6 Oscar Viewing Parties in Hollywood You Need to Know About
A view of the atmosphere at the 22nd Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards viewing party on February 24, 2013 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by Stefanie Keenan/Getty Images for Chopard)
Picture this: You’re just a regular person who happens to live in Hollywood. And you just found out that you didn’t get invited to the Weinstein company’s epic two-night, invite-only, superprivate, uber-posh Oscar party. You’re bummed and disheartened, and maybe you want to just give up on the glam and watch the Oscars on your couch with Seamless — but don’t despair! We rounded up a few glam ways you can celebrate without shelling out your entire yearly salary, and we threw in a few pricier parties for those of you who’ve got some serious extra cash to throw around. When in Hollywood, right?
1. DIY it at Public Kitchen & Bar in the Hollywood Roosevelt
Bring your own bash to Public Kitchen & Bar at the Hollywood Roosevelt. (Photo: Thompson Hotels)
You really don’t have to break the bank to enjoy the Oscars in L.A. Inside the Hollywood Roosevelt — which is where the first Oscars took place back in 1929 — there’s a stately, chic restaurant called Public Kitchen & Bar that makes it easy for you to have a glam night on the cheap. All you have to do is grab a few friends, get dressed up, enjoy a few drinks and a low-key dinner, and watch the awards from your table. Bonus: You’ll be directly across from the Dolby Theatre, where the event takes place, so you’ll likely spot a celeb or two. And afterward, the Hollywood Roosevelt has a few noteworthy clubs, most notably Teddy’s and The Spare Room, so you can join in on the afterparty epicness.
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2. Attend The One Last Party at the Hollywood American Legion
Soak in the SoCal vibe during a live party performance by The California Dreamers, featuring William Kircher from The Hobbit. (Photo: The California Dreamers/Facebook)
Over the past 14 years, the Hollywood American Legion Hall has come alive for The One Last Party, a Hobbit-themed bash that’s essentially an excuse for a ton of movie nerds to gather together, make Oscar predictions, and geek out. If this is your thing, get on it, especially because this year really is the final party — so it’ll be extra-celebratory. The event, which costs $100, has been named “hottest bash” by the Los Angeles Times and includes food and drink, a live performance by the California Dreamers (led by Bifur from The Hobbit!), and Middle-earth themed music. People who attend this party definitely know what that category of music means, but for everyone else, it’s music specifically inspired by or related to J.R.R. Tolkien’s tales of Middle-earth. The One Last Party people make no guarantees, but odds are high that you’ll see a Hobbit or two mulling around.
3. Hit up The Envelope Please party at The Abbey
The scene at last year’s 13th annual The Envelope Please Oscar viewing party at The Abbey. (Photo: Angela Weiss/Getty Images)
Next up, we have The Envelope Please, the 14th annual bash at Hollywood’s most famous gay nightclub, The Abbey. Hosted by Pauley Perrette of NCIS fame, the party costs $100 (50 percent of which is tax deductible). You get hors d’oeuvres, Belvedere-hosted cocktails, and a chance to bust out your fanciest attire (it’s black-tie only). However, Big Warning: That $100 does not buy you an actual seat, just a place to stand. If you want to sit down, you’ll have to pay a hefty $1,000.
4. Watch the Oscars from a private screening room at Laemmle Royal Theater
Not pictured: the grin you will have on your face when you spend your Oscar night at The Laemmle Royal Theater. (Photo: drpalu/Instagram)
One of the most creative, yet fairly undiscovered, ways to watch the Oscars is inside the Laemmle Royal Theater’s private screening room. For $500, you and your friends can rent out the space for Oscar Sunday. Just so you know, the Laemmle theaters are an institution in LosAngeles, not least because oftheir intimate, 12-seat screening rooms and state-of-the-art, theater-quality projection.
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5. Mingle with celebs at Norby Walter’s 25th Annual Night of 100 Stars
It’s a starry night—in both senses of the word—at the Beverly Hiton Hotel. (Photo: Angela Weiss/Getty Images for Tribeca Film Festival)
If you want to step up your Oscar game even more, Norby Walter’s 25th Annual Night of 100 Stars party at the Beverly Hilton may be for you. It’s significantly more expensive than the others — $2,000 — but that’s because it’s even more glam. It’s invite-only, but if you land an invitation, you’ll dine on a three-course meal while watching the show with celebrities, producers, and power players. Fun fact: The Night of 100 Stars was held at the Beverly Hills Hotel for 24 years, but this year, organizers rescheduled the event for the nearby Hilton, due to the public stance on sharia (Islamic law) of the Sultan of Brunei, who owns the Beverly Hills Hotel.
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6. See and be seen at Elton John’s Oscar Party
Spotted: Neil Patrick Harris, David Burtka, Sir Elton John, Sharon Osbourne and Lady Gaga pausing for a pose at the 22nd Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party. (Photo: Michael Kovac/Getty Images for EJAF)
And finally, we’ve got the big boy, the “one,” the super heavyweight and undisputed champion of Hollywood Oscar viewing parties: Elton John’s Oscar party at the Pacific Design Center. It will be swarming with invited, A-list guests, but it’s also possible to buy your way in for $5,000. If $5K sounds a little steep, you can “rationalize” your spending with the fact that the event has become one of West Hollywood’s most successful fundraisers. Translation: While you get your fancy-pants fix by rubbing bow ties with the Hollywood elite, your hard-earned money will be donated to the AIDS Foundation — so you kind of have to throw down, right?!
There’s also a charity auction, a cocktail reception, and a dinner prepared by the one and only Gordon Ramsay, eccentric celebrity chef extraordinaire. The viewing party itself is on the lawn of the lovely West Hollywood Park, and then, of course, there’s the afterparty. In-N-Out burgers recommended, but not included.
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