Whether you want to host a trivia night as a team-building activity for your employees or as a fun evening for your friends and family, the planning process is more or less the same.
You need to decide on the format, find a venue, bring the necessary equipment, and of course, select some great trivia night questions. While we can only guide you through the process of planning a successful trivia night, we can completely handle one of the tasks and give you over 100 trivia night questions for your trivia event.
We divided our questions into a wide range of categories, and we highly recommend making the trivia as general as possible and including various questions from most (if not all) of the categories below. The more diverse the questions, the more included in the trivia the participants will feel as if there will be something for everyone.
Without further ado, let’s get to it.
What’s a Trivia Night?
Trivia nights, also referred to as table quizzes or quiz nights, are events or games where teams compete against one another by answering trivia questions. And since they’re very one of the more creative ways bar owners and staff get people in bars and pubs, they’re also referred to as bar trivia.
Trivias are usually weekly events and have advertised starting times (usually in the evenings, hence the name trivia night). You can use them for team building activities, office icebreakers, and many different ways of making the office more fun. They can be hosted by individuals or third-party trivia companies that take care of everything, like Trivia Mafia, which organizes trivia events in the Midwest.
Bar trivias are especially popular as they offer an entertaining evening mixed with some friendly competition. They can be hosted by someone from the bar, or another individual who uses the bar as a venue for their personal trivia event.
With that said, trivia nights can be organized in other places, too. For example, if you’re hosting a trivia night for your employees, you might use the office as a venue or another more suitable place; if you’re planning a trivia night with your friends, you can do it in someone’s home, and so on.
While the venue can vary and you can choose between a pen-and-paper or a tablet or smartphone-based trivia, the trivia game’s structure has remained unchanged for a long time. There’s a quizmaster responsible for reading the questions and checking whether the answers are right or wrong, there are usually several rounds and categories, and each trivia night may have a separate theme.
All in all, trivia nights are fun events where people can make new friends, engage in a friendly competition, share their knowledge about specific topics, and also potentially win and get some fun prizes.
Trivia Night Questions for Your Trivia Event
Below, we provide 10 questions categories with trivia questions (and answers!) for your upcoming trivia events. To make things more versatile, we included general categories, such as music, politics, cars, and so on, but we also incorporated more specific categories, such as Disney and Pixar, Friends, and James Bond.
Let’s start with the first one.
1) Music Trivia Night Questions
We can all agree that music is an integral part of life; therefore, music-related questions are essential for any trivia event.
Below, we provide you with eleven carefully selected music trivia questions for your next trivia night or any other upcoming event. But if you feel like these eleven questions are simply not enough to suit your musical criteria or preferences, feel free to take things to the next level by checking out our additional 6,072 best music trivia questions and answers.
1 . Where did jazz music originate from?
- Answer: The African-American communities of New Orleans.
2 . Can you recall Elvis Presley’s first hit back in 1956?
- Answer: “Heartbreak Hotel”.
3 . Name the band that Bono is a part of.
- Answer: U2 .
4 . The following lyrics are taken from which song?
You get a shiver in the dark
It's a raining in the park but meantime-
South of the river you stop and you hold everything
A band is blowing Dixie, double four time
You feel alright when you hear the music ring
Well now you step inside but you don't see too many faces
Coming in out of the rain they hear the jazz go down
Competition in other places
Uh but the horns they blowin' that sound
Way on down south
Way on down south
London town
- Answer: “Sultans of Swing”, Dire Straits.
5 . What’s Freddie Mercury‘s real name?
- Answer: Farrokh Bulsara.
6 . Which country won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2019?
- Answer: The Netherlands.
7 . The group ABBA comes from which country?
- Answer: Sweden.
8 . Michael Jackson did his famous moonwalk for the first time for which song?
- Answer: Billie Jean.
9 . In the first two Hunger Games movies, which famous singer played the part of Katniss’s stylist, Cinna?
- Answer: Lenny Kravitz.
10 . Who sang the song “Summertime Sadness”, released in 2012?
- Answer: Lana Del Rey.
11 . Can you finish the song Beautiful People by Ed Sheeran?
