Bongo’s Bingo – the wild travelling promotion famed for turning sleepy gaming halls into floor-stomping parties – is returning to Manchester in December, and it’s bringing along a UK novelty icon.
Dene Michael from Black Lace is headlining a series of special Christmas shows at the Albert Hall next month, as Bongo’s Bingo borrows the magnificent venue for a seven-night tropical winter shindig.
Black Lace are the band behind the singalong pop tracks destined to soundtrack UK discos and weddings for eternity – with notable hits including Agadoo, Hokey Cokey, Do the Conga and I Am the Music Man.
Group member Michael will be leading rowdy renditions of these karaoke classics, which will be followed by trance belters, chart-toppers and indie rock songs – from N Trance to S Club to Gerry Cinnamon.
Bongo’s Bingo
The special events are set to feature all the usual weird and wonderful antics you’d expect from a Bongo’s show including conga lines, dance-offs, prizes and, of course, a few good old-fashioned games of bingo.
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A Very Tropical Christmas will take over the Albert Hall across seven dates next month: Sunday 19, Monday 20, Tuesday 21, Wednesday 22, Thursday 23, Tuesday 28 and Wednesday 29 December.
Eponymous founder of the riotous gaming promotion Jonny Bongo said: “Christmas is my favourite time of the year and we are gearing up for a brilliant season of festive shows in Manchester.
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“Having Dene Michael from Black Lace back for a run of dates is going to be class – he is amazing fun and always has the venue going wild. We can’t wait!”
Rich Furness, Bongo’s Bingo’s Manchester host, added: “Christmas is always huge for us in Manchester. It’s my fifth year hosting Xmas shows in Manchester and I cannot wait to get stuck into this run of shows.
“A couple of years ago we had Dene Michael from Black Lace and it went off that much we had to get him back.
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“It’s been a weird and strange couple of years for us emotional and not having any Xmas shows last years felt really strange, so these Manchester shows feel a bit more special to me this year.
“The crowd here is always well up for it and I can’t wait to hear the Xmas Manchester roars and ear piercing singalongs.”
Bongo’s Bingo is an immersive night out that has dominated the party scene for years.
Blending bingo, dance-offs, rave intervals, bonkers prizes (like Henry Hoovers and giant pink unicorns) and loads of audience participation, it’s a phenomenon that now takes place in almost 50 locations worldwide.
Follow @bongosbingo on Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the latest news and parties.
You can also keep up with Bongo’s Bingo via the promotion’sFacebook channel.
Christmas
Greater Manchester restaurants are adding an extra £1 to bills to help fight homelessness this Christmas
Emily Sergeant
Dozens of local restaurants will be adding an extra £1 onto every bill over the festive season to help fight street homelessness.
People in Greater Manchester are once again able to give back while they dine at some of the best restaurants the region has to offer in the run up to Christmas, as the successful StreetSmart fundraising initiative is back for another year.
This year, 26 fantastic restaurants have come together to support local homeless charities as the campaign launched this past Saturday (1 November).
Manchester independents such as Mana, Erst, Climat, 10 Tib Lane, Ezra & Gill, Tartuffe, and Blue Eyed Panda are among those taking part in the campaign this year, alongside several city centre chain restaurants such as Lina Stores, Tampopo, Banyan, Manahatta, and San Carlo.
StreetSmart works by each participating restaurant adding an extra £1 to every bill they deliver throughout November and December, with all of the money raised going directly to local homeless organisations, thanks to StreetSmart’s official sponsorship from LandAid.
The funds raised by StreetSmart in Greater Manchester this year will support the crucial work of organisations such as CentrePoint, which funds Independent Living Advisors for young people, and Real Change Manchester, which plugs into the existing homelessness charities to provide that extra boost of funding that makes all the difference.
The StreetSmart team says it’s determined to deliver another record-breaking year in 2025, and provide much-needed support to the services that help some of the most vulnerable people in the city.
Manchester restaurants are adding an extra £1 to bills to help fight homelessness this Christmas / Credit: Supplied | Rifqi Ali Ridho (via Unsplash)
“The festive period can be an incredibly tough time for the vulnerable people in our community,” explained Glenn Pougnet, who is the Director of StreetSmart.
“StreetSmart provides a simple way for people to help some of our city’s most in need. Giving back whilst dining out at Christmas is what StreetSmart is all about, and we’re thrilled to have so many restaurants already taking part.
“Every £1 added to a bill adds up and makes a huge difference.”
Featured Image – John Carey (Supplied)
Christmas
An alternative Christmas market with flaming mulled wine and independent food traders is coming to Manchester
Daisy Jackson
There’s a new Christmas destination worth your time in Manchester this winter – and it’s a very different offering to the traditional Manchester Christmas Markets.
This brand-new winter venue will include a 200-capacity heated tent, bars serving flaming mulled wines, and will have a food and drink offering that features some of our city’s top independent businesses.
Christmas at St John’s will be operated by GRUB – and if you love to spend your spare time in a market setting, you’ll already know you couldn’t be in more trustworthy hands than this.
The GRUB team, champions of independent food and drink in Manchester, will be teaming up with St John’s on this lively winter hideaway.
At the centre of everything will be a Feuerzangenbowle bar, serving flaming mulled wines, with pop-ups from resident favourites like Trading Route and Stables Tavern as well as Good Wines and Verdant brewery.
Expect a revolving door of the region’s most exciting chefs and traders, serving unique festive dishes you won’t find anywhere else.
There’ll be eight rotating street food traders across the month-long event. Some of the names taking part include Soots (the Altrincham Market plant-based pasta kitchen that recently opened its first restaurant in the Northern Quarter); BAB with gormet kebabs; and Akin Club serving Middle Eastern small plates.
Soots. Credit: The Manc GroupKnight’s BBQ. Credit: SuppliedJim’s Table. Credit: SuppliedSome of the traders taking part in Christmas at St John’s, an alternative Christmas Market in Manchester
There’ll also be a Jims Table x Good Wines small plates and wine pairing collab, plus Knights BBQ with Jamaican flavours, and Yorkshire legends Spud & Bros with poutine too.
This alternative Christmas Market will have you tucking into open-fire cooking, hand-rolled pasta, tandoor dishes, nostalgic Christmas comfort food, and GRUB’s take on classic bratwursts.
Christmas at St John’s is promising to be a ‘celebration of creativity, quality and culture that brings together everything Manchester does best: independent food, crafted drinks and a sense of community you won’t find anywhere else’.
You’ll even be able to reserve and collect your Christmas tree from here, right in the centre of town.
There’ll be live entertainment all season, like Matty White’s festive food quiz, comedy nights, alternative choirs, and more.
How Christmas at St John’s could look. Credit: Supplied
It will all take place with a cosy 200-capacity heated tent and 60-metre custom-built event space.
Bailey, GRUB’s Director, says: “We’ve pulled out all the stops for this one. Calling on our trusted partners from years of delivering street food events across Manchester, we’re creating something truly unique this Christmas.
“You won’t find these offerings anywhere else. Christmas at St. John’s is all about good food, proper drinks and creating special Christmas memories.
“It’s also a taste of what’s to come as we work with Allied London to bring GRUB’s flagship home to life at Grape Street next year.”
Christmas at St John’s will run from Thursday 20 November until Sunday 21 December and will be open from Wednesday to Sunday every week.
Daisy Jackson -
26th November 2021 
