![Party acts that hype up the crowd: Recommended entertainment and performances for banquets and drinking parties [2026]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/nheY_cFaeCw/maxresdefault.webp)
Party acts that hype up the crowd: Recommended entertainment and performances for banquets and drinking parties [2026]
Farewell and welcome parties at work, year-end and New Year gatherings, after-parties with friends, and class reunions.
There are quite a lot of banquets and drinking parties, aren’t there?
They’re basically fun, but there’s one time that troubles new hires, young employees, and juniors… yes, the “entertainment segment”!
People often say, “Do something!” or “Can’t you do something funny?” and you end up covering it with an awkward smile, right?
In this article, we’ll introduce lots of recommended ideas for when you can’t dodge party entertainment, including skits and performances everyone can do together.
Be sure to use it as a reference when you’re in a pinch!
Exciting party tricks: Recommended entertainment and performances for banquets and drinking parties [2026] (1–10)
A pen passes through a banknote
If you jab a pen straight through the center of a bill that’s been folded tightly, you’d expect it to leave a hole, right? But in this trick, when you pull the pen out, there’s no hole anywhere—the bill looks just like it did before it was folded.
You fold the bill into thirds and push the pen toward the crease, but there’s a small folding technique involved: the section you pierce is folded into a triangle, creating a neat little pathway for the pen to pass through.
That’s the secret behind the trick.
Umaibō Sommelier
Saying “I’m a sommelier” sounds cool, right? But this sommelier is a Umaibo sommelier—the kind who guesses the flavors of those Japanese snack sticks.
Just eating them as-is would be boring, though, so let’s make it a challenge: put on a blindfold and a nose clip, take one bite of a Umaibo, and guess the flavor.
It might seem easy, but once your eyes and nose are blocked, your sense of taste becomes surprisingly unreliable.
wotagei
Idols are a hugely popular part of Japanese pop culture around the world.
And if you go to an idol concert, you’ll definitely see “wotagei.” Dancers wield colorful glow sticks in both hands and move in the dark—it looks stunning and super cool! It takes solid practice, but performing such impressive wotagei with a group is guaranteed to hype up the crowd.
The keys to looking cool are synchronizing movements with your teammates and focusing on sharp, snappy motions.
dance
If you’re putting on a performance with a decent-sized group, I recommend a dance! You might feel embarrassed about dancing in front of people, or some might not be confident dancers, but if you have enough participants, it’ll be fine.
The great thing about dance is that it works with any number—small or large groups.
It does take a bit of practice time, but it will definitely become a great memory.
It’s a classic type of performance, but choosing a trendy dance song of the moment will really get everyone excited!
panel gag
How about a kamishibai-style act, like those popularized by comedians Tekken and Bakarhythm? It takes a bit of prep, but when it hits, it has the power to send the whole venue into fits of laughter.
Since it doesn’t require much improvisation, it’s a great option for people who aren’t confident with one-shot gags.
Card magic
When it comes to classic party tricks that are handy to have up your sleeve anytime, anywhere, you can’t go wrong with card magic.
All you need is a deck of cards.
Pick tricks from the many passed down by masters to match your skill level and give them a try! There are not only techniques that require practice, but also simple self-working tricks that anyone can do just by following the steps.
Blind tasting
This is a game where you wear a blindfold and try to guess what you’re eating.
The fun twist is that you also plug your nose, making it a high-difficulty challenge where you have to identify foods based only on texture.
Since you’ll be blindfolded, have someone feed you, and play with a few people for guaranteed lively fun! It’s a game you’ll want to prepare penalties for anyone who guesses wrong so everyone can enjoy it even more.
