16 ‘Love Island’ Watch Party Ideas So You Can Enjoy the Drama in Style

For fans of the uber-popular UK series, Love Island , there’s nothing better than watching the show with other friends who are fans so that you can yell, “I got a text!” to each other and you just get it. And with Love Island USA ’s Season 6 currently taking over everyone’s attention (sorry Love Island UK Season 11, which is also currently airing), you might want to have some of your besties over to watch the remainder of the season. And with both Love Island seasons airing their explosive Casa Amor episodes the same week (THIS week!), what better time to plan one?

Whether you’re a new fan thanks to Love Island USA on Peacock—hosted by the gorgeous Ariana Madix —or you’ve been in the trenches of Love Island UK , all are welcome to throw the best watch party they can! We have 16 Love Island party ideas to either throw the most elaborate watch party or a more laid-back one. Crack on!

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16 ‘Love Island’ Party Ideas

1. Get personalized ‘Love Island’ water bottles or cups

This one is a must for either a chill watch party or a major Love Island watch party. There is an official store that sells the bottles they use on-screen, and you can personalize them with your name for $32. Or, if you have a Cricut, you can find white water bottles elsewhere and make your own Love Island name decals. You can even make them for white champagne flutes, which is what islanders used to drink out of on nights out. This year, on Love Island USA , islanders have transparent, colorful drinking glasses for their nighttime activities, which might be easier to find in party or dollar stores.

2. Get a beach backdrop for a ‘confessional’ photo op

No Love Island episode is complete without a confessional (AKA the points in the show where islanders speak on their own in a private room). These confessionals have a specific backdrop that fans of the show know very well. It’s usually an image of a beach with a wood border around it, with pillows on the couch the islanders sit on. So, while you can’t buy an official Love Island backdrop, you can easily get one that’s close on Amazon or at a party store.

Once you set up this confessional area, it can either be for fun photo ops or as a photo booth. Or if you really want to get creative and throw some shade with your friends, set up the confessional in another room with a camera or phone, and have your friends go in there, one by one, to film their very own Love Island confessionals.

3. Create a drinking game

If you’re drinking alcohol and love a good drinking game, Love Island is a fantastic show to do that with. There is a formula to each episode and to the season as a whole, with iconic catchphrases and challenges that make it easy to set drinking game rules. Essential drinking moments can be when someone yells, “I got a text!” or whenever the host (Ariana Madix if you’re watching Love Island USA or Maya Jama Love Island UK ) comes onscreen. Reddit is a good place to start if you want more rules (like taking three sips when an islander strays from their couple).

4. Make sure you have Peacock or ITV set up for that night’s episode

If you’re in America, you most likely aren’t watching Love Island UK on ITV, unless you have a VPN. But whether you’re watching it on Hulu as they air in the U.S., or you’re invested in the wild current season of Love Island USA , make sure you are logged in and ready to watch the drama unfold on-screen. You don’t want to set it up or try to log in right as it’s airing and then have something go wrong. It’s always good to be prepared!

5. Get some funny neon signs up around the house

We’ll talk more about decorations later, but an essential Love Island decor item is neon signs with cheeky phrases on them. Some neon signs in the villa include, “Soul Ties,” “Crack on,” “Good Vibes Only,” “Girl Code” and much more. If you don’t want to get a custom sign, finding ones with wine glasses, tropical imagery and more will defo work.

6. Try to recreate a crazy ‘Love Island’ challenge

While you probably shouldn’t do the kissing challenge with your party guests, you can always recreate less intense ones like a wild relay race with multiple steps, the infamous pie challenge and more. You know, the works.

7. Have a totally random dance party

It can be kind of cringey to watch the dance parties on Love Island , especially when there are only a few couples left. But, without cameras and with your best friends around, recreating Love Island ’s random dance parties could be a lot of fun. Get some heels on, put on a popular club banger and slo-mo dance to your heart’s content.

8. Completely villa-fy your home

Okay, now to the Love Island villa decorations. Basically think of a summer theme—beaches, tropical vibes, etc.—and go to your local party store. Any brightly-colored, tropical decor works, including palm trees, beach balls and more. If you want to splurge for bright pink, yellow or blue beanie bags, that would be a nice, authentic touch too.

9. Film the ultimate bombshell villa entry video

As @jordynchoover posted on TikTok, she threw a Love Island- themed birthday party and had her friends enter, on camera, as if they were new bombshells entering the villa. “Everyone [understood] the assignment,” she wrote, and you and your friends can too! Again, if you’re all dressed up like hot islanders, walk in as if you’re about to steal someone’s man or girl. Strut your stuff and cause some chaos. Even if you don’t plan to post this one online, it can be a fun keepsake from your epic Love Island watch party.

10. For a more low-key watch party, dress like y’all just woke up in the villa

If you just want to have a casual watch party with your friend or friends for episodes during the season, don’t worry about getting all glammed up like it’s a nighttime episode. No, stay in your jammies, wear some big sunglasses, pack a stuffed animal and put your hair up in a bun as if you just woke up in the villa.

11. Play beer pong with some dares underneath

Every season of Love Island always has at least one game of beer pong. It’s usually non-alcoholic (so that they don’t go over their drink limits), so you can also just use apple juice for a sober game. Whatever you choose to drink, you know the rules! Plus, make the game more fun by placing dares underneath like they do on the show. If you get a ball in your opponent’s cup, they have to do whatever the bottom says. So don’t make them too scandalous!

12. Have some typical ‘Love Island’ villa snacks

When it comes to Love Island food, mostly breakfast food and snacks come to mind thanks to the fact that we usually don’t see them eat full meals. So for your party, you can always do avocado toast, iced coffee, crisps (chips) and pizza. They also eat a lot of fruit in the mornings as well, so some type of fruit board or charcuterie board could be a nice touch. You can also get creative and come up with your own themed snacks like Island nachos or “Got a Text” cookies.

13. Make sure to brush up on your ‘Love Island’ slang

While Love Island UK has some fun British slang (“bits and bobs,” “mugged off,” etc.), there are still some essential Love Island lingo you should be aware of that shows up on Love Island USA too (especially if you’re hosting some friends who aren’t as invested or in the know about the series, make sure to either make cue cards or run through a list of phrases they should know). Oh, and explain Casa Amor to them (when production separates the boys and girls halfway through the season and introduces them to brand-new bombshells in hopes they all recouple), because that is easily Love Island fans’ Super Bowl.

14. Use commercial breaks for confessional time

On commercial breaks, use the confessional booth you made to either talk about the episode as if you’re an islander, or spill your own tea to your friends.

15. Only speak to each other as though you’re islanders in the villa

If you want to really commit to the bit, only talk to your friends like you’re all islanders in the villa. Instead of starting a conversation normally, ask them, “Can I pull you for a chat?” Or whenever you look at your phone, yell, “I got a text!” And if someone makes you annoyed, make sure to tell them you feel like you’ve got "mugged" written across your forehead.

16. After the episode, pretend you’re on your own version of ‘Aftersun’

Aftersun is the Love Island weekly aftershow, where the hosts talk about that week of Love Island drama, analyze the islanders and have guests on who were either kicked off that week or who are coming in the following week. While you don’t have to go all-out, sitting and going over the drama that just unfolded can be the perfect end to your Love Island watch party. There really is nothing like gabbing with your friends about a juicy episode of television.

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