The ‘Euphoria House Party’ themed around the titular hit HBO show came to Sydney Uni’s Manning House last Saturday for an evening of glitter, West-coast style, and just a touch of teen angst. Partygoers were clad in striking outfits, with some more loosely inspired while others looked like they had walked straight off Euphoria’s set, with numerous impressive iterations of characters such as Maddy, Cassie, Rue and Jules to be found.
Upon entry, partygoers were offered the chance to get a professional photograph taken in front of a balloon wall adorning the purple-pinks of the show’s dreamy colour palette. Another quirk was the free face bejewelling and glitter, leaving guests with shimmering cheekbones and hair – I, for one, know I will be finding sparkles in my bed for weeks on end. Playing footage of some of the show’s most iconic and meme-worthy moments behind the DJ booth added a fun element to the night.
Meanwhile, Euphoria themed drinks, featuring ‘Rue’s Punch’, ‘Jules Juice’ and ‘Euphoria Drank’, were also a nice touch, with all three of them bringing unique flavours to suit individual tastes and setting partygoers back a humble $12. The Mexican street food available courtesy of Tacos Muchachos was also a hearty and surprisingly healthy meal. Albeit the tacos, disappointingly, were a little bland and overpriced.
It took some time for the dance floor to get groovin’, with attendees shuffling around in friend groups, drink in hand and bobbing their heads to songs they didn’t know for a good hour or so. By about 9:30pm, however, things finally kicked into gear. From Snoop Dog to Doja Cat, Dua Lipa to ABBA (and even a cheeky bit of One Direction), the event’s glittery attendees could be heard gleefully screaming lyrics throughout the night, filling the venue with unbridled energy.
Strangely, there was a distinct lack of the show’s iconic soundtrack, despite being a core part of the event’s advertising, which was an odd and disappointing decision by the DJ. Truly a missed opportunity to shamelessly dance to Labrinth’s genius fusion of breezy electronica, brooding hip hop, R&B, and gospel whilst clutching your Vodka-Redbull. Considering this questionable omission, though I’m told the show’s main theme was eventually played after 1am, at times there wasn’t a whole lot of ‘euphoria’ to be felt on the dance floor.
Overall, the Euphoria House Party was thoroughly enjoyable, bringing partygoers into the show’s stylish and energetic world for one memorable night. The free makeup and show-inspired drinks provided were a nice way to play into Euphoria’s bold visuals and give the event an original edge. However, the absence of the show’s signature music was quite the letdown, so much so that the appealing novelty of the event noticeably wavered at times.
