When people reminisce about your event, you want them to recall fond memories of their time with you and your brand. This means you need to think beyond networking and new experiences and contemplate what to include for event entertainment ideas. Whether you use educational opportunities to break up the day or help people to relax and unwind after the ‘business’ part of the event, your event entertainment choices will play a big role in people’s overall impression of your event and how much they enjoy themselves.
When it comes to planning entertainment for your attendees, your choices can seem almost endless. We have created a list of 70 different event entertainment ideas broken down by category, that will help you create an outstanding itinerary. These options include low-budget choices as well as ideas to really generate that ‘wow’ factor. You will find relevant ideas on this list for all types of events, helping you drive engagement with your attendees and further spark interest with your potential registrants.
Classic Crowd-Pleasers That Never Fail
These options include your classics: music and performers in all their different forms. These choices are classic because they continue to draw crowds and can be customized in countless ways to fit with your event. This flexibility makes them great choices across conference types.
Live Music & DJs
Here are seven great ways to bring music to your event. People love how sound influences the atmosphere and provides them with entertainment.
- Live Band. Live bands provide excellent entertainment. You can choose bands that play well-known music or their own music. They also come in so many different genres and styles that you can customize them to the feel of your group.
- Jazz group. Jazz can go a long way in setting an atmosphere, adding background music during meals or a cocktail hour. People adore the smooth sound.
- String quartet. A string quartet can be a fun way to add something special to your day. People often picture cocktail hours with string quartets, but they can also fit many other periods of socializing or networking.
- Acoustic soloist. Soloists bring something unique to the table, as even those without musical talent will appreciate someone with a beautiful voice. Look for genres and performers who fit with the mood you want to create.
- DJ. DJs let you bring together nearly any type of music. Often these professionals will let people make requests and they can play hours of music from different artists. If you want to lighten the mood you can have them play classic tunes everyone can sing along with. You can also have them shift from slow, classical tunes during meals to dancing songs after the end of the meal.
- Vinyl-only DJ. For a twist on the DJ idea, consider getting a vinyl-only professional. This will let people reminisce about the days of vinyl while they enjoy all the music they loved from past decades.
- Themed music. Finally, you can incorporate music through playlists, DJs, or performers that fits a certain theme. Maybe you want to capture a decade, a mood, or an experience through sound. Creating a theme helps you capture the experience for attendees in a deeper way and drive home your main ideas.
Interactive Performers
Music is far from your only option for event entertainment ideas for your attendees. Interactive performers can capture the imagination, create memories, and spark conversation and connections.
- Fire dancers. Fire dancers will undoubtedly leave an impression on your attendees. These performers often incorporate various show components such as fire eating, gymnastics elements, dancing, and juggling, which will all wow audiences and encourage people to post photos on social media, boosting conversations about your event.
- LED/Glow performers. These performers will use different LED lights and glow-in-the-dark elements in an all-encompassing performance that can be customized with music and themes to knock your event out of the park.
- Aerialists. If you have the space, aerialists can make people feel as though they have stepped into the circus. These performers can do amazing things while swinging through the air and will keep people engaged throughout the entertainment portion of the event.
- Stilt walkers. Stilt walkers can also be a great source of entertainment. You can use these performers in a variety of different ways. They might walk through crowds and engage and entertain your audience in small groups or you might have an organized event where you have your performers up on stage.
- Living statues. Living statutes will keep people guessing and talking. Positioning these performers throughout the space can help you capture particular themes and amaze your audience with their talent.
- Shadow puppets. Shadow puppet shows go beyond what your children do in the backyard. Trained performers can produce fascinating shows with awe-inspiring puppets. Your audience will be amazed to see what people can do with shadow puppets and the performances themselves will keep people engaged.
- Hula hoop dancers. Like the shadow puppets, these professionals will help your attendees see just how far childhood games can go to create incredible forms of entertainment. Hula hoop dancers take childhood toys and use them to create great feats of agility, athleticism, and entertainment.
