It’s a miracle! After the first ever Bongo’s Bingo at Paddington Town Hall, someone’s agreed to have them back again in August. The bingo night that combines the fun of Legs Eleven and Two Fat Ladies with intermittent dancing on tables and pub quiz-style challenges was a raucous affair in June and now the organisers have announced their return – this time to a ‘secret location’ within five kilometres of the CBD.
The lovely Buzz Bingo Chat Stars spend all day in the online bingo rooms, keeping conversations flowing and answering questions, and you can easily chat with other players in the chat box. We end up laughing about all sorts! We love Club Classics and Free Bingo. Sure, who doesn’t love a bit of bingo bongo, especially on a weeknight? It’s where you might win a little extra cash, and you might meet your future husband. Or, you know, even your ex.Depending on your age. Taking place at St Patrick’s Hall in Kilcoole every Monday night, with the first game at 8pm, it’s €10 per book – which includes loose sheet and jackpot game. Bingo-Master's Break-Out is the only studio recording by the original Fall line-up (Mark E. Smith, Martin Bramah, Tony Friel and Una Baines, plus Karl Burns who replaced the short-lived original drummer Steve Ormrod). The recording was financed by the Buzzcocks manager Richard Boon, who planned to release it on his New Hormones label; unable to afford it, he gave the tapes back to.
Tickets will be available from Friday August 4 at 4pm. And set an alarm, as tix sold out within five minutes last time. Unsure whether Bongo’s Bingo is for you? Read our handy guide to the super loose, absolutely bonkers bingo night based on its debut in June.
- Bongo’s Bingo is a wild shared social extravaganza and a night of pure nostalgic escapism, with the chance to win iconic prizes from giant pink unicorns and Henry Hoovers to mobility scooters and karaoke machines at each and every show. It’s immersive, inclusive and incredible. Everyone from 18 to 92 plays and parties together.
- The club is a modern, purpose-built venue that has all the facilities you would expect from any self-respecting bingo hall. Inside you will find traditional as well as e-bingo, seating for 740 people, including 20 e-bingo terminals.
Don’t expect a quiet game of bingo
Less than five minutes in, everyone’s dancing on tables. It’s encouraged by host Jonny Bongo (but also discouraged by the RSA marshals and venue management) so at the first Sydney event it was like rave version of whack-a-mole – once you coaxed one partygoer off the tables, another popped up in their place. They take their raving as seriously as the dabbing – dabbing bingo cards that is. Expect to hear a nostalgic mixtape of Technotronic’s ‘Pump up the Jam’ followed by Craig David’s ‘7 Days’. By 9pm we’ve seen two women flash their boobs. It’s just that kind of night.
At least 80 per cent of the crowd are British
Does that put you off? You may want to reconsider booking tickets, unless of course you’d like to learn some ‘culture’ before your next trip to London. Par exemple, watching a room full of people drop to their knees for a Westlife ballad or kick up their heels for ‘Cotton-Eyed Joe’. There’s some questionable stereotyping of the Irish, German, French… Let’s just say the banter is true to Bongo Bingo’s home nation. On opening night, Jonny Bingo’s first question was “Anyone here a Scouser?” ‘Australian’ came fourth or fifth on the list.
Dress like you’re on Love Island
It helps to wear as much glitter as possible. Or as much hair spray as possible. Or fake tan. All of these tools will help you blend in with the fun-loving crowd, and they’ll also make you more loveable if you do get invited on stage to, say, perform in a dance-off for cash-money. Don’t know Love Island? Geordie Shore is also prerequisite viewing. As with every Bongo’s Bingo, there’ll be cross-dressing ‘absinthe fairies’ on stage, called ‘Slutty Susie’, if that helps paint a lurid green picture. They do a mean ‘Galway Girl’ whenever the number ‘33’ is called.
Expect shit tinnies and bland hot dogs
Imagine the banquet hall of a Harry Potter movie. Now imagine it’s littered with red plastic cups like a giant game of beer pong, and the floor is decorated with parmesan hot chips. That’s what Paddo Town Hall looked like during Bongo’s Bingo and the better prepared you are for that the more fun you’ll have. We also recommend wearing white to really show off the red wine spillage, which is once in every second Take That song.
They’re not messing around with prizes
Fifteen litres of booze were given away at the Paddington night. Each game had a beverage attached to it: tequila, gin, goon, absinthe, and Jägermeister. On the first line you win just the bottle, on the send it’s the bottle plus a toy (we’ll elaborate), for a full house it’s three bottles of that round’s liquor. The ‘toys’ were the best prizes though – you could win a space hopper, a Henry Hoover (see point #2), a piñata, a cardboard Justin Bieber, a box of Coco Pops, a six-foot tall teddy bear, a stuffed pigeon, a rocking horse, a jumping castle and a double-ended dildo. Plus, crisp dollar bills – from 100 bucks to 1,000 smackeroos.