We are, we are, we are
L.A. on a Saturday night in the summer
Sundown and they all come out
Lamborginis and their rented Hummers
The party's on, so they're headin' downtown
Everybody's lookin' for a come up
And they wanna know what you're about
Me in the middle with the one I'm lovin'
We're just tryna _____________
- Answer: “Figure everything out”.
2) Books Trivia Night Questions
Nothing is as fascinating as the literary world - except maybe avid readers who can identify (almost) every piece of fiction, book quote, character, author, and so on.
Do you think your trivia night guests have what it takes to demonstrate such literary readiness?
The only way to find out is to pick several book trivia night questions from the list below and use them during your next trivia night private event.
1 . Don Quixote is written in which language?
- Answer: Spanish.
2 . Can you finish the following quote from Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights: “He shall never know I love him: and that, not because he's handsome, but because he's more myself than I am. Whatever our souls are made out of, his and mine are _______.”
- Answer: “The same”.
3 . In Cold Blood, Truman Capote’s novel, takes its name after which Shakespearian play?
- Answer: Timon of Athens.
4 . What was Pride and Prejudice's working title?
- Answer: First Impressions.
5 . What serves as a portal to Narnia in C. S. Lewis's fantasy series?
- Answer: A wardrobe.
6 . The following lines are taken from which book?
“You are a slow learner, Winston."
"How can I help it? How can I help but see what is in front of my eyes? Two and two are four."
"Sometimes, Winston. Sometimes they are five. Sometimes they are three. Sometimes they are all of them at once. You must try harder. It is not easy to become sane.”
- Answer: 1984, George Orwell.
7 . Which author wrote To Kill a Mockingbird?
- Answer: Harper Lee.
8 . What’s the sequel to Alice's Adventures in Wonderland called?
- Answer: Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, Alice Through the Looking-Glass or simply Through the Looking-Glass.
9 . Who wrote The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo?
- Answer: Stieg Larsson.
10 . What’s the name of the second volume in The Lord of the Rings series?
- Answer: The Two Towers.
11 . What’s Stephen King’s first published book?
- Answer: Carrie (1974).
If you’re a bookworm, you’re probably not going to stop at the eleventh trivia question. We suggest that you continue your literary trivia journey here.
3) Internet Trivia Night Questions
All of us are pretty much capable of finding all the answers we need on the Internet, but how much do we actually know about the Internet itself?
This trivia questions section will bring to the fore many things you and your attendees (don’t) know about the Internet. And while we’re barely scratching the surface with the questions below, you can always test your knowledge further by following this link.
1 . Who’s the inventor of the World Wide Web (WWW)?
- Answer: Tim Berners-Lee.
2 . The founders of YouTube worked for which company before starting up YouTube?
- Answer: PayPal.
3 . What does SEO stand for?
- Answer: Search Engine Optimization.
4 . How are the special, temporary alternations to Google’s logo called which celebrate specific holidays, notable people, events, achievements, and so on?
- Answer: Google Doodle.
5 . What does LAN stand for?
- Answer: Local Area Network.
6 . Is it true that CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, created the first website ever?
- Answer: True.
7 . What does ARPANET stand for?
- Answer: The Advanced Research Projects Agency Network.
8 . What was it used for?
- Answer: ARPANET was established to make it much easier for individuals to access computers, upgrade computer technology, and provide a more effective military communication system.
9 . Who invented the computer?
- Answer: Charles Babbage.
10 . What’s netiquette?
- Answer: Good behavior on the Internet.
11 . What does the first B stand for in BBS on the Internet?
- Answer: Bulletin.
4) Cars Trivia Night Questions
Answering cars trivia night questions may not be as exciting as actually having the opportunity to drive some of the cars we mention in the questions, but it does come close, especially if you opt for some of our questions.
If some of your guests enjoy exploring the world of cars, they’ll find the questions below very entertaining. As for the rest, they might guess some of the more mainstream questions, and learn a thing or two.
Without further ado, let’s go straight into the questions.
1 . Which animal appears in the Lamborghini logo?
- Answer: A bull.
2 . What color did all Ferrari models come in when they were first released?
- Answer: Red.
3 . When did Henry Ford create the Ford Motor Company?
- Answer: 1903.
4 . Who’s the only driver who has managed to complete the Triple Crown?
- Answer: Graham Hill.
5 . How many rings does the Audi logo have?
