Home entertaining remained a broad activity in the 2026 HOMEPAGE NEWS AT-HOME ENTERTAINING REPORT. In the survey, 57% of respondents had hosted a casual gathering involving food and/or drink during the previous 12 months, while 58% had hosted an occasion-based gathering such as a holiday or significant life event. The results also show how hosting varies by generation, cadence, setting, preparation style, and the practical work involved.
Contents
- Participation and hosting momentum
- Hosting frequency and gathering cadence
- Planning and inspiration
- Where people host
- Food, drinks, and serving formats
- Challenges, themes, and occasions
Participation and hosting momentum
The 2026 survey measured two related kinds of home entertaining: casual gatherings centered on food and/or drink, and occasion-based gatherings tied to holidays or significant life events. Participation was similar across the two categories, with occasion-based hosting slightly higher.
| Home gathering type | Share who hosted during the previous year |
|---|---|
| Casual gathering involving food and/or drink | 57% |
| Occasion-based gathering | 58% |
Source: 2026 HOMEPAGE NEWS AT-HOME ENTERTAINING REPORT, 2026 survey; previous 12 months.
Generational participation was strongest among younger respondents in the reported casual-gathering figures. Gen Z respondents had a 64% casual-gathering hosting rate, followed by Millennials at 62%. Gen X respondents recorded 51%, while Boomers recorded 53%.
The same report found that Gen Z respondents had a 64% occasion-based gathering hosting rate, and Millennials had a 62% rate. These are survey results for the 2026 measurement period; they describe the respondent groups in that survey rather than a forecast of future hosting behavior.
The participation figures indicate that home entertaining was not limited to major holidays. Casual gatherings involving food or drink reached 57% of respondents over the previous year, and occasion-based hosting reached 58%. The near-overlap suggests that both informal and event-linked gatherings were substantial parts of reported home entertaining activity, although the survey figures do not measure how many gatherings each individual hosted.
Hosting frequency and gathering cadence
Among respondents who hosted casual gatherings, most reported a relatively moderate annual cadence. In the 2026 survey, 62% typically held one to four casual gatherings per year. Another 23% typically held five to nine, while 10% typically held at least 10 per year.
For occasion-based gatherings, the distribution leaned even more toward the one-to-four range. Among occasion-based hosts, 69% typically held one to four gatherings per year, 20% typically held five to nine, and 6% typically held at least 10.
| Typical annual frequency | Casual gathering hosts | Occasion-based gathering hosts |
|---|---|---|
| One to four | 62% | 69% |
| Five to nine | 23% | 20% |
| At least 10 | 10% | 6% |
Source: 2026 HOMEPAGE NEWS AT-HOME ENTERTAINING REPORT, 2026 survey; typical annual frequency among hosts.
The frequency results describe hosts within each category, not all survey respondents. They also use broad ranges rather than an average number of gatherings. That distinction matters: the figures show how respondents grouped their typical cadence, but they do not support calculating a mean annual hosting count.
Casual hosting had a larger reported share in the five-to-nine and at-least-10 categories than occasion-based hosting: 23% versus 20% for five to nine, and 10% versus 6% for at least 10. Occasion-based hosting was more concentrated in the one-to-four category at 69%, compared with 62% for casual gatherings.
Planning and inspiration
Personal networks were the most commonly reported planning resource. In the 2026 survey, 77% of respondents said they would rely on friends or family for help preparing an at-home gathering. Separately, 69% said they look to family or friends for ideas when organizing an at-home event.
Digital sources also played a role. Thirty-six percent said they would use social media to prepare for an at-home gathering, while 38% said they seek gathering inspiration from social media. Websites or blogs were an inspiration source for 24%, followed by retailers or brands at 19% and traditional media at 16%.
The report also measured what could encourage respondents to host. Budget-friendly tips were cited by 46%, and recipes by 45%. Themes or concepts were cited by 32%.
These results separate practical preparation from idea-seeking. Friends and family appeared in both measures, at 77% for help preparing and 69% for organizing ideas. Social media was reported at 36% for preparation and 38% for inspiration. The survey does not establish whether the same people used each source or whether one source led to more gatherings.
For readers planning a gathering, the reported encouragement figures point to three distinct content needs: cost guidance, food guidance, and a unifying concept. Budget-friendly tips led at 46%, just ahead of recipes at 45%, while themes or concepts reached 32%. Those percentages describe what respondents said would encourage them to host during the 2026 survey period.
