Prom is one of the most exciting events to look forward to as a junior or senior in high school. It’s a night filled with fun, friends, food, and dancing, usually lasting at least a few hours. It’s a chance for high school students to let go of school worries and create a memorable night with their friends and peers before heading off to college. Dancing is expected, but you might be wondering what else can be a part of the entertainment. There are plenty of entertainment options that would be not only appropriate, but also great for proms.

Keep reading to learn some of the best prom entertainment ideas.

What Types of Entertainment Can You Have at a Prom?

Given that prom hosted by your school, there is going to be some red tape when it comes to what you can and can’t do. Some schools might allow certain activities, while others won’t. Here are some fun entertainment options that most schools would allow:

1. Hire a DJ

Dancing is a must at prom, but to do this, you’ll need some great music. Hiring a DJ can solve this problem for you. A professional DJ can make a huge difference.  

2. Hire a Comedian

Making students laugh is a great way to entertain them at prom. Dancing all night can be tiring, so fitting in a comedy show intermission might be a fun idea. Everyone can take a break to relax and laugh with their friends.

3. Hire a Magician

Magicians aren’t only for kids! Great magicians appeal to crowds of all ages. Take Penn & Teller for example, they headline shows in Las Vegas where the audience is made up of primarily of adults. Make prom fun and interesting by adding a little magic.

4. Hire a Fortune Teller/Tarot Card Reader

Everyone wonders what their future holds, especially teens making their way through high school and getting ready for college. Hiring a fortune teller or a tarot card reader can be a fun activity for students and chaperones alike!

5. Hire a Caricature Artist

You’ll usually find caricature artists at fairs and parties, but you can hire them for prom too! And allowing students the option to get their picture drawn by a caricature artist is a great way to give them a souvenir from their prom. 

6. Hire a Cover Band

Cover bands are another music option for prom. You can either have them perform the whole night or have them come in to perform a few songs and allow the DJ to take over the rest of the night. 

7. Hire a Hypnotist

Hypnotists can do some crazy things! It’s hard to believe one person can control someone else’s consciousness. 

Watching classmates seemingly fall under a spell can be fun to watch. It also allows students to get involved with the entertainment rather than just sitting and watching.

8. Hire Circus Performers

People on stilts, contortionists, acrobats, you name it. Hire them to come to perform for the students at their prom. Circus performers are very engaging. The show will be relatively small when compared to a full circus, but it’s still a fantastic entertainment idea.

9. Food Trucks

Most proms either cater food or have food made at the prom venue. But you can change it up and make it a little more fun by hiring some food trucks for the night. This is a great way to offer multiple food options, and this allows students to grab food all night long. 

10. Karaoke

Singing with friends is always a fun activity. Setting up karaoke for students to engage in gets everyone involved and singing together. However, it’s understandable that not everyone might like karaoke. So, you could set aside a timeframe for karaoke and then allow a DJ or live band to play music the rest of the night.

11. Games

Games at prom can be a great entertainment option, especially if there are prizes. You can match the games to the prom theme (if there is one) or play any game that might entertain at large gatherings.

Some great game options include:

• Trivia
• Bingo
• Musical chairs

12. Inflatable Bounce Houses

We know what you’re thinking… Bounce houses are for kids.  Wrong! A bounce house will be a hit at prom. You could get some general bounce houses, some with slides, or even inflatable obstacle courses, which could be entertaining.

13. Rent a Photo Booth

What better way to capture the moment than with a Photo Booth. Having a photo booth that prints  and emails photos is the perfect way for students to make memories with their friends. Some photo booths allow you to make school-specific borders for the film!

14. Make or Hire a Sweets and Dessert Cart

Having a large selection of desserts and sweet snacks is always a winner. Fill it with a variety of candy and treats that students can pick on throughout the night.

15. Raffles

Creating gift baskets and offering other prizes in a raffle is a great way to keep students involved and wanting to stay until the end of prom. Give them tickets to pick which prizes they want a shot at winning and announce the winners at the end of the night with a raffle drawing. Everyone loves prizes!

Most Common Prom Entertainment Options

The most popular entertainment options seem to be:

• Live entertainment or a DJ
• Photo booth
• Games
• Raffles

If entertainment options are scarce, you can still have fun at prom by talking to friends and eating great food.

Other Cool Prom Ideas…

Most schools like to put on proms with a theme. Doing this makes the event more fun for students. Some great prom theme ideas include:

• Masquerade
• Casino night
• Decade-themed proms such as the 1920s or 1980s
• Hollywood

To make the event even more fun, you could allow students to vote on the prom theme. Gather themed decorations and tailor activities to the theme to fully immerse students in the event. 

For example, if the prom is masquerade-themed, use colors like black and gold and provide masks for all guests. Masquerade literally means to disguise yourself through costumes and masks, so masks are a must!

Conclusion

Prom can be exceedingly more fun if there are entertainment options to keep everyone busy. There should always be a few entertainment options to make sure every student is having fun. Use the above prom entertainment ideas to make prom in 2022-2023 the best prom ever!