Paris Olympic Games are just around the corner! Which means now is the perfect time to start planning the most epic Olympics watch party ever. Keep reading to get tons of gold medal ideas to ensure your party is one of the most coveted Olympic destinations in the world.
When to Host Your Olympic Games Watch Party?
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games officially begin July 26th and will continue until Sunday, August 11th, with hundreds of hours of live coverage every week.
Knowing that, there really is no bad time to host your Summer Olympics watch party. But there are a few key dates that can act as the perfect excuse to get your friends and family together to watch together live.
Ceremony Watch Parties
Friday, July 26th: Apart from the fact that it’s a Friday in the peak of summer, July 26th is also the day of the 2024 Paris Opening Ceremony! And it’s going to be a ceremony to remember, making it the perfect viewing experience for a party.
Sunday, August 11th: All good things must come to an end, sadly. Rather than feeling sad about the Olympics being over, why not celebrate all of the historic moments by hosting a watch party for the Closing Ceremony!
Individual Event Watch Parties
If you’re looking to host your watch party for a particular sport, you can also plan it around the event’s schedule. Here are some of the most popular Olympic sports and the ideal dates to host a party featuring them:
Basketball: August 10-11
Beach Volleyball: August 9-10
Diving: August 5-10
Gymnastics: August 1-5
Swimming: July 27-August 4
Track & Field: August 7-10
Volleyball: August 9-11
If the sport you’re looking for isn’t on this list, check out the full Olympics schedule here.
Olympics Watch Party Ideas
If you’ve picked a date for your extravaganza, the next step is to get creative! All of the best watch parties have a few main components: themes, refreshments, decor and activities. Let’s get started on this party prep list!
Choosing a Theme
This step is basically done for you in this case, with the theme being all things Olympics! You can keep it that general or get more specific. Maybe you want the theme to be sport specific, or maybe each guest is assigned a country participating in The Games.
Once you’ve chosen a theme, everything that comes after will need to be coordinated to fit it. Consider you theme when making decisions around decorations, music, food, drinks and everything else!
Olympic Games Decor
If you’re sticking with a general Olympics theme, consider going with a gold theme or incorporating the colors of the Olympic rings into your decorations.
If you’re cheering on Team USA, you can even reuse your Fourth of July decor!
You’ll want to deck out your entertainment space with streamers and other Olympic-themed decor. Consider purchasing mini flags to scatter around your home. If guests are being assigned to different countries for an activity, these can be reused, too!
Speaking of activities, have some gold medal party favors on standby to give to your guests upon arrival or after they win a game. This will add to the festive atmosphere.
Refreshments, Olympics Style
A great party isn’t complete without snacks. And with an Olympics theme, there is room to get creative. One idea would be to make Olympic ring-colored treats or gold medal cookies. You could also incorporate international cuisine to represent the diverse cultures participating in the Olympics.
Another crowd pleaser is a signature cocktail! Perhaps ask your guests to bring a beverage representative of their assigned country. Or celebrate the city of lights and this year’s host city, Paris, with a French 75 cocktail. Check out this recipe below. You can even use food coloring to give the drink a pop of color!
French 75 Cocktail Recipe for the Olympic Games
- Gin
- Lemon Juice
- Simple Syrup
- Champagne
Directions: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, add gin, lemon juice and simple syrup. Shake until mixed and chilled. Pour into a champagne flute or coupe glass and top with champagne*.
*Any sparkling wine will do, but we suggest champagne, as it is from France.
Party Activities
Of course, the main activity at this party will be watching the Olympics, but it’s never a bad idea to have some other things up your sleeve. Maybe there are simple crafts, like medal decorating or making Olympic rings with paper chains. Another great activity is a tournament style game, in which each guest is a country and compete against one another for gold.
The game can be physical like cornhole, or intellectual like Trivia – or anything in between!
Host Your Olympics Watch Party With DIRECTV
The information above should help you get started planning the best Summer Olympics watch party ever. The only other thing you need is the ability to actually watch The Games live! And with DIRECTV you can on the NBCU family of networks, including:
- NBC – Check local listings
- USA – Channel 242
- CNBC – Channel 355
- E! – Channel 236
- Golf Channel – Channel 218
- Telemundo – Channel 406
- Universo – Channel 410
Don’t have DIRECTV yet? Sign up before The Games begin!
Official Watch Parties
If you aren’t able to host your own party this year but still want a community to watch with, you can check out the exclusive Peacock watch party with podcaster Alex Cooper. You may also want to look into community watch events being put on by your city or town!
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