Throughout the ages, humans have demonstrated a remarkable penchant for letting loose and engaging in bacchanalian revelry. From the ancient world to the modern era, people have found endless reasons to gather in large numbers, imbibe mind-altering substances, and indulge in all manner of hedonistic pleasures.
As a historian, I find these celebrations fascinating not just for their shock value, but for what they reveal about the societies that birthed them. The wildest parties in history often pushed boundaries and subverted cultural norms, even as they reaffirmed social hierarchies through ostentatious displays of wealth and power.
In this article, I‘ve compiled a list of the 12 most epic parties ever thrown, based on my research into firsthand historical accounts, economic data, and scholarly analyses. Join me on a journey through some of history‘s most legendary feasts, balls, festivals, and soirées.
1. The Akitu Festival of Ancient Babylon
One of the oldest known celebrations in history, the Akitu festival marked the Babylonian new year and dates back to at least the 3rd millennium BCE. Coinciding with the spring equinox and the mythical triumph of the god Marduk over the forces of chaos, the 12-day festival was a time of sacred rites, feasts, and merriment.
The festival began with a procession of statues of the gods into the city, followed by ritual combat between the king and a rival. After reaffirming his right to rule, the king led a public banquet with copious amounts of food and drink. Music, dancing, and general revelry ensued as the whole city turned out to celebrate.
While some elements of the festival reinforced the power of the king and priesthood, it‘s clear that all classes of Babylonian society participated in the Akitu to some extent. In a time when life was often brutish and short, the festival provided a much-needed respite and social release valve.
2. The Bacchanalia of Ancient Rome
Immortalized by the Roman historian Livy, the Bacchanalia were ancient festivals honoring Bacchus, the god of wine and ecstasy. Initially limited to women, these rites evolved into mixed-gender celebrations that drew adherents from across the social spectrum.
According to Livy, the Bacchanalia featured "tumultuous banqueting, drunkenness and debaucherous cavorting with women." Participants reportedly engaged in sexual acts, violent initiations, and even ritual murder under the cover of nightfall and secrecy.
So scandalous were these rites that the Roman Senate banned them in 186 BCE, citing concerns over public morality and social stability. While Livy‘s accounts may be sensationalized, archaeological evidence confirms the Bacchanalia were popular throughout the Italian peninsula until their suppression.
3. The Coronation of Elizabeth I of Russia (1742)
In one of the most lavish coronations in history, Elizabeth I of Russia ascended to the throne in 1742 after staging a coup against the one-year-old Tsar Ivan VI. To legitimize her rule, Elizabeth spared no expense in celebrating her coronation at Moscow‘s Kremlin.
The festivities lasted over a month and featured balls, banquets, and performances attended by thousands of guests. The coronation feast alone served over 5,000 bottles of French champagne, 11,000 bottles of Burgundy, and untold quantities of caviar, oysters, truffles and game meats.
Contemporary accounts marvel at the opulence on display, from jewel-encrusted carriages to halls decorated with gold and furs to an orchestra of over 100 musicians. The total cost of the coronation exceeded 1 million rubles – nearly a sixth of the state‘s annual budget.
4. The Boston Tea Party (1773)
Not all wild parties were bacchanals of excess – some were political acts of rebellion, like the famous Boston Tea Party of 1773. On the night of December 16th, a group of American colonists disguised as Mohawk Indians boarded three ships in Boston Harbor and dumped 342 chests of British tea into the water.
The Tea Party was a protest against British tax policies and a galvanizing moment in the lead-up to the American Revolution. While not a traditional party, it featured many elements of guerrilla street theater, public destruction of property, and flagrant disregard for authority.
Contemporary accounts describe a festive atmosphere along the wharf as crowds cheered the protesters and jeered the British. In the aftermath, Boston celebrated with bonfires, parades, and continued agitation against the Crown. The political ramifications reverberated across the colonies and set the stage for independence.
5. The Romanov Tercentenary (1913)
In 1913, Russia‘s Romanov dynasty celebrated 300 years of rule with a series of lavish festivities across the empire. The centerpiece was a May celebration at the imperial capital St. Petersburg, which drew royalty and dignitaries from across Europe.
Over the course of several weeks, the city hosted balls, banquets, military parades, fireworks displays and cultural performances. The tsar and his family made public appearances in ornate carriages and hosted a dinner for over 1,000 at the Winter Palace.
The total cost of the Tercentenary exceeded 100 million rubles. The festivities were designed to showcase the wealth and power of the Romanov dynasty, even as Russia teetered on the brink of war and revolution. Just five years later, the Bolsheviks would execute the royal family and establish a communist state.
6. Peace Day at the 1919 Paris Peace Conference
In the aftermath of World War I, the Allied victors gathered in Paris to negotiate the terms of the peace. On June 28, 1919, the fifth anniversary of the war‘s outbreak, the conference culminated in the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.
To mark the occasion, the French hosts threw a lavish celebration known as "Peace Day." Over 12,000 troops from the Allied nations paraded down the Champs-Élysées as fighter planes flew overhead. A victory ball at the Galerie des Glaces in Versailles drew 2,500 guests, who danced and drank champagne late into the night.
The pageantry and jubilation of Peace Day contrasted with the punitive terms of the Treaty, which imposed harsh reparations on Germany and sowed the seeds of future conflict. The party represented a brief moment of triumphalism before the world lurched into an even bloodier conflagration two decades later.
