Well, if you’ve ever wanted to shout “Bingo! “while dressed to the nines, holding a pint, and listening to Disney hits over the speakers… odd, enough that time has come. A Disney-inspired bingo night is landing in York this summer. And no, it’s not a children’s event in disguise. Because everything is for the adults. Expect anarchy. But in a good way.
More Pub Than Palace
Okay, it’s not a castle. It’s just a pub. And you’re not drinking with kings – you’re likely sitting next to someone dressed in an adult Buzz Lightyear outfit. That sort of night. From what we know so far, the event will take place in one of York’s legitimate city-center boozers. It will be loud, vibrant, and absolutely nothing like your grandmother’s Tuesday bingo event.
There will be no polite. You won’t have to wait for a number to be called or to gesticulate attentively to let someone know that you’re one hit away. Instead, people will be yelling. They may even be singing. If one too many sips have occurred, dancing may also be involved.
You didn’t realize you still knew these songs
You think you forgot all those Disney lyrics? Just for the first few seconds of Hakuna Matata. Then suddenly, it all comes back. And there’s tons of it. The whole thing’s based around Disney films and soundtracks, but not in a precious or over-sweet way. It’s got a cheek to it.
The organizers know people want a laugh, not a bedtime story. Each round will be connected to something you know whether it’s a classic song. Maybe a joke from a film. Maybe something so obscure only one person in the room gets it. That’s half the fun. The other half is seeing some idiot in a Little Mermaid wig get way, way into it.
Your average bingo caller, this is not!
One thing the team behind this has made clear is that our host isn’t your standard number-caller mumbling into a mic. They’re more like a pub quizmaster on a sugar high. There’s going to shouting and dodgy impressions and a lot of one-liners. We’ve also heard tell that no number will ever be read without commentary.
So that’s “two little ducks”, but with more sass and possibly a weird fact about Donald that you don’t really need to know, but now you do. Some numbers might come with dares. Others might come with sing-alongs. Some might come with prizes that make absolutely no sense. That kind of night
Costumes? Absolutely.
You don’t have to dress up if you don’t want to. But maybe it would be even weirder if we did not. Attendees will appear in everything from Disney villains to woodland creatures. That’s been the story at comparable evenings in other cities, anyway.
Someone actually showed up as Lumière once, and we spent an evening being very careful not to knock pint glasses over using candle-hands.” So if you have a princess dress hiding in your closet, now’s the time to pull it out. Or slap on a yellow tee and call it a Winnie the Pooh costume. No one’s checking.
Why York?
York’s got history, sure. Roman walls, Viking ghosts, the usual stuff. But it’s also got a great pub crowd. The kind that’s up for something daft on a weeknight. That’s exactly what this kind of night needs. The team behind the bingo have done stuff like this before — in Manchester, Leeds, a few places down south. But they’ve wanted to crack York for a while.
One of the organisers who was there in Manchester said, “We like cities where people don’t take themselves too seriously. York’s got a proper sense of humour.” Second up — You’re not going to win All That Money Let’s not pretend — you’re not going to walk away rich.
There might be a prize or two, but that’s not what folk are going for. It’s more about the stories. Like the time someone shouted “Bingo” on a song lyric instead of number. Or the two people who showed up dressed as the same Disney prince and wouldn’t stop arguing about who wore it better. You might leave with sore feet, sore cheeks, or even a slightly melted Olaf hat. But it’ll be the right mess.
Few More Tickets Already Filling Up
There’s been no big adverts or posters, just word of mouth. People have been tagging their mates in the comments or sending screenshots of the event link in group chats. Nonetheless, tickets are starting to go. The people behind it have restricted things— they want a full house, but not so full you can’t hear the numbers. You complete everything through their website. Choose your night, grab your place, and you’re good to go. They’re keeping it no fuss for a reason.
What you’ll actually be doing:
Bingo, yeah. But it’s not straight-laced. This night is more like a small-town version of pub games and karaoke with whatever else the audience can bring to the table. Repeats quickly, the music returns in the meantime, and there is no shame of talking, shouting, or even singing. The pub is eager to enter more and is likely to hold more than one drink in your hand.
“To be honest, it’s like a Disney sing-along, and halfway through, you’ve forgotten that it’s bingo,” says one of the organizers. “People worry me; Someone doesn’t know the word “Guest.” It doesn’t really matter, and no one cares. people are just singing along with the brain: it’s not a quiz; there are no points or prizes; it’s all about doing it, with the assembled sentence—yes, really.
A bit of magic, a lot of chaos
There’s something oddly brilliant about combining Disney songs with pints and dabbers. It shouldn’t work. Maybe it’s the nostalgia. Maybe it’s the randomness. Maybe it’s the fact that people have been wanting something to lift the mood after a long week. But whatever it is, this event seems to be hitting the right nerve.
Something light. Something daft. Something you won’t forget after one night. York has seen some interesting nights out — but this just might be the weirdest one yet. In the best possible way. And if you’re considering to go, you probably should. Just don’t be surprised if you end up on someone’s Instagram story waving your bingo card in a pair of Minnie Mouse ears.