50 Ways to celebrate your 50th birthday

If you’re wondering how to celebrate your 50th birthday you’ve come to the right place.

Turning 50 is a big deal, I know from experience. At 50, I felt I was just getting started, but no matter how you feel about this milestone birthday, picking a way to celebrate it with intention can set the tone for the entire decade. 

Do your best to enjoy your 50th birthday your way, alone or in good company, at home, or traveling the globe. We compiled fifty ways to do it with enthusiasm and gusto no matter what your available time and budget, simply to get you excited about your big day.

Hopefully, you will be able to choose a way to celebrate your 50th that fits you or your loved one from our many options, or be inspired to come up with your own!

This post was updated in November 2024

Read also: Fifty 50th birthday gifts for women

50th Birthday ideas with friends

If you’re a social person, it will make sense to spend your 50th with friends or loved ones. What better way to ring in a brand new decade breaking bread with people who will be thrilled to see you blow out your candles and cheer you on.

1. Host a sit-down dinner

Where have all the sit-down dinners gone? Instead of hosting a huge party, choose just a few friends who you know will enhance the gathering with meaningful conversation. As we grow older, the quality of our connections trumps the quantity of friends we have.

2. Go to a rock concert

I recently saw Stevie Nicks in concert. I had always wanted to see her live and it was the best feeling ever. If there is a group on tour that you’ve been pining to see, buy the tickets now.

3. Make reservations at a high-end restaurant

If you never splurge on fancy dinners, your 50th birthday is a great occasion to do just that. If you’re tight on money, this can have you feeling like Cinderella at the ball. 

4. Sing karaoke

Turning 50 doesn’t mean you have to quit doing silly things that bring you joy. If your time and budget don’t allow for lavish celebrations then make sure it’s a fun one. Even if you can’t sing, trying and making light of yourself is wonderful to keep your spirits up!

5. Host a costume or theme party

Who doesn’t love to dress up? The older I get the more I enjoy it!

Pick your favorite theme and run with it. Be ready to take lots of pictures for posterity.

6. Play board games with friends

Once again, on the basis of spending quality time with friends, and dealing with a low budget, focus on having a good time instead of spending money. Since it’s your birthday, you get to pick the board games!

7. Go to a strip club. Men or women, your choice

This may or may not be your thing, but if you’ve never done it, you may be surprised to find you could actually enjoy it. Take your partner or a bunch of friends, and let loose. Maybe it will inspire you to take up pole dancing as exercise!

8. Spend the day at an amusement park

Reclaim your inner child at an age at which we are supposed to have it all figured out (but often don’t). Bring the whole family and have a blast creating memories. 

9. Go paintballing

A few years ago my sister did paintballing at 50, kind of by chance. She joked that it was on her non-bucket list. But it is an experience she will never forget.

10. Host a picnic

Simplify, simplify, simplify. Nowadays you can have it catered or you can also DIY. It’s fun to have a theme and this also allows for a multigenerational celebration.Read also: 13 50th birthday trip ideas on a budget

Adventurous ways to celebrate your 50th birthday

If you’re into travel and adventure, there is no better way to celebrate turning 50. There are just so many adventures to pick from, but here are a few people we know picked. At the very least this list will get your creative juices flowing.

11. Travel to a city that you always wanted to see

It doesn’t have to be a faraway or exotic location although it can be. It could be a short drive away, or maybe require a long-haul flight. Either way, plan at least a year ahead, especially if you plan to travel with other people.

12. Visit your faraway family

If like ours, your family is strewn all over the globe, perhaps plan to spend your milestone birthday with them where they live. It’s probably cheaper for you to come over than to mobilize your extended family. What better plan than to spend your special day with loved ones?

13. Learn to scuba dive

Scuba diving is a wondrous experience. You can learn at a pool or out on the ocean. Either way, if you’ve never done it before, you are in for a treat. 

14. Go on a cruise

If you’ve never been on a cruise, now is the time. You will never know whether you are a cruise person or not until you go on one. There are so many types to choose from: short party cruises, or long and luxury travels. Pick one and go for it.

15. Try skydiving

This is not for everyone, but if you’re into strong thrills, skydiving is a popular milestone birthday activity. Make sure you are mentally and emotionally prepared for the experience, that the company has good safety measures in place and enjoy the ride.

16. Ride a hot air balloon

This was definitely not on our bucket list, but we did it a few months ago. It was definitely a different experience, that is a reminder to let go and enjoy the ride, both on the balloon and in life.

17. Go on a helicopter sightseeing tour

Have you ever seen your city or town from above? A helicopter tour can offer a different vantage point that you can enjoy with your special someone, alone or with friends. 

