Liven up your drinking party! Fail-safe conversation topics and talk themes
For anyone who struggles to find topics at drinking parties and ends up with conversations that fizzle out quickly, we’ve picked out some perfect conversation starters for those occasions! Liking anime or music can make for lively discussions with the right crowd, but if someone isn’t interested, the conversation can stall.
So in this article, we’re sharing conversation topics that are easy for anyone to join and likely to spark interest.
Some may seem commonplace, but you might be surprised how rarely you’ve really talked them through.
We hope this serves as a helpful reference—and as a catalyst to liven up your next drinking party!
Get the party going! Foolproof conversation topics for drinking gatherings (1–10)
Hobbies
Hobbies come in as many varieties as there are people—some we’ve kept up for years, others we’ve just started.
A delicate-looking woman might secretly be into weight training, while a burly guy who seems like he practices martial arts could actually be studying the tea ceremony—there are plenty of hobbies you’d never guess from someone’s appearance.
When it comes to hobbies, if you share the same one, the conversation will take off right away… But don’t worry—even just having someone listen to you talk about your hobby is delightful, so if you play the role of a good listener, the conversation will naturally pick up! It’s a great topic for those who struggle to keep a conversation going.
A true story that sounds like a lie
Let’s carefully select and share episodes from our own experiences that people around us might find hard to believe.
Draw others in with miraculous stories where various factors intertwined, or episodes that seem unlikely to happen.
As the saying goes, ‘Truth is stranger than fiction,’ there are surprisingly many people who have had unusual experiences, and sharing them could help build bonds.
Listening to other people’s stories might also prompt us to remember similar experiences of our own.
Things I was glad to have bought this year
How about talking about “the best things we bought this year”? From handy kitchen tools and popular fashion accessories to the latest gadgets, there’s no shortage of topics.
People’s preferences and lifestyles naturally come through, so the conversation flows easily.
You might even find shared enthusiasm for unexpected items.
While showing off the results of your self-investments, try drawing out your friends’ hidden hobbies and interests.
With new discoveries and lively chat, the get-together is sure to be even more exciting.
Trendy and favorite foods
Back in the day, nata de coco and tiramisu were all the rage.
That topic hits right home for people in their 40s and 50s now.
We’ve had booms like maritozzo, tapioca (bubble tea), and many others—some trend and then quietly fade away.
There are always foods that are in vogue and in the spotlight, no matter the era.
So how about talking about those buzzworthy foods? Korean cuisine, for example, tends to spark conversation.
If you look online, you can quickly find out what foods are trending, so even those who feel like “I can’t keep up with how fast things change” can join in on a safe and lively topic!
How to spend a day off
When you’re getting your hair cut at a salon, the most common small-talk topic has to be, “So, how do you spend your days off?” Right? Homebodies are like, “It’s my precious day off, so I don’t want to go out,” while outdoorsy types are like, “How could you not go out on a day off?!” Depending on a person’s lifestyle—taking a short trip, diving into hobbies, or spending time on chores like laundry and cleaning—everyone spends their days off differently.
It’s the kind of topic that’s bound to get lively with reactions like, “I had no idea you were like that!”
Things I want to try at least once in my life
I think everyone spends their days with their own goals and dreams.
How about talking together about the goals you have in life and the things you want to try before your life ends? Sharing close-to-home goals is nice, but it might be even more exciting here to talk about big dreams and ideals.
Wanting to see the world’s most breathtaking views or to indulge in extraordinary luxury—those differences in ideals shaped by people’s ways of thinking and personalities are a fun highlight.
By resonating with someone else’s ideal, you might even add a new item to your own list of dreams.
Recent happenings
For a talk, it’s important not only to have big themes but also to mix in light, relaxed topics to brighten the atmosphere.
Among those easygoing themes, let’s focus on things that feel closer to home and think about what each of us has experienced recently.
We’ll look back carefully at everyday moments—our lives, hobbies, and so on—and carry the conversation forward, including how our emotions moved in those situations.
Since small events can be easy to forget, it’s also important to think about how to draw out other people’s stories effectively.