What to buy for a movie night
A movie night needs more than a film and a screen. Use this shopping guide to cover snacks, drinks, serving supplies, hot drinks, cooling and the small technical items that are easy to miss. Buy quantities based on your guest count, then add a little extra for popular snacks and last-minute arrivals. Check the venue and test every connection before guests arrive, especially the laptop, projector, speakers and HDMI cables.
What to bring
Grouped the way you'd shop for it, with quantities.
Furniture
- Chairsqty 55
- Tablesqty 6
- Folding table
- Coat rack
- Beanbagsqty 8
Equipment
- Projector
- Projection screen
- Laptop
- Speakersqty 2
- Audio mixer
- HDMI cablesqty 2
- Extension cordsqty 5
- Power stripsqty 4
- Remote control
Tableware
- Reusable cupsqty 70
- Coffee mugsqty 30
- Platesqty 60
- Snack bowlsqty 12
- Cutlery setsqty 60
- Serving traysqty 8
- Serving spoonsqty 6
Kitchen
- Popcorn machine
- Kettlesqty 2
- Coffee maker
- Thermos flasksqty 4
- Coolersqty 3
- Ice scoop
Decorations
- Movie trailer postersqty 8
- Tableclothsqty 6
- Directional signsqty 6
- Clothespinsqty 30
Lighting
- Decorative light garlandsqty 4
- Standing lampsqty 3
Cleaning
- Waste binsqty 4
- Recycling binsqty 2
- Broomqty 2
- Dustpansqty 2
- Mopsqty 2
- Bucketsqty 2
- Microfiber clothsqty 12
Catering
- Groceries
- Popcorn kernels - 3 kilograms
- Popcorn oil - 2 liters
- Popcorn salt - 250 grams
- Butter - 500 grams
- Paprika chips - 6 bags
- Plain chips - 6 bags
- Tortilla chips - 4 bags
- Salty sticks - 4 bags
- Party nuts - 3 bags
- Muesli bars - 30 pieces
- Wine gums - 3 bags
- Licorice - 2 bags
- Chocolate bars - 30 pieces
- Cookies - 6 packs
- Gluten-free cookies - 2 packs
- Vegan candy - 2 bags
- Cola - 8 bottles
- Cola Zero - 6 bottles
- Sinas - 4 bottles
- Ice tea - 4 bottles
- Apple juice - 3 packs
- Orange juice - 3 cartons
- Spa Blauw - 8 bottles
- Spa Red - 4 bottles
- Sparkling water - 4 bottles
- Ice cubes - 10 bags
- Coffee - 3 packs
- Decaf coffee - 1 pack
- Tea bags - 2 boxes
- Herbal tea - 1 box
- Sugar - 1 kilogram
- Milk - 6 liters
- Oat milk - 3 liters
- Lemons - 6 pieces
- Honey - 1 jar
- Stirrers - 100 pieces
- Paper napkins - 200 pieces
- Paper towels - 4 rolls
- Toilet paper - 24 rolls
- Trash bags - 2 rolls
- Recycling bin bags - 1 roll
- Dish soap - 2 bottles
- Dishwasher tablets - 30 pieces
- All-purpose cleaner - 2 bottles
- Glass cleaner - 1 bottle
- Sponges - 6 pieces
- Rubber gloves - 4 pairs
- Hand soap - 3 bottles
- Hand sanitizer - 2 bottles
Tips
- Plan around 2–3 drinks per person for the first hour, then about 1 drink per person for each additional hour. Include water as well as soft drinks, and chill them before guests arrive.
- Allow roughly 80–100 g of popcorn or other snacks per person for a film night. Put snacks into several bowls rather than one large container so people can reach them without blocking the screen.
- Buy or collect about 2 reusable cups per guest if you are serving several drinks, plus 1 plate and 1 set of cutlery per person. Add at least 10% extra tableware for replacements and unexpected guests.
- For coffee and tea, prepare about 2 hot drinks per person if the evening lasts 3–4 hours. Fill thermos flasks before the screening starts and keep kettles, the coffee maker and mugs together at the serving table.
- Pack at least 1 spare HDMI cable, 1 extension cord and 1 power strip beyond the planned setup. Test the video file and sound with the exact laptop, projector and speakers at the venue before the event.
Frequently asked questions
- How much popcorn do I need for a movie night?
- Allow 80–100 g of popcorn or mixed snacks per guest for one film. For 30 guests, that is about 2.4–3 kg in total, with around 10% extra if snacking is a main part of the evening.
- How many drinks should I buy for movie night?
- Plan for 2–3 drinks per person during the first hour and 1 drink per person for every hour after that. For a 3-hour event with 20 guests, buy roughly 80–100 drinks, including water and non-alcoholic options.
- How many cups and plates do I need for a movie night?
- Start with 2 reusable cups and 1 plate per guest, plus 10% spare. For 20 guests, prepare at least 44 cups and 22 plates so replacements are available.
- When should I test the projector and sound system?
- Test the video file, HDMI connection, projector and speakers at the venue at least 1 day before the screening. Run the full setup again 60–90 minutes before guests arrive, including the remote control and power connections.
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