- Answer: Four interlocking rings.
6 . Honda is from which country?
- Answer: Japan.
7 . What does the BMW acronym stand for?
- Answer: Bavarian Motor Works.
8 . In which city did the Dakar Rally use to start?
- Answer: Paris.
9 . How many parts does the average car have?
- Answer: 30,000 parts.
10 . What does Volkswagen mean?
- Answer: The “people’s car”.
11 . What’s Batman’s car called?
- Answer: The Batmobile.
5) Politics Trivia Night Questions
Few things trigger individuals to either get extremely excited or extremely agitated about something like politics can. However, our politics trivia night questions are not here to encourage a heated debate and turn people against one another, rather test the participants’ knowledge of both current and historical politics in a fun way.
Now, onto the questions!
1 . Who was Australia's first female prime minister?
- Answer: Julia Gillard.
2 . Back in 1962, Marilyn Monroe sang “Happy Birthday” to which president?
- Answer: To John F. Kennedy (she sang it to him on May 19th, 1962, although his birthday was 10 days later).
3 . Canada’s political system is based on which country's political system?
- Answer: United Kingdom.
4 . What did Ronald Reagan do before he became a politician?
- Answer: He was an actor.
5 . What’s Boris Johnson’s full name?
- Answer: Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson.
6 . Who was the Soviet leader during the Cuban Missile Crisis?
- Answer: Nikita Khrushchev.
7 . How many members of the Parliament (MPs) are there in The House of Commons?
- Answer: 650 members.
8 . What color are the seats in the House of Commons?
- Answer: Green.
9 . In June 2015, which country announced a state of Emergency?
- Answer: Tunisia.
10 . Who became the president of France in 2017?
- Answer: Emmanuel Macron.
11 . Who uttered the following words?
"I made my mistakes, but in all of my years of public life, I have never profited, never profited from public service—I earned every cent. And in all of my years of public life, I have never obstructed justice. And I think, too, that I could say that in my years of public life, that I welcome this kind of examination, because people have got to know whether or not their president is a crook. Well, I am not a crook. I have earned everything I have got."
- Answer: President Richard M. Nixon.
6) Food and Drink Trivia Night Questions
Besides testing your trivia knowledge, our food and drink trivia night questions have the power to increase your appetite and help you pick your preferred drink for the night. After all, the best trivia nights are those supported not only by good ideas, interesting questions, and an audience in a good mood, but by food and beverages everyone can enjoy, too.
We can’t tell you what food and drinks to plan for your event, but we can certainly help you with the right trivia questions for a memorable quiz night.
Onto the questions then!
1 . Fermented rice is used to make what popular alcoholic beverage?
- Answer: Sake.
2 . Colonel Harland Sanders' original KFC recipe contains how many herbs and spices?
- Answer: 11 .
3 . What’s America’s oldest soft drink?
- Answer: Dr. Pepper
4 . Sushi is traditionally wrapped in what?
- Answer: Seaweed.
5 . What’s the only edible food that allegedly never goes bad?
- Answer: Honey.
6 . Where does Heineken originate from?
- Answer: The Netherlands.
7 . Black Forest cake originates from which country?
- Answer: Germany.
8 . What’s the only fruit with its seeds on the outside?
- Answer: Strawberries.
9 . When is National French Fries Day in America?
- Answer: July 13th.
10 . Tzatziki sauce is commonly added to which famous Greek food item?
- Answer: Gyros.
11 . What’s a famous alcoholic drink usually consumed in Spain and Portugal?
- Answer: Sangria.
If you feel like you want to include more specific food and drink trivia questions and other food-related random facts (such as questions related to the Brazilian cuisine, British cuisine, Canadian cuisine, French cuisine, and others) during some of your upcoming quiz nights, feel free to visit our website and learn more.
7) James Bond Trivia Night Questions
If there are any James Bond lovers attending your trivia events, this section is for them.
And while we know James Bond is meant to be experienced (after all, it isn’t the same to see Bond skydiving without a parachute as answering a trivia question related to that moment), a set of the right James Bond trivia night questions can turn into a great happening.
We hope the questions below will assure you of this.
1 . The following lines are taken from the sixth James Bond thriller - what’s its exact name?