Read also: 13 50th birthday trip ideas on a budget

50th Birthday ideas to gift yourself

Honestly, every time my husband asks me what I want for my birthday or any other holiday, my answer is that I mostly buy myself the things I really want. One year I actually did adopt a pup for my birthday. I hope these ideas inspire you to reflect on something you’ve been wanting to get or to do for a while and make the choice to gift it to yourself for your 50th.

18. Purge your closet and go on a shopping spree

When my kids were teens I took them on a shopping spree for their birthdays one year. But first I made them donate their old clothes. If you have more stuff in your closet than you can wear, it’s a great feeling to go through old garments you no longer wear and go shopping for items that are more fit for 50+ you. By that, I mean anything that makes you feel more vibrant. 

19. Rescue a puppy from a shelter

Whether your previous pup crossed the rainbow, or you are a recent empty-nester, both are good reasons to rescue a new pet. It has been proven that pets are beneficial for mental health, especially as we get older. 

20. Spend the night at a 5-star hotel

Sometimes it can be a simple night away from home, even in the same city, that helps you recharge. If you still have young children, this can be especially good for your mental health. Let dad or an aunt take care of the kiddos and treat yourself to a lavish night on your own.

21. Buy tickets to the theater or ballet

The theater, the ballet or the opera are generally not cheap, so they may not be a part of your regular leisure activities. Choose the show you feel you’d enjoy the most, and splurge on it.

22. Get a tattoo

There are women, like Lonni Pike, who don’t stop at one and we think that is beautiful. I got a tattoo on the back of my neck for my 50th that I later covered with a larger, more beautiful design (it used to be a quill that bled and I had it covered with a butterfly later on). If you just want a small one, that is cool too. Just make sure it is meaningful to you.

23. Get a cosmetic enhancement

If you are team no enhancements, good for you. But if you want to indulge in a little something to help you look refreshed, then consider a cryo toning facial (non-invasive) or perhaps an injectable that could improve the texture of your skin. Many estheticians and skin doctors offer birthday discounts. 

24. Microblade your eyebrows

By age 50, a lot of us experience a thinning of the eyebrows. I microfeathered mine a year and a half ago and it makes a huge difference in my appearance. Microblading gives you a new shape of eyebrow, and micro feathering fills in the gaps of your existing eyebrow. These require touch-ups every year or two. Worth the money for sure.

Self-care birthday ideas for your 50th birthday

As the self-proclaimed queen of self-care there is nothing I love more than recharging. Of course we shouldn’t wait for a special birthday to do that, but an element of self-care for the big 5-0 birthday is a wonderful way to start the decade by reminding ourselves that, especially at this stage of life, we deserve to be celebrated. 

25. Spend the day at a spa

There is nothing as relaxing and pampering as treating yourself to a facial, a massage, or maybe a manicure and pedicure. Whether you do this alone, with your significant others or with friends, is up to you!

26. Go to the beach and listen to the waves

If you are lucky enough to live close to the beach, take yourself to the ocean and spend some time reflecting on how the last 5 decades went and perhaps journal about what you expect from the next 5.

27. Book a long and luscious massage

If massages are just not a part of your self-care routine, treat yourself for a 90-minute aromatherapy massage.

28. Break free from the past by throwing things out

This is healing and renewing. Follow Marie Kondo’s tips for figuring what to let go of and what to keep. Get ready to enter your next decade free from baggage from the past. 

29. Get a complete makeover

When was the last time you tried a new makeup look or hairstyle? Book an appointment at your favorite salon, or hire a makeup artist that can home home and glam you up. Then go get your picture taken.

30. Meditate for an hour

Even if you typically meditate for a few minutes each day, there is something about longer periods of meditation that feel so much more grounding and even offer breakthroughs. If you want to take it further, consider an entire day of silence and meditation at a retreat center. I’ve done it three times and boy does it reset your system. 

31. Attend a spiritual retreat

Even if you’re not typically into spiritual anything, you may be surprised at what such a retreat can do for your mental health and also for your emotions. No matter whether you practice a faith or not, you will return renewed and ready to take on life’s challenges all over again

Ideas to celebrate your 50th alone

It’s ok to celebrate your fiftieth birthday by yourself if that’s what you want. Perhaps your celebration with friends and family takes place a different day. You could take the day off work and spend your special day by yourself, reflecting on what it means for you to turn 50.

32. Spend the day in bed reading a good book

If you are always on the go, perhaps you need to unwind and lose yourself in a great book. Make sure you have several titles on hand so that the odds of immersing yourself in one of them are high.

33. Watch your favorite movies all day

Similar to the option above, cuddle up on the couch in your favorite PJs and binge-watch movies or series you love. Who cares what the rest of the world thinks of how you spend your birthday!

34. Have breakfast in bed

Maybe your birthday is on a work-day and you just can’t take it off. Get up a little earlier and order breakfast out or ask your significant other to indulge you. It will make you feel special for the rest of the day.