7. VE Day (1945)
On May 8, 1945, the Allied nations celebrated Victory in Europe Day, marking the formal acceptance of Nazi Germany‘s unconditional surrender. Millions of people took to the streets to celebrate the end of the war, often in raucous and unrestrained fashion.
In London, massive crowds gathered in Trafalgar Square and the Mall leading to Buckingham Palace. People sang, danced, drank and lit bonfires, while sailors kissed nurses in scenes that became iconic photographs. The royal family made eight balcony appearances as the crowds cheered below.
Similar scenes played out in Paris, New York, Moscow and other Allied capitals. After six years of conflict that claimed over 70 million lives, the world erupted in cathartic celebration. The parties represented a collective release of emotions and a joyful farewell to the privations of wartime.
8. Woodstock (1969)
Perhaps the most iconic music festival of all time, Woodstock drew nearly half a million people to a dairy farm in upstate New York in August 1969. Despite rain, mud, and shortages of food and sanitation, the three-day festival became a symbol of the 1960s counterculture.
Woodstock featured performances by some of the era‘s most legendary musicians, including Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, The Who, and Jefferson Airplane. But it was the crowd that made the festival truly historic, as thousands of young people created a temporary community based on peace, love, and mind-expanding drugs.
Contemporary accounts describe a chaotic but mostly peaceful scene, with rampant nudity, casual sex, and open drug use. The festival became a media sensation and cultural touchstone, inspiring a generation to "tune in, turn on, and drop out."
9. The Queen‘s Silver Jubilee (1977)
In 1977, Queen Elizabeth II celebrated her 25th year on the throne with a massive public celebration known as the Silver Jubilee. The centerpiece was a June 7th procession through London, which drew an estimated 1 million spectators.
The Queen rode in the Gold State Coach from Buckingham Palace to St. Paul‘s Cathedral for a thanksgiving service, followed by lunch at the Guildhall for 500 guests. Street parties erupted across Britain, with over 4,000 organized in London alone.
The Jubilee cost over £30 million (£200 million in today‘s money) and featured commemorative coins, stamps, and merchandise. A chain of beacons stretching across the country and the Commonwealth was lit in the Queen‘s honor. The Sex Pistols‘ punk anthem "God Save the Queen" was banned from radio for its anti-monarchist sentiment.
10. Live Aid (1985)
On July 13, 1985, a galaxy of music stars performed at simultaneous concerts in London and Philadelphia to raise money for famine relief in Ethiopia. The brainchild of musicians Bob Geldof and Midge Ure, Live Aid featured over 75 acts and was broadcast to an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion across 150 nations.
The London concert at Wembley Stadium included performances by Queen, David Bowie, The Who, and a reunited Led Zeppelin, while the Philadelphia show at JFK Stadium featured Madonna, Bob Dylan, Mick Jagger, and more. Phil Collins performed at both shows, crossing the Atlantic by supersonic Concorde jet.
Live Aid eventually raised over £150 million for famine relief and became a model for future charity concerts. While some criticized the event as a self-congratulatory spectacle, it undeniably harnessed the power of celebrity and technology to focus attention on a humanitarian crisis.
11. The Fall of the Berlin Wall (1989)
On November 9, 1989, the East German government unexpectedly announced that its citizens were free to travel to West Germany. Within hours, thousands of people began chipping away at the Berlin Wall, the hated symbol of Cold War division that had stood for nearly three decades.
As the wall came down, Berliners from East and West drank beer and champagne, danced to music, and lit fireworks. Many used picks and sledgehammers to hack off chunks of the wall as souvenirs. Others placed candles to commemorate those who had died trying to cross it.
The celebrations continued for days as the world watched in amazement. The fall of the wall set in motion a chain of events that led to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe and the end of the Cold War. For a brief moment, it seemed like history itself was throwing a wild party.
12. Election Night in Chicago‘s Grant Park (2008)
On the night of November 4, 2008, over 200,000 people gathered in Chicago‘s Grant Park to celebrate the election of Barack Obama as the first African-American president of the United States. The atmosphere was electric as the crowd waited for Obama to take the stage and deliver his victory speech.
When he finally appeared, the roar was deafening. Tears streamed down many faces as Obama spoke of hope, change, and the promise of America. Strangers hugged and high-fived each other, marveling at the historic moment they were witnessing.
The election night rally was the culmination of a long and bitter campaign that had exposed deep divisions in the country. But for one night, at least, those divisions seemed to melt away in a cathartic explosion of joy and possibility. The party in Grant Park represented a turning point in American history.
These 12 examples barely scratch the surface of humanity‘s long and colorful history of wild parties. From the religious festivals of ancient civilizations to the political rallies of the modern era, people have always found ways to come together and let loose in spectacular fashion.
As a historian, I‘m endlessly fascinated by what these celebrations reveal about the societies that created them. Whether subverting social norms or reinforcing power structures, they offer a window into the hopes, fears, and values of their times.
So the next time you find yourself at a particularly raucous party, take a moment to appreciate the deep historical roots of the revelry around you. Chances are, you‘re participating in a timeless human ritual that stretches back millennia. As the saying goes, "ain‘t no party like a historically significant party."