All the greatest men are maniacs. They are possessed by a mania which drives them forward towards thier goal. The great scientists, the philosophers, the religious leaders - all maniacs. What else but a blind singlenee of purpose could have given focus to their genius, would have kept them in the groove of purpose. Mania ... is as priceless as genius.
- Answer: Doctor No.
2 . What’s the theme song of The Spy Who Loved Me called and who performed it?
- Answer: “Nobody Does It Better”, by Carly Simon.
3 . Can you name all the movies with Roger Moore starring as James Bond?
- Answer: Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For your eyes Only, and A View to a Kill.
4 . Who played James Bond in The World Is Not Enough?
- Answer: Pierce Brosnan.
5 . Daniel Craig became part of the 007 series in which year?
- Answer: 2006 (starring in Casino Royale).
6 . In the opening scene of Licence to Kill, James Bond is celebrating what?
- Answer: Felix and Dalla's Wedding.
7 . Pierce Brosnan made his debut as James Bond with which movie?
- Answer: GoldenEye.
8 . During what period were the Bond novels published?
- Answer: Between 1953 - 1966 .
9 . Who says the following quote in For Your Eyes Only: "That's putting it mildly, 007"?
- Answer: Q.
10 . What’s the name of the organization James Bond works for?
- Answer: MI6 (Military Intelligence 6).
11 . What are the names of Bond's parents?
- Answer: Andrew Bond and Monique Delacroix Bond.
8) Friends Trivia Night Questions
Whenever you’re unsure which trivia night questions to include, what theme nights to suggest, and what kind of topics your quiz night attendees will be interested in, it’s time to turn to Friends.
Whether your attendees watched it back in the day or have soaked up each episode once Friends got on Netflix, or even if they’ve never heard about the TV show till the 2021 Friends reunion, one thing’s certain - this TV show has entertained millions of people around the world since it came out.
And there’s no reason why including Friends trivia questions shouldn’t be entertaining as well.
Go on then - it’s time to test your friends how much they know about these other Friends.
1 . Phoebe hates what store?
- Answer: Pottery Barn.
2 . Rachel is offered a job in which company in Paris?
- Answer: Louis Vuitton.
3 . Will and Ross founded what club in high school?
- Answer: The “I Hate Rachel Green Club.”
4 . The following conversation took place in which Friends episode?
Joey: Okay, buddy boy, here it is. You hide my clothes, I'm wearing everything you own.
Chandler: Oh, my God! That is so not the opposite of taking somebody's underwear!
Joey: Look at me! I'm Chandler. Could I be wearing any more clothes? Maybe if I wasn't going commando.
Chandler: [groans]
Joey: Yeah. I tell you, it's hot with all this stuff on. I better not do any, I don't know, lunges.
- Answer: The One Where No One’s Ready.
5 . What’s Joey’s stuffed penguin called?
- Answer: Hugsy.
6 . David, Phoebe’s scientist boyfriend, worked in which city in Belarus?
- Answer: Minsk.
7 . The following lines are from the last Friends season, but what episode?
Phoebe: Hey, do you realize that at one time or another we all lived in this apartment?
Rachel: Oh, yeah. That's true.*
Ross: Uh, I haven't.
Monica: Wait a minute. What about that summer during college that you lived with Grandma and you tried to make it as a dancer?
Ross: Do you realize we almost made it ten years without that coming up?
- Answer: The Last One (Part Two).
8 . Both Joey and Chandler dated an actress named how?
- Answer: Kathy.
9 . Which of Monica’s boyfriends was interested in becoming the Ultimate Fighting Champion?
- Answer: Pete (Peter Becker).
10 . What’s Joey’s pin number?
- Answer: 5639 .
11 . Finish the Friends theme song:
I'll be there for you
(When the rain starts to pour)
I'll be there for you
(Like I've been there before)
I'll be there for you
('Cause you're there for me too)
You're still in bed at ten
And work began at eight
You've burned your _________
- Answer: Breakfast.
9) Disney & Pixar Trivia Night Questions
If you’re on the lookout for trivia themes that can help your attendees connect with their inner child, the Disney & Pixar trivia night questions are perfect for bringing a little magic to your event. Engaging in such trivia night questions isn’t just an activity to test your knowledge and jog your memory - it’s a very creative way to remind your guests of their favorite Disney/Pixar characters of all time.