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Undercover police officers also joined the party
It’s no surprise that the next event’s location is secret. We witnessed partygoers getting searched by plain-clothed officers and subsequently asked to leave. Paddo Town Hall was also a mess after the first event – even though it was all over by 10pm. Plus, there were some frustrated winners who were told they couldn’t drink their winnings immediately – instead they got to take their bottles of tequila home. Maybe this time it won’t be so wild… But we suggest partying within the law on this occasion.
You’ll hear Darude’s ‘Sandstorm’ at least once
This might be the only bingo night with a dedicated 15-minute ‘rave break’. To truly make the most of Bongo’s Bingo, warm up with Alice DeeJay’s ‘Better Off Alone’ and fill your pockets with glow sticks. They’ll bring the shower of Coco Pops, streamers and b2b bangers.
Ready to bingo? Bongo’s Bingo will return to Sydney on August 25 & 26. Secret location. $55. 6pm.
Find many more things to do in August.
Mecca yourself comfy and get ready to play the best bingo games at meccabingo.com. Whether you fancy 90 ball, 80 ball, 75 ball bingo games, we’ve got something for you. Along with traditional bingo, like the games you can play in your local bingo club, we offer a great selection of unique online bingo games — many you can only find here!
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How does online bingo work?
Playing bingo online couldn’t be easier. In fact, it’s very similar to playing at your local bingo club. Just in case you haven’t been to a club before, here’s a quick run-down of how to play online bingo:
- You start by buying a bingo ticket with a set of numbers on it. Maybe a few tickets, if you want to up your chances of winning.
- The caller, or in online bingo’s case, the online program, will randomly select and draw numbers.
- If one of your numbers is shown, you’ll be able mark it off your sheet manually or use the automatic feature to automatically mark it off on your ticket.
- The main ways to win are to get a line of numbers marked, or every number on your ticket – what’s known as a full house. Some games will also reward you in other ways, such as getting the four corners of your ticket, or two lines.
- The program will automatically tell you if you’ve won. You’ll then be able to collect your winnings.
Online bingo at Mecca Bingo
To play online bingo with Mecca Bingo, register with us and follow these steps to get started:
- Log in to your account and deposit some money to play with.
- Open the bingo lobby by hitting a ‘Play Bingo Now’ button.
- The bingo rooms will be displayed with ticket prices and the prize on offer for the next game.
- Find a game that takes your fancy and join the room.
- Before the next game starts, choose the number of tickets you want to play with. The maximum amount you can buy will vary from game to game.
- Wait for the next game to start and see if your numbers come in!
- Once the game has started, your numbers will be marked off automatically on your tickets. We’ll let you know if you get a win.
If you want to try another game, just head to the lobby to see what else is on offer. There’s plenty to choose from, so feel free to take a look around. Have fun!
🏆 How does bingo work?
Imagine enjoying the same great game you play in-club, but being able to do it on the go, at home, or even in your pyjamas. You can play online or via our award-winning app on Android and iOS devices. You can pre-purchase tickets for scheduled games, or jump into the action as part of our live schedule. Just pick a room and head into the lobby. You’ll be able to chat to friends, play a fab selection of mini games or get straight into the fun in the current live bingo games. Or, if you fancy bit more of a face-to-face social, you can find your local Mecca Bingo Club and make it a night out to remember.
🏆 How to play bingo?
Bingo is a fairly easy game to pick up and start having fun with. The rules are simple and it’s easy to get involved. If you’re new to bingo, be it online bingo or in-club, you can learn how to play bingo using our basic guide. It’ll tell you all you need to know to pick up a dabber with confidence!
🏆 What are the bingo rules?
The rules of bingo fairly simple to understand, but can vary slightly depending on which version of bingo you’re playing – 90-ball, 80-ball or 75-ball bingo.
75-ball bingo is the most traditional format of bingo you’ll play online or in-club. You’ll be dabbing off the called numbers on a single card containing a grid of 5 numbers across and 5 numbers down. You’ll have to mark off a whole row to win – usually in any direction across the grid.
80-ball bingo is great for players who deem 90-ball to be a little too slow. Developed with online bingo players in mind, during 80-ball games you’ll be dabbing on a colour-coordinated 4x4 grid, with different winning patterns to play for. You can choose to manually dap your own grid, or can select the auto-dabbing option for a more laid-back game.
90-ball bingo is epic, and the world’s most loved way to play. This massive game includes grids of 9 columns and 3 rows, with 5 numbers in each row. Complete a horizontal row and you’ll win. Two horizontal rows, you’ll win. And the final winner is the lucky roomie who marks off a full house for a grand prize.
We’ve got loads of great online bingo games on offer at Meccabingo.com. Grab your dabber and join us for a game!
🏆 What are bingo calls?
From the obvious to the outrageous, bingo calls have been part of British bingo history since the dawn of this great game. Some are well known and make their way into common slang; others are built on rhymes and humour. Each one is different, and it can pay off to have them memorised before you grab a dabber. Here’s our full breakdown of brilliant bingo calls.
🏆 Can I play online bingo with friends?
Of course! It’s what we know and love at Mecca – playing as a community. You can join fun games with friends, or simply chat with no obligation to buy tickets or play. Whether you’re playing bingo online or in-club, it’s always more fun to play with friends.