Where people host
Home entertaining took place across indoor and outdoor spaces, with indoor-only hosting more common than outdoor-only hosting. Nineteen percent of respondents said they always hold home gatherings indoors. Another 31% hold gatherings indoors more often than outdoors, and 33% split gatherings evenly between indoor and outdoor settings.
At the outdoor-leaning end, 12% hold home gatherings outdoors more often than indoors, while 2% always hold them outdoors.
| Indoor/outdoor pattern | Share of respondents |
|---|---|
| Always indoors | 19% |
| Indoors more often than outdoors | 31% |
| Even split | 33% |
| Outdoors more often than indoors | 12% |
| Always outdoors | 2% |
Source: 2026 HOMEPAGE NEWS AT-HOME ENTERTAINING REPORT, 2026 survey; indoor/outdoor hosting frequency.
The most common reported pattern was an even split at 33%, followed by hosting indoors more often than outdoors at 31%. The figures distinguish a preference for indoor space from an exclusive indoor routine: 19% always hosted indoors, while 31% hosted indoors more often than outdoors.
Housewares choices also varied. Forty-four percent mostly use disposable plates, cups, and utensils when entertaining at home. Twenty-four percent mostly use everyday housewares, and 16% split their use of reusable and disposable housewares.
For drinks, 51% provide guests access to a refrigerator or cooler. A separate 24% set up a bar area for drinks at home gatherings. These figures describe reported service formats, not the size of the gatherings or the number of guests served.
Food, drinks, and serving formats
Self-prepared food was the most frequently reported preparation pattern. Thirty-nine percent of respondents always serve self-prepared food at home gatherings, and 27% usually do so. Twenty-six percent serve an equal mix of homemade and catered food. Delivery food was the usual approach for 6%, while 1% always relied on delivery food.
The reported provider pattern shows that hosts generally carried much of the food-and-beverage responsibility. Sixty-four percent of hosts provide most of the food and beverages at their gatherings. Twenty-six percent usually have guests bring about half, and 7% rely on guests to provide most of the food and beverages.
Serving preferences favored formats that let guests manage their own portions. Fifty-one percent prefer self-serve or buffet service for gathering food. Sit-down meals were preferred by 35%, stationed hors d’oeuvres by 7%, and passed hors d’oeuvres by 3%.
| Food or service measure | Reported share |
|---|---|
| Always serve self-prepared food | 39% |
| Usually serve self-prepared food | 27% |
| Equal mix of homemade and catered food | 26% |
| Usually rely on delivery food | 6% |
| Prefer self-serve or buffet service | 51% |
| Prefer sit-down meals | 35% |
Source: 2026 HOMEPAGE NEWS AT-HOME ENTERTAINING REPORT, 2026 survey; food preparation and preferred serving format.
The food results show several different dimensions of entertaining. Preparation frequency is not the same as preferred service format: a respondent may usually prepare food themselves while preferring buffet service, for example. The supplied survey results do not quantify the typical number of dishes, the average food cost, or the size of the guest list.
Challenges, themes, and occasions
Cleanup was the most frequently identified difficult part of hosting. In the 2026 survey, 31% identified cleanup as the hardest aspect. Preparing everything at the same time followed at 22%, while 15% identified cooking, 9% planning, and 7% keeping food warm.
Themes had mixed importance. Twenty-two percent said themes are extremely important when hosting, and 39% said themes are somewhat important. Together, those are the two reported theme-importance categories, but the survey result should be read as separate responses rather than an invitation to infer an overall preference beyond the stated figures.
A particular aesthetic was less universal. Fifteen percent said adopting a particular aesthetic is a must for their gatherings, while 23% usually adopt one.
Home gatherings were especially associated with familiar celebrations and shared viewing. Seventy-two percent typically host birthday gatherings at home. Sixty-six percent typically host Thanksgiving gatherings at home, 59% typically host Christmas or Hanukkah gatherings at home, and 41% typically host sporting-event gatherings at home.
Source: 2026 HOMEPAGE NEWS AT-HOME ENTERTAINING REPORT, 2026 survey; hardest hosting aspect, theme importance, aesthetic frequency, and occasions typically hosted.
The challenge figures place post-event work ahead of cooking or planning as the leading reported difficulty: cleanup reached 31%, compared with 15% for cooking and 9% for planning. At the same time, the occasion figures show that home entertaining extends across birthdays, Thanksgiving, Christmas or Hanukkah, and sporting events. Together, the results describe participation and hosting routines measured in the 2026 survey, with no projection beyond that measurement period.