Interactive & Hands-On Event Entertainment Ideas
Another enticing option is to investigate hands-on entertainment acts to get your audience directly involved in the show or display. This can encourage conversation among participants, bring out laughs, and build camaraderie. Well-run entertainment in this category is a great way to create memories and encourage social media posts as well.
Audience Participation Activities
These activities directly involve your audience in the act or entertainment itself.
- Karaoke. Karaoke is a classic. You can have this entertainment run by a professional team or have a member of your own team work through it with a karaoke machine and a list of classic and popular songs that people love. It will encourage people to get out of their shells and have fun with their fellow attendees.
- Lip sync battle. A lip sync battle also plays on people’s love of popular music while also enticing some fun, casual competition. Encouraging people to form teams, have fun, and get to know each other can help create an engaging evening after your event.
- Talent show. If you want to give your attendees the chance to show off their fun talents, you can also put together a talent show. You will likely want to give people plenty of warning about the planned talent show, so they have time to think about the type of performance they want to do. You can encourage people to put on shows like juggling, singing, or dancing. These shows are not only fun, but they also encourage people to get to know their fellow professionals in new ways.
- Trivia. Trivia builds teams and camaraderie among your participants. Picking fun trivia categories can let people show off their random knowledge and build some friendly competition among your attendees. This can easily be coupled with features like appetizers or dessert to make the meal times event more enjoyable.
- Dance-off. If your attendees overlap with people who are likely to appreciate different forms of dance, a dance-off is a fantastic option. People will get a chance to show off their moves and compare their fellow attendees in a lighthearted competition that will encourage laughter and good times.
- Open mic. An open mic night will let those creative juices fly. With an open mic night, you can give people the opportunity to share all their creative talents in the form of jokes, songs, poetry readings, and related types of acts. Encouraging people to share their creative side with their fellow attendees can help people get to know each other on a deeper level and build better relationships with others in attendance.
- Live polling. Live polling also gets people involved more directly with your presentations and your speakers. With live polling, people become more invigorated and engaged with all that the speakers have to offer. People can offer their opinions on the important questions and get more customized presentations, increasing their interest in everything being said.
Creative Stations
Creative stations can take your event a step further. Entertainment becomes an opportunity for people to learn, be creative, and step out of their comfort zone to experience something new. This opens the door for conversation and memories that will last.
- DIY cocktails. If you want to create a fun cocktail hour for your attendees, you might consider a DIY cocktail bar. With space for people to experiment with different drink ingredients and try their hand at the fancy bar tools, you can help your attendees relax and learn something new. Consider offering both virgin drink options and alcoholic drink options so everyone has fun and feels included in participating.
- Paint & sip. Paint & sips have become increasingly popular over the past decade. People enjoy seeing what types of art they can create with some professional direction that helps them take a picture and translate it to paint and canvas. When that is coupled with a cocktail hour and friendly conversation, it quickly becomes an enjoyable way to spend an evening.
- Candle making. People love beautiful candles that can sit on their tables and brighten the room. Offering candle-making stations might seem a bit random, but it can actually offer an exciting art project that people often do not otherwise have the chance to experiment with. This type of project also gives people something they can take home, serving as a memento for your interesting event.
- Flower crowns. Flower crowns are often thought of as a childhood activity, but it can be a source of enjoyment for people of all ages. Providing people with plenty of materials and instructions about how to build beautiful crows can encourage laughter and nurture the creative side of people of all ages. Like candle making, people also leave the event with something to bring home.
- Face painting. Face painting also can be a great way to let people let loose and participate in fun activities. When this is paired with photo booths and opportunities for fun social media posts, the reach of this activity can go far.
- Bracelet making. Bracelet making can give people the chance to make some beautiful creations with proper tools and opportunity. You can offer the station by itself or pair with a professional who offers instructions for those who want some guidance.
- Succulent bar. A succulent bar helps people create beautiful arrangements with plants that will last far longer than flowers. You will provide people with the plants and materials they need to create arrangements that they can proudly place on their desks and potentially enjoy for years to come.
