Now trending in nightlife: Bingo raves
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At Hijingo, a London nightclub, bingo is the central attraction in a show aimed at young adults. Photo courtesy of State of Play Hospitality
Bingo is taking the urban nightlife scene by storm, vaulting from a stodgy Rotary Club favorite to the centerpiece of alcohol-and-nacho fueled dance parties.
Why it matters: "Eatertainment" has become the hottest new restaurant trend since the pandemic.
Driving the news: Bingo-themed nightclubs, raves and pop-up parties are showing up in cities nationwide, strewing confetti on partygoers as they giddily dot their bingo boards ("B15!").
- "BAM! Confetti... tunes... dance-offs... lip-sync battles" is part of the pitch from Bingo Loco, which stages bingo rave parties in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Minneapolis and Austin.
- Parties feature DJs playing retro tunes and hosts who tell bawdy jokes.
- And the bingo itself? "Win vacations, along with random prizes ranging from lawnmowers to giant teddy bears!" advertises Bingo Loco, a U.K. import.
- Here's a bingo explainer for those who are new to it.
Where it stands: Bingo as immersive entertainment for young adults originated in the U.K. and is just starting to make inroads in America.
- Bongo's Bingo has spread from the U.K. to 40 countries, holding pop-up shows like one that'll be in New York City this Thursday.
- There's a permanent bingo nightclub in London called Hijingo, whose owner tells Axios he's eager to bring the concept to the states.
- He's seeking locations where getting a gambling license won't be too much of a problem — even though gambling isn't the main attraction.
What they're saying: "Our guests are going for the experience, they're going for the entertainment — they're not going to win money," Toby Harris, CEO of State of Play Hospitality, tells Axios.
- "It's a relatively cheap night out," says Harris, whose company owns Hijingo, plus Flight Club, a "social darts" chain, and AceBounce, a "social ping pong" restaurant in Chicago.
- At Hijingo, "they're not spending $150, $200 on a top-end steakhouse — they're spending $50-$60 to have a riot in a really immersive environment with an incredible and humorous, playful show," Harris says.
Between the lines: These nontraditional bingo games tend to be more about going to a "show" than about the rapid calling of numbers and marking of bingo cards.
- At Bongo's Bingo, for instance, "different numbers trigger various musical experiences on stage," the New York Post reports.
- "The number 33 summons an Irish jig and dancers take to the stage," for example. "The number 6 calls up 'Hey Baby (If You'll Be My Girl)' and more dancers."
Zoom out: Restaurateurs say they make more money per customer if they offer darts, pickleball, golf or other activities along with burgers, beer and wings.
- Gen Z enthusiasms like cornhole and axe-throwing are giving way to once-geriatric pastimes like bingo and shuffleboard as young people seek novelty in their partying.
Fun fact: Within the world of bingo-themed entertainment, "drag queen bingo" has become a thing.
- A place near Detroit hosts "an audience-participation comedy show with a drag queen entertainer calling numbers and zingers and insulting everyone and everything."
- Drag Queen Bingo USA will send a crew to your home (in dozens of cities) to stage a vampy bingo game.
The bottom line: Many young adults haven't played bingo before, so these experiences could be their first — and seminal — encounter.
