Best Bingo Halls to visit in the UK, United Kingdom buildings, Gaming property design layout

The Best Bingo Halls to Visit in the UK

3 July 2024

Although many perceive bingo to be a thoroughly British pastime, its roots are actually found in Italy! It travelled from Italy to France and Germany, and even across the Atlantic before becoming popular in the UK.

Now bingo is still played across the nation, with approximately 3 million Brits enjoying it monthly. Beautiful bingo halls are dotted across the country, and it’s great to see many being renovated and renewed.

Online bingo has seen a huge increase in players and allowed people who don’t visit halls to experience it.

Why is Bingo so Beloved in the UK?

Bingo’s popularity relies on the social aspect. People love coming together for a fun night out and the excitement of sharing the experience.

While it was once seen as something your grandma loved to do, now it’s a game for all demographics.

Whether it’s a ‘knock at the door’ or ‘unlucky for some’, the British have given most numbers a nickname. This is one of the fun elements, especially when playing live bingo.

The UK’s Best Bingo Halls

If you want a truly authentic bingo experience, then you should visit one of the following.

Buzz Bingo

Located on London’s southside, though confusingly reached by the Northern Line on the Tube is Buzz Bingo in Tooting. You’ll find a Grade I listed building that is beautiful to play bingo in.

Its hallowed halls have been graced by the likes of:

The Rolling Stones
Frank Sinatra

The Beatles

If you like bingo for breakfast, lunch and dinner, this is the place to play.

The Art Deco exterior is something to behold, while inside feels like a church.

It has marvellous columns that preside over the entrance, and ornate wood panelling that adorns the doors. It also has a fantastic stage where the emcee often hosts games from.

Apollo Rhyl

Another Art Deco building that once housed a cinema, this is a Grade II listed building. Rhyl is a small seaside town on Wales northern coast, where people flock for summer holidays.

It dates back to 1937, though the interior had an extensive renovation in 2016, costing around £500,000. They have preserved certain elements to keep the Art Deco style, but there are:

New comfortable seats
An upgrade to the stage

A facelift to the entrance that maintains the original style

It’s refreshing to see that it still looks as good as it did when it was first built. And inside, visitors can enjoy a modern bingo experience.

The Spanish City

This venue got a new lease of life in 2018 when it reopened to the public. It has a stunning white façade and sits beside Whitely Bay in Tyne and Wear.

The Edwardian architecture makes it a truly jaw-dropping place to play bingo. It’s likely you’ll want to capture a few photos before sitting down in the grand hall.

Once a theatre and then a dance hall, the Spanish City plays host to a number of events every year. If you fancy holding a bingo-themed wedding, this is the place.

There are several places to dine, and you can combine your bingo with an afternoon tea overlooking the sea.

Mecca Bingo Club

With its amazingly colourful ceiling and bright seating, Mecca Bingo is a lively place to play bingo in Taunton. It has plenty of modern facilities and you can even book your space online in advance.

Mecca Bingo has three sessions per day:

Morning
Afternoon

Evening

And it attracts plenty of people from the surrounding area, so you can mingle with locals.

People love the electronic touchscreens for playing bingo – there are 50 at this venue.

In the tradition of British bingo halls, this art deco building is another venue that was once a cinema.

Dreamland

On the coast of Kent, in the seaside town of Margate stands Dreamland. It has an unusual design, which is likened to a stick of rock candy – the local treat.

It opened as a cinema in 1923, and its striking design was replicated all over the country. Recently it has undergone a huge renovation project, which also restored the railway and amusement park alongside.

The redesign was completed by HemingwayDesign between 2011 – 2015. Now Dreamland hosts big name music artists as well as bingo.

MERKUR Cricklewood

Situated in the northwest of London, MERKUR Cricklewood is one of Europe’s largest bingo halls. Its cavernous interiors are carpeted in bright blue with smiling yellow suns all over it.

Though it is large and can feel like an airport terminal, it has a welcoming community. Some of the locals visit every day to play bingo.

It is open 24/7 and has reasonably priced proper British grub such as:

Fish and chips
Full English breakfast
Ham baps

Pukka pies
Saveloys

It’s been a beacon of the community since 1996 when it first opened.

Will Bingo Halls Survive?

Although many people play bingo online, there is still a place for these quaint venues. They are part of Britain’s cultural heritage and preserving them is important to the people that visit.

Though for some people, it is simply nostalgia, for others they are a place to come and play. They present an alternative to pubs or clubs and of course, there’s the thrill of winning!

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