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!
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Lively party tricks: Recommended entertainment and acts for banquets and drinking parties [2026] (61–70)
yo-yo
We’re introducing yo-yo tricks that are easy for beginners to try.
If you can show off some cool moves with a portable yo-yo, you’ll be the center of attention at parties.
Men in particular might feel a wave of nostalgia.
The featured set includes 10 tricks, such as Gravity Pull, Long Sleeper, Around the World, Tower, and Inside Loop.
They’re presented in order from easiest to harder, so practice and master them one by one.
Slipper relay
The slipper relay is a simple yet exciting game where you pass a slipper to the next person using only your toes—no hands allowed.
It’s easy to join, but there’s surprising depth: deciding exactly when to pass the slipper and at what angle to receive it with your foot takes real thought.
That delicate tension instantly energizes the whole venue.
Another plus is how easy it is to prepare—you only need a single slipper.
It’s perfect for large groups, and you can freely adjust the difficulty by tweaking the rules.
Definitely consider adding it as one of your program’s activities!
Pink Lady Dance
If it’s a gathering of older folks, how about a nostalgic Pink Lady dance? Pink Lady is widely known not only among seniors, and if several people perform together, matching costumes will enhance the sense of unity and make it look more dynamic.
Let’s all enjoy some classic oldies together!
flash mob dance
Flash mobs that bring unexpected emotion to proposals and parties are a tempting choice for entertainment.
Yamauchi from the comedy duo Kamaitachi pulled off a huge gag by attempting a flash mob all by himself at his partner Hamaie’s wedding.
We wouldn’t recommend it unless you’re very brave… Since it’s mainly dancing, it may require a longer practice period than other performances.
It’s reassuring if you have a few people with dance experience.
For company events, it might be fun to divide into teams—like a junior team and a veteran team—and perform that way!
Telepathy Gesture Game
It’s no exaggeration to say that gesture games have long been a pillar of Japanese variety shows, and they’re always a hit as party entertainment.
Here, instead of a typical communication-style gesture game, we’ll introduce a telepathy-style version that tests whether two people are on the same wavelength.
First, present a prompt.
If the two performers make the same gesture, it’s a correct answer.
For example, if the prompt is “baseball” and one person acts as a batter while the other acts as a pitcher, that’s a miss.
It’s even more fun if you set up a screen so they can’t see each other’s gestures!
Hilarious tablecloth pull
Speaking of the New Year’s staple TV show “Celebrity Hidden Talent Contest,” Masakazu Sakai’s tablecloth-pulling act was a huge hit.
If you’re around your 50s, you probably watched it every year.
More recently, Wes-P has been in the spotlight.
He even performed a tablecloth pull on his stomach and competed on “Got Talent.” With tablecloth pulling being such a hot topic, it’s guaranteed to get the crowd going.
It does require some practice time, but it’s not impossibly difficult, right? If you’re thinking about picking up a new act, give it a try!
two-person robe (Nininbaori): a comedic act where two people share one kimono-like garment, with the rear person acting as the arms for the front person
It’s a classic act that everyone knows, but it reliably gets laughs.
As the name suggests, two people get inside a haori together, and the person in back acts as the hands for the person in front.
A common bit is feeding food to the person in front.
If the two aren’t in sync, it can go hilariously wrong—but that actually makes it more entertaining for the audience.
Instrument performance
How about livening up the party with real instruments? Of course, it’s quite challenging, but if you can pull it off, it’ll look incredibly cool.
You could go with brass instruments like in the video, or maybe try a multi-person guitar showdown.
Give it a shot!
balancing act
Let me introduce a balancing trick using a sheet of newspaper.
Cut the newspaper to about 5 cm wide and 40 cm long, then fold it in half so the width is halved, making a crease so it looks like a “<” shape.Place this folded strip on your nose with the open side facing up and try to balance it.It’ll probably be difficult at first, so I recommend practicing by balancing it on your palm.The key to success is to move in sync with the newspaper’s motion: if it tips forward, move forward; if it tips backward, move backward, and so on.
Yasumura, Always Cheerful
Mr.
Tonikaku Akarui Yasumura, who broke out with the phrase “Don’t worry, I’m wearing!” became a hot topic when he became the first Japanese performer to reach the finals on Britain’s Got Talent.
He does various movements and poses so that his underwear isn’t visible, creating poses that at first glance look startlingly like full nudity.
Of course, you can do it in Japanese, but it’s also recommended to say the English phrase to clearly tell people you’re wearing underwear—“Don’t worry.
I’m wearing.”—and then have the audience call out “Pants!” afterward.
It’s easy to understand and gets quick laughs, so give it a try!