High-Tech Event Entertainment Ideas
Tech forms of entertainment can really wow your guests and add a fresh or modern feel to your event. Technology continues to blossom at such an impressive rate that people are continually amazed at what the latest technology can do. You can use technology in a variety of different ways to create amazing feats of entertainment.
Tech-Driven Fun
- VR. Virtual reality allows you to transport your attendees nearly anywhere or at any time. Use VR to create destinations or experiences that align well with your event themes, complementing the rest of the event and creating a memorable experience.
- AR selfie wall. To take the selfie potential of your attendees event further, you can use AR to create unique selfie backgrounds that can transport people to unique locations and take fun selfies that will truly be memorable and make great social media postings.
- Holograms. Holograms are also a fun way to introduce digital realities to your event. With holograms, you can make it seem as though your attendees can genuinely see or interact with different people or environments. People will walk away from your event with an experience they will not have had anywhere else.
- Projection mapping. With projection mapping, you can cast 3-D displays for just about anything onto surfaces. This creates interactive displays that your attendees will get to engage with, enjoy, and otherwise appreciate as a different form of entertainment that not many get to experience.
- Digital caricatures. Digital caricatures will add some laughs to your event by building digital representations of your different attendees. These creations will capture people’s unique traits and, like the caricatures people often enjoy having done on European vacations, can become something they will take home and appreciate.
- Graffiti wall. WIth a graffiti wall, all your attendees will get to add their creativity to a common art project with the other attendees. Since everyone can contribute to the wall, this type of project helps to bring people together and feel a lasting connection. In the age of social media, it also can be a great source of content for event promotion.
- AI art. AI has already begun to make major inroads in a variety of uses, including creating art. It can draw from a variety of different sources to create art that is funny, inventive, modern, or classic. Offering AI art opportunities can let your attendees experiment with all these different capabilities and see what AI can do from a creative standpoint.
Event Gamification
Gamification has made inroads across countless environments. Teachers have incorporated it into their lessons while employers use it to inspire their teams to reach their goals. You can also use these types of activities to engage your attendees while tying the activity in with the theme of your event.
- App scavenger hunt. Scavenger hunts are a classic activity. This type of activity will include dividing your attendees up into teams that they can work with to find pictures or information through your event app that will answer the different clues. Not only will this encourage your attendees to network and engage with each other, but it will also boost interaction with your app and encourage people to continue to use it even after the game finishes.
- Leaderboard games. With a leaderboard, you can encourage some friendly competition among your attendees by highlighting people who earn the top points for different activities, with opportunities for attendees to knock others off and secure places for themselves. You might award points for submitting questions to speakers, posting photos, using the event hashtag, or checking in during breakout sessions.
- QR trivia. With QR trivia games, your attendees can use their phones to scan QR codes to access different trivia quizzes. You can use these fun quizzes as independent entertainment options or as a part of a way to earn points for leaderboards or otherwise compete as a team.
- Event bingo. Bring everyone together with a classic bingo game. You can give out cards that include different fun event occurrences, such as a speaker repeating their greeting to get people to shout back their greeting even louder. It keeps people engaged and interested while also playing on the fun common occurrences during large-scale events.
- Mobile games. Mobile games bring your attendees together through their phones. Encourage people to participate in different related games that connect with your event and theme.
- Interactive maps. To help people better navigate through your event, consider incorporating interactive maps. These will make it easy for people to find their way around and fully embrace all your event has to offer.
- Photo contest with voting. Invite people to let down their guards and take some fun photos with a photo contest. You might have people snap photos related to your theme or in different entertaining categories. Encourage people to vote to enhance the fun.
Outdoor Event Entertainment Ideas
When your events are outdoors, you will have even more space and flexibility for larger-scale acts. People appreciate the natural beauty of the outdoors, and when you plan the entertainment well, it will enhance the overall event.
Big Impact Performances
These outdoor events are sure to catch people’s attention and impact their perception of your event.
- Drone show. Drones are the next big thing in entertainment. Drone shows take tremendous skill to organize, but the designs they create are breathtaking and will surely capture your audience.