Plus, answering these questions can bring a lot of fun to an otherwise slow night. Namely, depending on your audience’s age, their Disney/Pixar knowledge may be limited to particular movies.
However, if some of your guests have kids at home, we dare assume they’re listening to “We Don’t Talk About Bruno”, “Let It Go”, and “Nobody Like U” on repeat in their homes. Therefore, they’ll be ready to ace your Disney & Pixar trivia night questions.
1 . What are Hades’ minions in Hercules called?
- Answer: Pain and Panic.
2 . The following conversation takes place in which animated movie?
Mr. Potato Head: Hey, a laser! How come you* don't have a laser, Woody?*
Woody: It's not a laser! It's a...
[sighs in frustration]
Woody: It's a little light bulb that blinks.
Hamm: What's with him?
Mr. Potato Head: Laser envy.
- Answer: Toy Story (1995).
3 . Which Pixar film tells the story about a rat that dreams of becoming a chef?
- Answer: Ratatouille.
4 . What are the seven dwarfs in Snow White called?
- Answer: Doc, Grumpy, Bashful, Sneezy, Happy, Sleepy, and Dopey.
5 . What’s Ariel and Prince Eric’s daughter called?
- Answer: Princess Melody.
6 . Christian Bale voiced which character in Pocahontas?
- Answer: Thomas.
7 . Angelina Jolie played which Disney villain?
- Answer: Maleficent.
8 . In Monster’s, Inc., allegedly “there’s nothing more toxic or deadly than” what?
- Answer: A human child.
9 . How are the three Good Fairies in Sleeping Beauty called?
- Answer: Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather.
10 . The Princess and the Frog takes place in which city?
- Answer: New Orleans.
11 . What’s the sequel to Finding Nemo called?
- Answer: Finding Dory.
10) Harry Potter Trivia Night Questions
As much as we enjoy down-to-earth trivia questions and a more practical approach, sometimes we need to add a little magic to quiz nights.
Therefore, if you and your guests are ready to put your wizarding knowledge to the test, don’t skip the Harry Potter trivia questions we prepared for some of your upcoming trivia nights.
1 . Which character tries to use the following spell to turn Scabbers yellow?
“Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,
Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow.”
- Answer: Ron Weasley.
2 . What’s the name of the three-headed dog Harry, Hermione, and Ron come across?
- Answer: Fluffy.
3 . What does the dog do?
- Answer: Fluffy guards the door to the Philosopher’s Stone.
4 . The following extract is taken from which Harry Potter book?
“I DON'T CARE!" Harry yelled at them, snatching up a lunascope and throwing it into the fireplace. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH, I'VE SEEN ENOUGH, I WANT OUT, I WANT IT TO END, I DON'T CARE ANYMORE!"
"You do care," said Dumbledore. He had not flinched or made a single move to stop Harry demolishing his office. His expression was calm, almost detached. "You care so much you feel as though you will bleed to death with the pain of it.”
- Answer: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
5 . Hogwarts has how many staircases?
- Answer: 142 .
6 . Where did Severus Snape grow up?
- Answer: At Spinner's End, a suburb of Cokeworth.
7 . How much is a ticket on the Knight Bus cost (with hot chocolate included)?
- Answer: 14 sickles.
8 . In relation to the 7th year Hogwarts exams, what does the abbreviation N.E.W.T stand for?
- Answer: Nastily Exhausting Wizarding Test.
9 . When the Dementors try to hurt Harry on the train, what does prof. Lupin offer him to comfort him?
- Answer: Chocolate.
10 . Who’s the Headless Hunt leader?
- Answer: Sir Patrick Delaney-Podmore.
11 . Apart from producing the Elixir of Life, what else is the Philosopher’s Stone able to do?
- Answer: The Stone can turn any metal into pure gold.
An extra tip: if you have at least four teams at your trivia night, why not name each team according to the four Harry Potter houses?
Frequently Asked Questions
What are some tips for hosting a trivia night?
Hosting a trivia night does happen in stages, so let us take you through the process step by step.
1) Decide whether you’ll choose a themed trivia or opt for a more general approach
If you decide on the former, what type of theme are you looking for? Is it movies, music, books? Perhaps you want a very specific theme, such as jazz music, horror literature, or animated movies (you might make this category even more specific, such as opting for Disney and/or Pixar trivia theme).
