Like most movie watchers, I’m excited about the 97th Academy Awards on Sunday. This awards season has kept me on my toes since the beginning. I was certain that Demi Moore, for her turn in The Substance, would sweep every accolade this season. However, with the unforeseen BAFTA snag from Mikey Madison for Anora (and Fernanda Torres for I’m Still Here still looming), I now have no idea how the Best Actress category will unfold on Oscar night. But for now, that’s neither here nor there—because my mind is focused on how I’ll be watching the ceremony on Sunday evening. I wasn’t initially planning on hosting a watch party—but I recently got to thinking that I should.
The Oscars are pretty much my Super Bowl. I take the annual event as seriously as an Eagles fan on Broad Street in Philadelphia. So, this last-minute plan to host a watch party in my apartment has started to take shape, and it seems to become more of a reality every day.
Making such a plan at the eleventh hour would be stressful for the average person. However, I thrive in chaos and spontaneity. I know exactly what I’ll need to prepare for such an occasion, and my friends know that come Sunday, I’ll have all of the decor, snacks, and entire viewing experience planned down to a tee.
If you find yourself in the same boat as me, keep reading for your guide to setting up an Oscar watch party of your own—no matter how last minute it all is.
Plan the food.
Before anything, absolutely plan what you’ll serve for food. Curating a menu is arguably the most stressful part of any event, so it’s always smart to figure out what you’re doing here first. Start with your appetizers and snacks as an easy way in. If you wanted to keep this year’s official Oscar menu in mind, Austrian chef Wolfgang Puck, who created the 2025 menu, made it pretty easy. For apps, you could go with mini wagyu cheeseburgers or cauliflower toast. Small plates this year are mac n’ cheese and popcorn shrimp. The main dishes are said to consist of beef Wellington and fish and chips. (Who knew that A-list celebs eat just like the average Joe during night outs like these?)
The items below are what I’ll probably include to replicate the array of dishes myself.
Go with red carpet details.
Like most award shows, the Oscars are preceded by a red carpet event. The same should go for your home if you’re hosting a watch party. Create an entryway to make your guests feel like they’re nominated for their own award. Adding a literal red carpet to your porch stairs or even the first room within your home is a fun start. (You could even have some strobe lights flashing to give off the paparazzi effect!)
Some streamers and gold decor around your home can seal the deal. Bonus points if your guests show up in extravagant outfits! It’s Hollywood’s biggest night, AKA an evening of full-on glitz and glam—so why not treat it as such?
Here’s what I think is worth including in my Oscar decor.
Have games and prizes.
Like football and the Super Bowl, you can bet on the Oscars, too. In fact, some might say award show season is arguably more competitive because there are more movies and actors to consider. Ahead of Sunday, you can print out Oscar ballots with sections attributed to each award in the ceremony. Guests can fill out each section with their assumed winner. At the end of the night, whoever has the most correct answers wins a prize of your choice. An obvious (and fun) idea would be to keep the prize award related, so having a replica of the Oscar statues as part of the prize would be ideal. You can even buy multiple of these trinkets, with different awards being given out throughout the night. Give a trophy to someone for being the “Best Dressed”—but you can get creative with the amount of awards you want to give out that night.
I want to include these things at my own Oscar viewing party.
Who else is super excited for Hollywood’s biggest night?