- Fireworks. Fireworks are a classic form of entertainment that can be a great way to wrap up an event. Well-done displays incorporate a dazzling array of colors and shapes for something spectacular.
- Movie screening. If it fits with the mood and theme of your event, you might consider a movie screening. Selecting a movie that your attendees are likely to appreciate, such as an old classic, can be a great way to help people relax without any pressure to make small talk.
- Obstacle course. If your attendees fit more into the active category, an obstacle course can be a great addition. Challenging, exciting, and entertaining, a well-designed course is sure to delight.
- Zipline. Like an obstacle course, a zipline will light up the eyes of attendees who love outdoor adventures.
- Puppet parade. A puppet parade is great fun and can give people the space to enjoy all that puppets have to offer.
- BMX/stunt show. Stunt shows or BMX shows will surely take the breath away from your participants. The tricks and feats of these performers will elicit some gasps from the audience and keep them interested from start to finish.
Lawn Games & Chill Vibes
If your attendees fit a calmer demographic, you might consider these types of outdoor activities that incorporate the outdoors in a different fashion.
- Giant games. You can get some ‘giant’ versions of classic games, like Jenga, Connect4, or Yahtzee to add an entirely new element to the fun and creativity.
- Cornhole. Cornhole is a popular backyard game for good reason. It’s easy to set up, simple to know the rules, and fun to play.
- Food trucks with demos. Food trucks offer great comfort food and interesting food combinations. Offering attendees access to popular food trucks, and combining them with demonstrations, can keep people entertained while they eat.
- Acoustic zone. If your attendees appreciate music and the beauty of sound, designating a few areas where the acoustics are particularly compelling and giving them what they need to enjoy it can help people unleash their creativity.
- Hammocks. If your attendees are likely to want to relax, hammocks are the way to go. Positioning a few in the shade of the trees is a great way to help your attendees unwind.
- Roaming musicians. Roaming musicians will walk through your audience and serenade them with some beautiful music. When this fits with your atmosphere, attendees will appreciate the ambiance created.
- Photo campers. In the age of visual media, your attendees are likely to love a photo camper. Dressing up the spaces according to different themes that fit your event can give them spaces to take fun photos and remember the day.
Unique & Unexpected Entertainment
If you want to create an unforgettable ‘wow’ moment for your attendees, then offering surprise and immersive acts are the way to go. These diverse types of events are sure to entice your attendees.
Surprise & Immersive Acts
- Flash mob. Flash mobs seem to come out of nowhere and offer enticing dances and shows. Since people don’t know where or when the show will start, this form of entertainment catches them off guard and draws them up into excitement.
- Murder mystery. By giving your attendees a ‘Whodunit?’ experience, you let them have fun and use their critical thinking skills. Since people will work together to solve the mystery, it can also build relationships between your attendees.
- Immersive theater. With immersive theater, people can become part of the performance. Depending on the show, the audience members might become active participants on stage, vote on the direction of the narrative, or otherwise interact with the actors on stage.
- Cultural performers. If cultural performers fit in with your theme, this can be a great way to offer something different for your attendees. By performing cultural dances, music, and other enjoyable acts, these performers will offer something new for people to enjoy.
- Live painter. Paintings capture people’s attention because of the skill that goes into the work of art. Giving people the chance to see the artist in action will amaze them.
- Mirror dancer. Mirror dancers are unique forms of entertainment where they dance using reflective surfaces to create unique scenes and photo opportunities.
- Pop-up speakeasy or escape room. These pop-up rooms can be great ways to transport people to other eras or spaces. Encourage people to solve puzzles and find their way out of an escape room or go back in time to a retro bar with a speakeasy. Both environments offer fun and excitement.
Conclusion: Evaluating Your Event Entertainment Ideas
During your event, finding ways to entertain your attendees can boost excitement for your event and keep people talking about your activities and the memories they created long after they leave. You have a variety of options available to you to create outstanding entertainment options, with choices for any budget. Our list above can help you get your creative juices flowing and find an option that fits your event. Bookmark and share this article so that you always have it ready to reference.