The whole point is to choose a theme that will bring in as many people as possible. We deal with trivia night themes in the second question, so we’ll discuss it in more details a little later on in the article.
2) Find adequate questions
Once you find the right theme or choose the general approach, it’s time to pick trivia questions that correspond with it.
For instance, if you opt for the food and drinks category, you might divide the questions into further subcategories (such as in the link we provided you with in the Food and Drink Trivia Night Questions section above).
Moreover, make sure to include versatile questions - for example, if the theme is music, don’t focus on one genre only, rather include questions that cover more genres, artists from different ages, etc. Also, make sure to have easy, medium, and difficult questions. Finding balance is key with trivia events. On the one hand, you don’t want to overwhelm your attendees with difficult questions, but at the same time, you don’t want to bore them either.
3) Find a venue
Picking a venue is very important because it affects many of your other plans.
Hosting a trivia night at your office is pretty straightforward, as you only need to choose an adequate space, like the conference room, and maybe ask your IT team to assist you with the technicalities of it.
If you go for an unfamiliar venue, go and see it before the actual event takes place to see if everything works and whether you need to bring anything, like chairs, additional equipment, etc.
If you choose to go with a familiar venue, like someone’s house, or the office if you’re hosting a corporate trivia night, you’ll still need to take into account many details, but it’d be far easier once you’ve already been to the place or have attended/hosted another event there.
Now, if you opt for a bar, even if you end up picking the best bar just because it’s well-known for trivia games, never schedule anything before seeing it with your own eyes. Get insights into matters such as how the bar approaches the scheduling of trivia nights, whether there are any theme nights they’re not supporting or anything else trivia-related they disapprove of, the maximum capacity in the bar, and so on. Learn everything there is to know about the specific venue you’re eyeing, as the more you know about the venue, the greater the chances for hosting a successful trivia night.
4) Make the rules
You can’t host a trivia event without setting some rules and stating clear instructions.
These rules can be as simple or complicated as you want them to be. Make sure they’re straightforward, though. You wouldn’t like to spend the whole evening explaining rules which will take up more time than the actual trivia game.
When it comes to trivia rules, it’s good to think about how many rounds there should be, how many points teams get if they give the right answers, what happens if someone cheats, and so on. Also, make sure to have rules regarding even scores and introducing tiebreaker questions.
5) Choose a quizmaster
We know it can be tempting to do everything on your own, but if you want to run a successful trivia night, you need to delegate tasks to other people, too.
If you truly want to enjoy the evening, observe everyone else, and follow the whole process of answering questions and teamwork, you need to be free to do so.
When it comes to choosing a quizmaster or a moderator, if you go with the bar option, you might need to hire a professional. In case you’re organizing a trivia night in the office, you might ask someone from the HR staff to do it (or an employee if there’s a volunteer).
6) Get the necessary items
Answer sheets for teams.
Pens and papers.
Score sheets.
Questions and answers for the moderator.
A copy of the trivia game rules.
The necessary sound equipment (if you’re organizing this).
Getting the necessary items well in advance gives you enough time to make some changes without panicking or thinking you may not have time to do them (for instance, getting a microphone one day before the trivia and realizing it’s not working).
7) Advertise the trivia night event
If you’re running a trivia event at a bar, you need to advertise it to attract participants. Hosting a trivia event in the office, on the other hand, involves only informing your employees well beforehand.
When it comes to advertising, there are several things you can do. First and foremost, create a Facebook event and try to reach as many people from the area as possible. Ask the bar’s official Facebook page (if they have one) to share it as well. Add a short description so that people can get acquainted with some of the trivia details and know what to expect. You can do the same with other social media channels, such as Instagram.
Next, if you’re more old school, you could also make trivia night flyers and print them out. You can leave them somewhere in the area near the bar.
Finally, if you want to promote a trivia event in the office, you can send everyone an email and hang a poster with the trivia description and relevant details, such as the time the trivia event starts (for instance, 6 pm), the theme you’ve chosen (let’s say Internet trivia), and so on.
7) Plan rewards
Reward the winning team(s).
