The Liverpool based company is expanding again, with new staff recruitment and further locations planned as consumer confidence improves.

Bingo Bongo – Jonny Lacey and Joshua Burke
Founded by Jonny Bongo and Joshua Burke, Bongo’s Bingo is almost 7 years in the making.
Since the very first show in April 2015 in Liverpool, their original and ground-breaking concept has reinvented bingo for a new generation, taking place in 40 locations (and rising) across the UK. It’s one of the region’s home-grown success stories which has expanded around the world, with its HQ proudly based in the city at The Florrie.
Bongo’s Bingo is part of the UK’s experience economy, focused on experiential and immersive nights out which usually involve participation – or otherwise known as competitive socialising. Pre-pandemic this was a huge growth sector and now it is bouncing back as the pandemic eases.
Since its inception, millions of Bongo’s Bingo tickets have been sold both in the UK and internationally in locations including Australia, Dubai and Ibiza. And after enduring many challenges during the pandemic, the company is seeing huge ticket growth again with January’s sales over 90% of capacity and January and February’s combined at 78%. This news has taken the young and dynamic company by pleasing surprise after a turbulent 20 months, which is already investing in more staff and with plans for expansion internationally again.
Josh explains:
“The pandemic has been awful for many parts of the economy and the nightlife industry has been badly damaged. The essence of our shows is hundreds or thousands of people immersed in playing bingo, dancing to music and winning crazy prizes. So navigating our way through lockdowns, different restrictions and endless challenges has been incredibly tough on our business, from adapting to outdoor shows to social distancing. Now though we can see customer confidence is coming back quickly which is brilliant. Some locations like Liverpool, Sheffield, Lincoln, Birmingham and London are sold out for months ahead. We are a very ambitious company and have got big plans for 2022. We are already investing in new staff, a bigger office and expansion of our shows in the UK and abroad. Bongo’s Bingo is established in Dubai, Australia and Ibiza and we want to be back in those locations and also more around the world.”
Jonny adds:
“Right now I can feel the confidence coming back, but it’s not been easy. From Freedom Day last summer and into the winter we recovered well and found some stability until Omicron hit hard and through December demand fell. There were a lot of customer no shows and I was approaching the new year with big concern. But what we have seen since the turn of the year is remarkable and the night life industry is looking stronger again. Our January shows are over 90% sold of the total tickets and for January and February combined this is almost at 80%. We feel by April we will be back to our pre-pandemic levels which is way ahead of previous projections. People are seeking out our kind of escapism at our shows and I think we are reaching the moment where we really have to live with this now, we can get on with the things we enjoy again. Nightlife and events have struggled for consistency for so long now and it feels stability is finally coming back again in terms of bookings, planning and strategy.”
After so many false starts in the nightlife and events worlds and with these beleaguered industries under immense pressure during the pandemic, it finally feels as though customer confidence is returning as 2022 opens up.
Visit www.bongosbingo.co.uk