Introduction
When you hear the word bingo you may imagine lots of over 50’s sat around in a bingo hall taking it all very seriously. Well Dabbers Bingo turns that image on its head, upside down and shits all over it.
I decided to try out Dabbers bingo as I was in the area for a research/drinking break and its an event I have wanted to go to since it started. I really love a good event and this one looked like it offered everything I look for in a night out………and I WASN’T disappointed!
Arrival
The tickets said to arrive at 6:30pm at their Aldgate bingo hall. It was easy to find with its bright lights that say Dabbers bingo enticing you in.
Once inside you will find a small holding bar with music playing to get you in the mood and drinks flowing.
Take a seat and prepare for the events to come!
When its nearly time for the fun to start you will be escorted downstairs and shown to the host who will check your booking and locate your seats.
The Bingo hall is a good size! Big but still some how very intimate. Great for groups of all sizes. They have a variety of seating choices, from long social tables to VIP booths. We were lucky enough to get a two person table right in front of the stage.
On the stage you will see a really impressive ball mixer and you know these guys mean business!
When you arrive at your seats you will find bingo cards, dabbers and a drinks menu. They do table service too which I though was ideal as it means you won’t miss any of the fun waiting to get drinks.
They also have a food menu which we decided to try. We had halloumi bites and cheesy chips and it was exactly what we needed to get our stomachs ready for the event ahead.
The Game
We booked for the Friday night Bingo Voyage experience at Dabbers bingo and this consisted of 4 games. This doesn’t sound like a lot if like me, you grew up being dragged down to Sunday night bingo at the local social club, but actually, 4 games was the perfect amount.
Things start with a BANG! The music starts and the hosts come bouncing onto the stage ready to party! It gets everyone really revved up and excited for what’s to come. I loved the 80’s style, brightly coloured outfits they were wearing and they were very easy to warm to. They know how to entertain and from the moment they lept onto the stage, party mode was activated!
Each games is the same set up. For the first part of the game you have to get one horizontal line of numbers. Sounds easy right. Well it should be but after a few drinks its not so straight forward. This makes it way more fun and I was howling at my boyfriend who had a few too many beers and had no idea what was going on! (I also took a lot of pleasure at covering his face in round ink blotches from my dabber).
The hosts build up the suspense by asking the crowd how they are doing. This heightens the tension and makes it more competitive.
Once someone scores a line it’s time to check the balls.
Again, the beers can get in the way of this and there were a few occasions where people had lost track and thought they had won when they hadn’t. They were quickly given a dunce hat to wear and escorted off the stage. It was very funny!
If you’re lucky enough to have concentrated on the game and successful won it was time to celebrate! The crowd cheered and confetti cannons came shooting off from all directions and we all had a little dance to celebrate.It was also time for the prize case to be wheeled onto the stage. The lucky winner got to choose a sparkling envelope which contained a prize.
The prizes were great and ranged from yearly subscriptions to free nights out.
We then all had our eyes down and continued for the full house.
One of my favourite parts of the game is when they announced that a disco ball had been drawn. At this point (mid game) it was time for everyone to put down their dabbers, get off their seats and have a good old dance to classics such as Britney and Abba. It really made me laugh and every time a disco ball was announced I was cheering and jumping out of my seat!
What If It’s A Draw?
Well this is where things got really spicy! The hosts are fully prepared for this and it happened a few times in the game. They have some very cleverly thought out tie break challenges. My favourite was the dance off that 5 contestants had to do in order to win the full house. One guy was super determined to win and I nearly fell off my chair laughing.
Everyone took it really well if they lost and the hosts were quick to make everyone feel comfortable and ensure they were having fun.
How Long Does It Last?
The games are divided into 4 parts which I really liked!
You would play the first line and then the full house of each round and then stop for a break. This gave people the time to go to the toilets, order drinks and get themselves together for the next game. Even in between the games Dabbers bingo made sure it was still a great party atmosphere and it was lovely talking to the other players about how they did and what they enjoyed.
In all, the experience was a couple of hours long. I couldn’t tell you exactly how long to be honest because I had no idea where I was by the end of it….let alone the time! Mission completed!
The Atmosphere
Dabbers bingo have really thought this through. I cant remember the last time I went for a night out and felt so welcome, relaxed and ready to let my hair down.
The staff we amazing! They couldn’t have been more attentive and they really wanted to ensure everyone there had a good time from the moment you walk in.
The hosts made the event wild enough to let loose but not too wild that it became out of control.
This made all the players feel at ease and by the end of the night, even after the hosts had gone, we were all chatting away to each other and having the best time drinking and dancing away.
After the Dabbers bingo event had finished, the party still went on. We all took ourselves upstairs to the entrance bar where a DJ was waiting to keep the night going.
The aim of the night is not even to win bingo, its to have the absolute best time and Dabbers bingo are exceptional at creating this type of atmosphere. To the point where one of the winners got so excited she was rolling around on the stage whilst her friend was running around lifting her top up. I LOVED IT!
And just as an added bonus….they do the BEST shots! I would recommend the oyster shot (Its not a real oyster don’t worry) but it is YUMMMYYYYY!!!
Whether you are a couple, group, stag or hen night I would HIGHLY recommend a visit to Dabbers bingo! You will have the best time and if you’re lucky, you might even win a prize!
To book tickets go to Dabbers Bingo
If you liked this post I have many others, just head to My Adventures to find out more.
I you have any questions or comments please leave them below and I will be happy to get back to you.
Enjoy Dabbers Bingo!
Emma x
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