Bongo’s Bingo Raises Roof On Return To Manchester

Bongo’s Bingo’s return to Manchester’s Albert Hall was a huge success. Credit – Jack Kirwin.

Bongo’s Bingo marked its return to Manchester with a show that was bigger, better and more bonkers than ever.

On Friday night (Sep 1), hundreds of ecstatic people gathered at The Albert Hall for the first show back in the city. Unsurprisingly, tickets sold out days before the event and it didn’t disappoint.

The traditional and authentic venue of the Albert Hall was transformed into a place full of strobe lights, confetti, glow sticks and the most eccentric dancers you’ll ever see.

Before the Bingo games even began, the atmosphere was at an all time high. With chart topping tunes and unmissable drink deals, it was impossible not to be pumped up for the crazy antics ahead.

One of the best things about Bongo’s Bingo is its value for money. For £9, not only does your ticket include entry but also a bingo booklet with cards for each of the 6 rounds and a felt tip pen – which is very important to cling onto throughout the night.

The hall filled with bursts of confetti when the Bingo games were in play

Of course, when the dancers entered the stage, they didn’t do it shyly. ‘Luscious Lucy’ dressed in a cheerleader’s outfit and ‘Horny Heidi’ wore a German Octoberfest dress. The guys definitely made an entrance and maintained their act greatly throughout the night. The male dancers were accompanied by host Matty Powers who gives any Bingo caller a run for their money.

The boys continuously entertained the audience with their ridiculing banter, which helps to keep you motivated to mark off your numbers and win the prizes. Even though they do humiliate those poor, drunken souls who falsely call out “BINGO”.

Bongo’s Bingo isn’t at all like a night at Gala Bingo. The balance between actually playing a game of bingo and dancing recklessly on the tables is very much equal – as it should be.

If you’re familiar with Bingo, you’ll know of the classic taglines associated with the numbers such as no.88 “two fat ladies” and no.11 “legs eleven”.

At Bongo’s Bingo, each number appears on the screen behind the host with a comical image or video so it’s very hard to miss the numbers unless you’re extremely drunk. The best part about Bongo’s is that the majority of numbers have songs related to them which keeps the entertainment flowing.

No.17 launched ABBA’s hit ‘Dancing Queen’ and no.33 sparked the Irish legendary tune “The Belle Of Belfast”. Anthems like these got everyone dancing up on the benches, making it hard to actually want to finish your round of Bingo!

‘Horny Heidi’ shows off the BMX bike up for grabs

The way that the prizes are structured for each round pretty much reflects the event as a whole. The first prize up for grabs is for a single line and this is the silly prize. On this night, the prizes ranged from a space hopper to a pink panther costume and in the final round there was a BMX bike which Horny Heidi rode around the stage.

The second prize for two lines is a bottle of premium alcohol, such as Disaronno, which suits those who are at Bongo’s purely for the rave. These are also the people who probably ended up losing their Bingo booklet.

For a full house, you can pick up some “Cash Cash Moneyyy”. This is where Bongo’s Bingo really makes your ticket worthwhile and appeals to the serious Bingo goers; the cash prizes begin at £100 and increase each round to £500 in the final round!

There’s just one catch; if two or more people call for Bingo and their numbers are correct – they have to face each other in a dance off to fight for their prize.

As the night escalates, Albert Hall converts to a huge rave with people, bingo cards and drinks flying just about everywhere.

Bongo’s Bingo is a night like no other and if you haven’t been before let’s just say – expect the unexpected. As a huge success across the country, Bongo’s Bingo attracts both Bingo lovers and party ravers together for one extraordinary and unforgettable night.

Rating – 10/10