By genre and group size: A must-see for organizers! A catalog of crowd-pleasing activities
There are many occasions where you’re asked to put on a performance, like at wedding after-parties, year-end parties, New Year’s gatherings, and thank-you parties.
We often hear concerns from those in charge of entertainment, such as: “I can’t think of an idea,” or “What kind of act would everyone enjoy together?”
Key points for choosing are: something short and concise, enjoyable for all ages and genders, simple and easy to understand, and not vulgar.
In this article, we’ll introduce recommended entertainment ideas that meet the above criteria.
Wishing you a successful performance and a lively, memorable event!
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[By Genre and Group Size] A Must-See for Organizers! A Catalog of Crowd-Pleasing Performances (31–40)
lip-sync performance
Karaoke and live singing are classic crowd-pleasers, but if you want to get everyone laughing and hyped, this lip-sync performance is highly recommended.
Play your favorite track, grab a mic, and perform as if you’re really singing.
Even those who aren’t confident singers can give it a try, and if you throw in the gag where you pull the mic away from your mouth yet the vocals keep going, it’s guaranteed to get a big laugh! The key to energizing the room is to go all-in with a passionate performance, as if you were a top-tier artist.
Ugly Face Championship
The “Bad Face Championship” is a game where participants compete to see who can make the best “bad face,” imagining they’ve just been arrested.
It’s enjoyed in all kinds of settings, like wedding after-parties and company year-end parties.
The comedy duo Chocolate Planet made it a hot topic by posting videos as a project on their YouTube channel! When participants go all out and show off their most villainous expressions, it really energizes the venue.
Decide on themes and judging criteria—like scary faces or funny faces—and offer a prize to the winner.
Your guests will get serious about crafting their best bad faces!
dance
One classic activity for entertainment is dancing.
Even when we say “dance,” there are many types: routines to trending songs, performances by large groups, comedic dances for laughs, serious performance pieces—you name it.
Decide what to do based on how many people will participate and the kind of event it is.
For gatherings with a wide range of ages, showcasing the year’s popular songs and dances really gets the crowd going.
Even if you’re not good at dancing or feel shy about performing in front of others, joining a group or a large ensemble makes it less conspicuous and more fun.
Stocking Sumo
Let’s try “stocking sumo,” where you wear stockings on your head and pull against each other! Prepare two pairs of stockings and tie the toe ends together.
Put the body of the stockings over your heads and pull as hard as you can! The person whose stocking doesn’t come off wins—but when you pull, you’ll end up showing everyone a pretty outrageous face…
It’s a bit of a high hurdle for women, I suppose (lol).
Gesture Game
A game where players use only hand and full-body movements and gestures to convey something for others to guess—gesture game.
You often see comedians doing it on TV.
You prepare several prompts and communicate them through gestures.
You can add rules depending on the situation.
For example, no talking, setting a time limit, or having a penalty game for the losing team can make it more exciting! If it’s really not getting across, just pass and move on to the next prompt.
What’s inside the box?
You often see it on Japanese variety shows, right? It’s that game where you don’t know what’s inside a box, you put both hands in through holes on the left and right, and try to guess what’s inside using only your sense of touch.
As a viewer it seems easy, but for the person playing, there’s the suspense of touching something unknown—maybe it could bite, maybe it’ll feel gross—and you don’t even know what it really is.
It’s a great activity that gets not only the participant but also the audience excited, even more than a regular quiz.
A surprise movie for the birthday guest
A “surprise” is practically a must for birthdays and celebrations.
There are many ways to surprise someone, but how about making and screening a movie filled with your congratulations? With a movie, you can create something moving and heartfelt, and even convey feelings that might be too embarrassing to say directly.
Or you can go all-in on laughs and pack it with comedy to get the crowd going.
Parodies or dubbed versions of movies and anime that everyone knows are sure to be a hit, too!
Air Guitar Championship
Air guitar became well-known in Japan after Daichi from the comedy duo Dainoji won a world championship.
As the name suggests, it’s a performance with an “air” guitar—purely the look and the moves—so anyone can learn it even without actually being able to play guitar.
A performance that makes it seem like there’s a real guitar there looks cooler and gets the crowd more excited when it’s a bit over the top.
It might feel a little embarrassing, but go for it—imagine you’re a globe-trotting rock star and give it a try!
Mozzarella Cheese Game
It’s an incredibly simple game that’s been popping up here and there lately.
The rule is just to say “mozzarella cheese” with more enthusiasm than the person before you.
It’s a game you can play anytime, anywhere, with anyone.
As everyone’s energy ramps up, the key is to let go of your inhibitions and go all out.
Hypnosis
Have you ever hypnotized someone or been hypnotized yourself? You often see it on TV shows, but many people haven’t tried it and wonder, “Do you really fall under hypnosis?” How about giving that mysterious hypnosis a try? Study and practice using books or videos.
People often say it depends on the person—some just don’t go under.
In those cases, you can just lean into it and put on a bit of over-the-top acting; that’ll liven things up too (lol).