Gala events are known for their lavish celebrations and formal dress codes. But any gala theme can start to feel repetitive if it’s repeated every year. That’s why we love exploring new gala dinner themes and ideas with our partners and our clients.
A unique gala dinner theme has several key benefits. Apart from giving your guests a pleasant surprise, it can enhance your brand image with the investors and key clients among your guests.
Here, we’ve picked our favourite gala dinner theme ideas, which work whether you’re hosting your employees or external stakeholders.
1. Vintage gala theme
Rewind the clock and take your guests back in time with a vintage gala dinner theme set in Singapore circa 1980 and 1990.
Suggested venues
• Orchard Hotel Singapore
• Carlton Hotel Singapore
Decor
Give your guests a sense of nostalgia with a set design inspired by Singapore’s bygone era. Make use of vintage fabric and patterns from the 60s to 80s, or drape your stage in chintz curtains and backdrops that were popular decades ago.
An attendee walks past at a vintage food cart at the networking area of the STB Tourism Industry Conference 2023. We developed the concept in tandem with the creative team at Suntec Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, where the event was held.
F&B
Complement your gala dinner menu with old-school treats such as Polar snacks and Apollo chocolate wafers.
You can even try turning up the nostalgia by catering heritage push carts stocked with these snacks. The novelty of these carts can spur conversation among your guests and contribute to a more relaxed vibe at your gala dinner.
Activities
Dedicate space in your event programme for competitions designed around classic games such as congkak, five stones, tikam tikam and chapteh – all of which will serve as a refreshing blast from the past for your guests!
What to wear
Encourage your guests to wear outfits from a specific decade, such as the 80s or 90s, to match your gala theme. For inspiration, check out vintage 90s-inspired jackets or classic jewellery ranging from the 40s to the 80s. You can also get guests to don bolder retro costumes for truly unforgettable photo opportunities.
2. Beachside gala theme
If you fancy giving your guests an al fresco dining experience, there are few occasions as unique as a beachside gala dinner.
Suggested venues
• Ola Beach Club
Decor
While the rows of coconut trees on the beach will have already served as a ready-made frame to your gala dinner, you can try adding more tropical flowers and fruits to complete the look. To give your decor additional pop in the dark, consider wash lighting.
F&B
Nothing says beachside more than tropical juices and fresh seafood platters.
We took part in a mocktail-making competition by the Chao Phraya River in Bangkok, Thailand during our retreat in 2024.
Activities
Activities such as beach volleyball (before dinner is served, of course) and sandcastle-building competitions are game for a beachside gala dinner. A mocktail-making contest is also sure to guarantee some cheers from your guests.
What to wear
Get your guests to wear floral shirts, shorts and sandals that fit your beachside gala theme. Browse beach-appropriate gowns and dresses for women, as well as breezy shirts and board shorts for men.
3. Casino gala theme
Transform your guests into high rollers and give them a one-of-a-kind experience with a casino gala dinner theme.
Suggested venues
• Pan Pacific Singapore
• Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel
Decor
Turn your venue into a make-believe casino by replacing your dinner tables with card tables. Add to the atmosphere by placing giant dice and casino chips around your event space.
F&B
At a casino, bite-size pieces of food are popular options, so we’d definitely recommend hors d’oeuvres. Be sure to pair them with cocktails to complete the experience.
An attendee tries her hand at grabbing vouchers in a money booth at Seedly Personal Finance Festival 2023.
Activities
Keep your guests entertained with activities such as money booth contests, card or dice games. You can also organise live performances such concerts, magic shows and even a stand-up comedy.
What to wear
Get your guests to look the part of a high roller with showy dinner suits (for men), while these power dressing options (for ladies) would befit a casino gala theme.
4. Sport-based gala theme
Whether it’s centred on football, basketball or tennis, a sports-based gala theme is bound to give your guests a nice surprise.
Suggested venues
• Changi Cove
• Garden Pavilion @ The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
• Four Seasons Hotel Singapore
Decor
Fill your venue with sport paraphernalia. For example, if you’ve chosen to theme your gala dinner around F1, you can accompany your stage with a set of racing tyres and chequered flags.