Planning rewards and announcing them in advance is a great incentive to keep the participants engaged and interested in playing. It helps to motivate people to attend the trivia game, too.
Of course, you don’t need to provide spectacular rewards - it can be something as simple as a voucher, or a gift card, a free drink, small cash prizes, and so on.
8) Watch trivia games
It’s hard to host a successful trivia night without attending some trivia events yourself to see how it’s played from an observer’s point of view. If you go to a trivia night in a local bar, or you come across websites of trivia companies that promote an upcoming event, don’t sign up to participate - go to observe how the evening goes.
See what the hosts are up to - how they behave, how they communicate with the guests. See their rules, the instructions they give, and how they react when something doesn’t go to plan.
Also, we suggest that you go earlier. For instance, if the trivia event is scheduled for 8 pm, be there at 7 pm to take a look at the preparation process. Take notes if you think it’s necessary. Focus on the smallest of details. Is everyone ready to start playing at 8 pm? Are there latecomers? How did people find out about this 8 pm trivia event? How many rounds does the trivia have? How many teams do they have? How many team members per team? How much time do the players have to answer a question?
Feel free to expand on these questions, as they’re just suggestions to get you started.
Finally, each trivia night is unique in its own way (even if the instructions or the trivia night questions seem to be more or less the same). But the whole point is to get a general understanding of what usually goes on during the night, how people behave, and what the overall atmosphere looks like. This is useful if you don’t have any experience with trivia.
What are some great trivia theme nights and costumes ideas?
The theme you decide to go for will dictate the type of questions you should be looking for.
For instance, if you opt for a James Bond theme, you’ll be searching for James Bond night trivia questions. If you’re hosting The Office trivia event, your official theme will be The Office, and the questions will be from the same tv show.
Here are some ideas for interesting trivia theme nights to get you inspired:
-
Broadway Spectacle Trivia;
-
Nerd Trivia;
-
Different Decades Trivia;
-
Sports Trivia;
-
History Trivia;
-
Celebrity Trivia;
-
ABBA Trivia;
-
Aerosmith Trivia;
-
Disney and Pixar Trivia;
-
Around the Globe Trivia;
-
Unresolved Mysteries Trivia;
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Lord of the Rings Trivia, and so on.
You should always pick a theme that most people are going to resonate with - after all, all hosts want to attract as many trivia guests as possible. This is especially true if you’re running a trivia at a bar. If, however, you’re organizing a private event with a small number of people, you can be much more spontaneous and consider your guests’ preferences.
Finally, when it comes to picking trivia theme nights, it’s good to take into account how much information you can find on a specific theme. For instance, if you choose a theme such as Disney trivia, you’ll be limited solely to Disney movies. If you have larger teams and you’re planning to host a longer trivia night, it’d be good to opt for a Disney and Pixar option (such as the one we elaborated on previously). Broader topics come in handy when you’re in need of tiebreaker questions as well.
Also, it’s good to pick themes that allow you to find suitable costumes and decorations for your trivia event. If that’s something you want to explore further, read the following section.
Themes, costumes, and decorations
Theme nights go hand in hand with costumes and decorations.
Including costumes and decorations is optional, however, it truly creates an authentic atmosphere. There are no strict rules when it comes to how you should incorporate costumes and decorations in your trivia night (that is, if you want to apply them at all).
For example, if you’re running a Harry Potter trivia night, you might cook or order Harry Potter-themed snacks, find Harry Potter decorations, and bring some magic to the trivia venue. Also, the attendees may pick a Harry Potter character and arrive disguised. Team members from the same team might get dressed as students from the same Harry Potter house.
Generally speaking, you can really get creative with this part of the trivia and stimulate the attendees to get their creative juices flowing as well.
Finally, if you’re hosting a trivia night in a bar or another venue you may be renting, make sure the owners are fine with you bringing the decorations.
How do I prepare for a trivia night?
Trivia quizzes are so broad and detailed that it’d be impossible to prepare for all the different categories, questions, and themes you might encounter.
However, there are some steps you can take and enhance your performance.
First and foremost, people who are open to truly learning (and not just memorizing things by heart) are usually great at trivia. It’s important to acquire new information bit by bit and to do so in a meaningful way (rather than cram). You can’t learn things by cramming - it will all fade at some point. Find a way that works for you and stick to it. You need to go beyond memorizing facts without connecting them in a meaningful manner.
