Farewell party entertainment and performance ideas to liven things up: presentations that convey gratitude
When a colleague who has supported you at work is transferred or decides to leave the company, many people want to hold a farewell party to express their gratitude.
That said, it can be hard to decide what kind of performance or activity to prepare.
If you’re going to do it, you want to make the guest of honor smile with something truly memorable.
In this article, we introduce ideas for performances and entertainment that will warmly brighten a farewell party.
We’ve gathered a variety of ideas, from touching tributes to activities that liven up the venue.
Use them as inspiration to gift a wonderful time to the person who has helped you so much!
Farewell party entertainment ideas to liven things up: performances and activities to express gratitude (1–10)
Parody Song Dance
A classic act to liven up a farewell party is a parody song and dance that everyone can enjoy.
Using familiar music or standard tunes and changing the lyrics to words of gratitude gives it a special touch.
Choreography can be anything from simple to elaborate.
If everyone is participating, it might be good to choose something that can be done even with a short practice time.
Coordinating costumes will dramatically change the atmosphere and draw attention the moment you appear.
If you include names and anecdotes in the lyrics, it will become an entertainment piece that conveys your feelings clearly along with laughter.
skit
One unexpectedly popular option for a farewell party performance is a short skit.
Even in a brief time, the clear storyline makes it easy for the audience to get drawn in—that’s the appeal.
If you include real events from the workplace or slightly exaggerated episodes about the person, laughter will naturally follow.
You don’t need acting experience to put on a skit.
Keep the lines to a minimum and convey meaning through movement and facial expressions to help reduce nerves.
By ending with a short line expressing thanks, you’ll create an act that delivers both laughs and heartfelt feelings.
Pedometer Game
It’s a game where you attach a pedometer somewhere on your body, move around, and the person who racks up the most counts within the time limit wins.
Normally, pedometers count the number of steps you take, but since you can’t actually walk during the game, you need to march in place or move your body to boost the count.
The way you move changes depending on where you attach the pedometer, so if everyone wears it in different places, each person’s movements will have their own style, which should also make it fun for spectators to watch.
Slide movie with memory photos
Many of you are probably racking your brains to come up with a memorable performance for a farewell party—for someone who helped you a lot or a colleague you were very close to.
I’m sure your smartphones are full of photos packed with memories.
How about gathering those images and creating a memory movie with your favorite background music? Whether you choose an upbeat song or a moving, emotional one, it will surely become a touching video that stays in everyone’s hearts.
And in the future, watching that movie will give them the strength to do their best in their new place.
Impersonations of coworkers and seniors
Impressions of people close to you can really liven things up.
They’re perfect as entertainment at a farewell party, too.
You might be thinking, “I can’t do the kind of full-on impressions you see on TV,” but how about imitating the quirks of a senior or coworker from your own company? Try copying the person’s habits, behavior, and typical phrases.
Impressions of people you all know won’t make everyone roar with laughter, and they might not land with outsiders, but they’ll get a little chuckle from those in the know.
Since you’re only mimicking small, specific traits, it feels easier and more casual than doing a full-fledged impression.
Old Photo Guessing Quiz
Farewell parties can get a bit sentimental, but how about livening things up with something like this? Gather childhood photos of the attendees, display them in a slideshow, and run a quiz to guess whose childhood photo it is.
You’ll have people who look exactly the same as they do now, and others where, once it’s pointed out, you can kind of see the resemblance.
Above all, looking at those childhood photos is bound to spark lots of fun conversation!
Surprise Message Movie
How about giving the guest of honor at the farewell party a surprise video? You can show it on a monitor or projector, and then present the video file afterward.
Unlike a message board or card, it doesn’t take up space, and if they keep it on their smartphone, they can watch it anytime and as many times as they like, which will surely be appreciated.
Sketchbook Relay
This is a sketchbook relay where you write a message in a sketchbook and pass it along, linking one to the next.
You turn the pages filled with each person’s thoughts, close the sketchbook, and hand it to the next person.
The fun part of a sketchbook relay is that when you toss or drop the sketchbook, the next person catches it, making it feel like you’re truly passing it along.
Let’s come up with a fun way to connect and add some moving background music.
dance
As a special performance idea for a farewell party in a female-dominated workplace, how about doing a dance to an idol song? There are lots of recent idol songs that are performed by large groups and are super fun and uplifting.
The choreographies are cute, too, and it’s a two-for-one crowd-pleaser where everyone can sing, dance, and get hyped together.
I highly recommend it for those who want to keep the mood bright and pleasant from start to finish at the farewell party.
Medal and certificate of appreciation award ceremony
How about honoring their achievements so far by sending them a medal or a certificate of appreciation, or even holding an award ceremony? Receiving a formal certificate or medal is nice, but how about preparing a homemade, slightly quirky certificate instead? It would make a great keepsake, and an award ceremony is a good opportunity to properly express your gratitude for everything up to now.