35. Write the longest gratitude list

If you are at all having mixed feelings about this birthday in particular, write a list of 50 things you are grateful for. I have lost friends to cancer who will never be my age, and I do not take a single birthday for granted.

36. Spend the evening at a social painting class

If you feel you suck at art, social painting while sipping prosecco is a great way to get past that fear and enjoy an activity you feel you can’t master. It’s a good reminder that we can actually have fun doing something we’ve never done before.

Also read: 5 Super-cool birthday ideas for women turning 50

Romantic ways to celebrate your 50th birthday

Doubling down on celebrations, like turning 50 and getting married, can be pretty cool if you plan it right. Why choose just one milestone if you can choose more than one? And if all you want to do is connect with your partner in the bedroom, well, that can be turned into a special occasion too. Yes, we can feel sexy at 50!

37. Renew your wedding vows

Whether it’s by yourself or a significant other, sensual and sexual pleasure is always a wonderful pick-me-up. Of course we think this should be a regular occurrence, but what better way to reconnect with yourself or with your loved one than with a pleasurable encounter?

No matter how long ago you married, this is a great time to renew your commitment to each other. Include the kids and extended family. It will serve as a reminder that the best is yet to come.

38. If you are engaged, tie the knot!

I remarried when I turned 50, and it was the best feeling ever. Almost nine years later, it still feels like the best decision ever. Whether it’s your first or second ceremony, pairing it with turning 50 makes it even more special.

39. Have sex

Whether it’s by yourself or a significant other, sensual and sexual pleasure is always a wonderful pick-me-up. Of course we think this should be a regular occurrence, but what better way to reconnect with yourself or with your loved one than with a pleasurable encounter?

Also Read: Advantages of falling in love with a 50+ woman

Ideas to spend your 50th birthday outdoors

If you’re a sporty person, spending your 50th birthday doing outdoorsy stuff will set the tone for what’s to come. You can and should continue to enjoy hiking, camping, paddleboarding and more, well past 50!

40. Go for a long bike ride

Exercising outdoors has a number of benefits. If you normally bike for short periods, map out a new longer and more interesting route. Go alone or bring a buddy. Wear your helmet and be safe. Above all, enjoy the meditative state of repetitive movement.

41. Camp in the woods

If you’ve never been camping, doing it for your 50th is a great way to commune with nature and celebrate the start of this new decade. 

42. Sign up to paddleboarding, yoga, golf

The point is to sign up to something new! Make it a point to keep it up for at least a year and see what happens. As long as you continue to be open to learning new things every birthday will feel like something positive to be celebrated instead of being a hindrance. 

43. Go on a tree-climbing adventure

There are adventure courses that cater to thrill seekers who also enjoy being tethered in case of a fall. I’ve done these many times in my 50’s and feel that it could be a fabulous way to ring in the new decade if you have never done it before.

Also Read: Why 50 is definitely not the new 30

Unusual ways to celebrate your 50th birthday

Not every 50th birthday celebration has to involve traditional ways to ring in the new decade. There are plenty of options (these are just a few, meant to inspire you), that perhaps seem a bit unusual, but that’s the cool thing about turning fifty, we can choose to celebrate however we want, and not how it may be expected of us!

44. Move to your new house

If a move is in the horizon, do it on your birthday. It may seem like a stressful thing to embark on. But it can also be a different and during way to start your decade. 

45. Ride a murder mystery train

Not only is it fun, but it also helps with cognitive skills. Mystery trains, improv classes and other such activities are wonderful to stay youthful and engaged. Why not do it for your 50th?

46. Go on a gastro tour of your city

You can do this over the course of a few days and extend your birthday celebration. This way your friends can join you any day of the week while you explore new cuisines.

47. Sign up to a wine-tasting course

If menopause didn’t yet do a number on your tastebuds (maybe it won’t but it did to me), sign up to a wine-tasting course. As we get older, it becomes more about enjoying every sip as opposed to getting hammered fast!

48. Launch your own business

I did exactly that when I turned 50. I launched this publication. I never looked back. You can do it too!

49. Try your luck at gambling

Unless you have an addictive personality or feel this could get out of control, maybe a night at a casino could feel very different from what you do on a daily basis.

50. Sign up to a dance course

Whether it’s ball-room, Latin or line-dancing, there is no question that dancing is not only a mood-enhancer but a fabulous way to get and stay in shape and to also keep your brain sharp. My husband and I are taking couples lessons and it’s been great for our relationship too.

Enjoy your day!

No matter what you do, the point is to feel your day went the way you wanted it too. Doing nothing special is also special. It’s all in how we frame it. Happy 50th!

Also read: Why 50 is the new 50!