F&B
Greasy platters of finger food such as fries, nuggets, hotdogs, together with a selection of soft drinks wouldn’t look out of place at your gala dinner. You’ll also win brownie points with your guests if you have soft-serve dispensers and slush machines around.
An attendee takes a shot at a basketball arcade machine at Seedly Personal Finance Festival 2023.
Activities
A sport-based gala dinner is a great chance to stoke the competitive spirit of your guests. With off-the-shelf options (with some of your branding, of course) such as a basketball arcade machine, an air hockey table and a foosball table, you don’t even need a large space to get started.
What to wear
Encourage your guests to show their support for their favourite sports teams with sports jerseys. If they are feeling adventurous, they can even customise their very own mascot costumes.
5. Garden gala theme
Being in nature offers us a respite from everyday life … or work. But if you can’t get your guests into the great outdoors, why not bring the great outdoors indoor?
Suggested venues
• Garden Pavilion @ The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
• Jewel Cloud9 Piazza
• PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering
We decked out the ballroom at PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering in flora for its 10th Anniversary gala dinner in 2023.
Decor
Complement your bounty of flowers and plants with outdoor accessories such as parasols and rattan lanterns. The latter helps to lend your venue a raw aesthetic.
For example, we brought a garden gala theme to life for PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering 10th Anniversary gala dinner in 2023.
PARKROYAL COLLECTION Pickering takes great pride in its eco-friendly practices. These include incorporating shade-loving plants into the hotel's architecture and generating renewable energy from solar panels.
By theming the hotel's 10th Anniversary gala dinner around a garden, we were able to use the same flowers and plants that populate the hotel. This helped us to cut down on the carbon footprint that we would have created if we had the props delivered from elsewhere.
The greenery also had the benefit of looking really beautiful. Combined with our expertise in lighting and sound design and of course the food, we were able to empower PARKROYAL Collection Pickering to engage all five senses of their guests.
F&B
Ask your caterer for a nature-inspired menu. We’ve been checking out cocktails designed with different parts of a fruit, such as its seeds and skin, in mind. A vegan-first menu would delight your guests too.
Activities
There’s no better time for a terrarium-making contest. These adorable trinkets aren’t just a lot of fun to make but also make for the perfect memento.
What to wear
Go for comfort and elegance in your garden gala dress code. You can get the ladies to wear flowy maxi dresses and floral prints, while the men can put on shirts with similar flower-patterned prints.
6. Hollywood gala theme
Give your guests the opportunity to channel their inner celebrity by throwing a glamorous Hollywood-inspired gala dinner.
Suggested venues
• Pan Pacific Singapore
• Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel
Cabaret performers pose for a photo under a Broadway-styled entrance arch at Samsung Dinner & Dance 2022.
Decor
Take inspiration from awards shows such as the Oscars and The Emmy Awards. Place decorations like cameras, clapper boards or even entire movie sets to bring the glitz of Hollywood to your gala dinner.
F&B
A simple yet effective way to bring out the Hollywood concept is to lay out a luxurious buffet reception. You can also enhance your F&B offering with specially designed dessert platters to match your gala theme.
Activities
If an awards ceremony is part of your programme, consider investing in a custom statuette. The trophy for The Emmy Awards, for example, features a winged woman holding up an atom. An exquisite statuette is sure to make any award winner feel like a star and your gala dinner, doubly memorable.
What to wear
Get your guests to dress to the nines in Hollywood fashion. Turn up the glamour with tuxedos and tailcoats for men, and elegant dresses for women.
Partner with an award-winning gala dinner agency today
Pulling off a successful gala dinner and sending all your guests home with an experience to remember can be a challenging task, especially if you’re exploring a new concept or theme.
Let us help you take out the fuss and worry from planning your very own special gala dinner. More importantly, with over 17 years of creating interactive, story-driven event experiences, we know what it takes to engage your guests.
Plan your next gala dinner event with us today!
Our Venue Partners
Suntec Singapore | Pan Pacific Singapore | Carlton Hotel Singapore | Four Seasons Hotel Singapore | NTUC Centre | M Hotel Singapore City Centre | Orchard Hotel Singapore | Garden Pavilion @ The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore | Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel | Bridge+ Ascent | Ola Beach Club | Changi Cove | Ngee Ann City Civic Plaza | Urban Green Rooms (Orchard Road)