Explained: Bingo Academy
You may have noticed that the face of bingo is changing. No longer limited to groups of old ladies in bingo halls or the busy mum enjoying a chilled night in playing online bingo, these days the young ‘uns are getting involved too! Yes, thanks to some savvy promoters, our favourite game is being given a makeover of sorts, in an effort to open up it up to a wider audience.
The biggest up and coming trend on the bingo scene is club nights, where dabbing meets dancing and lots of fun ensues. See, that’s one of the many things we love about bingo—there’s a version of the game suitable for everyone! Fancy a quiet night in? Just log onto your favourite site. Want to get out of the house but prefer a laid back atmosphere? Visit your local bingo hall. Or maybe you’re up for a wild night out with some bingo on the side? Well, that’s where Social Bingo Academy comes in!
The Lowdown
Image Source: Bingo Academy
From the people who brought us Rebel Bingo, this new bingo craze has been taking the nation by storm. It’s time to enter the exciting world of Social Bingo Academy!
Social Bingo Academy (widely known as just ‘Bingo Academy’) launched earlier this year, hot on the heels of similar ventures like Bongo’s Bingo. It’s aimed at younger people who may feel like they don’t know enough about Bingo to rock up to Mecca on a Friday night. Bingo Academy aims to teach you all about the rules of bingo in a lively, club atmosphere. Plus, there’s dancing, drinking and plenty of party games to keep everyone entertained. What’s not to love?!
A ticket for one of these events gets you cards for all of the night’s bingo games and guaranteed fun. There’ll be food and drink on offer, with DJs and top notch bingo callers providing the entertainment. Basically, it’s like a big student night out with lots of bingo thrown in—amazing!
Skills
A Bingo Academy night isn’t just about letting loose and partying hard, oh no. Sure, there’ll be lots of laughs, but that doesn’t mean learning isn’t happening! In fact, one of the main points of these nights is to prove to young people just how quickly you can pick up the rules of bingo and start enjoying the nation’s favourite game.
Dabbers are provided, along with clear instructions on how to play and a few cheeky modern twists added (be prepared to hear ‘Tinder date’ rather than ‘garden gate’ for the number 8) to appeal to a younger crowd. They really do take the educational part seriously, hence the name. Bingo Academy events aim to transform you into an expert on the numbers, confident enough to scream ‘FULL HOUSE!’ to a room full of rowdy revellers. By the time you leave you should be fluent in bingo lingo and dabbing like a master! Who said partying couldn’t be educational?
Party Time
Image Source: Bingo Academy
These events are not necessarily suitable if you’re looking for a low-key quiet night. Get ready to party and really embrace the fun. Throughout the evening, proceedings will be interrupted for dance-offs, sing-a-longs and the chance to win bonus prizes. You might even spot a reality TV star!
The folks at Bingo Academy aim to put on a night to remember. Music will be loud, drinks will be strong, and it’s not unknown for the tables to be used as a dancefloor. This is a great way to get your friends who may think bingo is boring (the horror!) into the game, by really throwing them in at the deep end.
Just remember to charge your phone up first—there’ll be plenty of opportunities for some great social media pics to make your other friends jealous!
How to Get Involved (Locations and Dates)
With hip locations like Camden and Waterloo, so far Bingo Academy is only available to cool kids around the London area. But it’s by no means exclusive. They want this to be for everyone—bingo is a game designed to be enjoyed by the masses, after all.
If you can make it to London, they have events scheduled for next month in Waterloo. This is part of a special 4 week pop-up. Every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night in April, Bingo Academy games will be kicking off at 7:00pm at The Vaults under Waterloo Station. Tickets are still available, so if you’re in the area, get your hands on them now!
After that, who knows where they’ll show up? Fingers crossed they come to a town near you soon!
For those of you further afield there are other similar bingo nights available. Bingo Academy events are very similar to nights like Bongo’s Bingo, which are held all over the UK (and even abroad!). They have the same lively party atmosphere and casual approach to bingo playing.
The Future of Bingo?
Image Source: Bingo Academy
With the rapid rise of these popular events on the bingo scene, you might be wondering if there’s still a future for traditional bingo halls. We happen to think there’s room for every style of play in the bingo world and it’s great that it’s appealing to a wider audience. The classic bingo hall will always be the backbone of this fantastic game. Plus, you’ll never beat the convenience and variety of online bingo!
Having these bingo-based big nights out is a great way to revamp the game and change its reputation with young people. It could also bring the family together once every generation sees that it’s a fun hobby to get into!
This ‘new wave’ of bingo is showing no sign of slowing down either. In fact, earlier this year Mecca launched an actual bingo party cruise! The Bonkers Bingo minicruise from Hull to Rotterdam was a huge success. Two days of partying, dancing and playing bingo sounds like something we could only previously imagine in our dreams. Just think, once you’ve learnt the basics from Bingo Academy, your skills could see you partying it up on the high seas!
As for us BingoPort loyalists, we’re probably going to stick to the online games for now. But next time you feel like letting your hair down, why not treat yourself to a night on the town to remember? Adding bingo to any event can only be a good thing!
For all the latest bingo trends and tips, be sure to check back in with BingoPort News. Until next time, happy bingo-ing!