Also, learning is a process that takes time. You can’t learn everything in a fixed timeline. It’s a spontaneous process that often develops on its own.
Here are some examples of how you can develop this learning practice:
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take part in online trivia tests;
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watch informative shows;
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follow social media channels that post useful information;
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learn a new fact each day;
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read books;
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keep up with the global news and latest developments;
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make daily learning habits;
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communicate with knowledgeable people, and so on.
Moreover, consider starting with the things you like first. It might be hard to “force” yourself to learn about themes you’re not quite fond of, so it’d be useful to focus on the things you resonate with initially.
Namely, if you’re a fan of TV shows, why not learn more about your favorite characters, the movie cast, the overall production, and so on. If you like cars, read about car production, car races, and car companies. If you fancy technology, get informed on technological progress, developments, and research, to name a few.
You get the point.
Next, be curious. Not just about information, books, pop culture news, or random facts. Be curious about the world around you. General knowledge doesn’t come automatically - it’s a collection of everything we acquire during our day. Over time, you’ll find yourself making meaningful connections to the things you already knew. You’ll begin to link things to one another, understand how one aspect is related to another one, and so on.
Finally, don’t think of this “preparation” as something with a deadline. Preparing for a trivia night doesn’t only help you get ready for an actual quiz night - it’s meant to help you acquire long-lasting knowledge you should have above all for yourself and other situations you may find yourself in throughout life.
How do I guess the answers to the trivia questions?
Here’s some advice that’ll help you get to the right answer..
1) Develop a positive attitude
Having a positive attitude doesn’t necessarily mean you will get an answer right or that your team will win. But it’s certainly way better than being negative, tense, or in a state of panic.
Also, having a positive mindset means you can approach the whole process of answering in a much more calm and stable way. Moreover, such positivity is contagious, therefore, other team members may find themselves influenced by these vibes.
This is important because sometimes being hectic and having troubling thoughts may prevent you from getting an answer right, even if you’re familiar with the topic and you know the correct answer.
2) Don’t rush
During trivia events, being quick and providing the right answers before other teams have a chance to do so is a huge plus. However, being fast can sometimes turn into being reckless. Therefore, allow yourself the time to think about the question and the possible answers.
Don’t just answer questions for the sake of answering them quickly. Many participants try to steal another teammate’s thunder instead of competing against the other teams. Remember that you’re playing as a team, and as such you should collaborate and allow others to “shine”, too.
3) Pick your team members carefully
We encourage you to consider being in a team with individuals with mixed areas of knowledge, instead of choosing the most familiar faces just because you feel comfortable around them. Of course, this can be tricky, as it’s hard to know who knows what. But if you have the chance to be grouped with people from different professions, distinct areas of interest, and even different ages, that will be a nice approach.
With that said, sometimes it’s not up to you to choose your teammates. The host or the quiz moderator might divide individuals into teams and place them in a way they find suitable. Which brings us to the next tip.
4) Collaborate with your team members
It’s very easy to get carried away when you’re thinking about a specific answer and try to solve everything on your own. However, just because it’s easy doesn’t mean it’s the right strategy.
Communicating with your team members and being open to their suggestions will help the overall brainstorming process. Regardless of how much knowledge a single team member has or how confident they are in their answers, it’s always better to have everyone share their views, ideas, and suggestions, and then arrive at a conclusion together. Sometimes a person may suggest something you would have never thought of, and that piece of information may be just what your team needs to win the round or the whole trivia night game.
5) Stay open-minded
Try to think outside the box.
Consider some of the possible questions the quizmaster could ask next.
Link various ideas into one.
Follow your gut when it feels right - this is usually when you think about two possible answers to a single question. When you start doubting yourself and not trusting your choices or ideas, that’s when you may start making mistakes.
Look for subtle hints in the question - some questions may be formulated in a tricky manner to cause you to come up with a wrong answer or to mislead you. Stay focused while listening to the questions at all times.
6) Keep your body fueled
To remain energized, focused, and concentrated during the trivia night, it’s important to keep your body fueled. So have a full meal before you arrive at the venue, regardless of whether snacks will be provided.
Final Words
To wrap up, we hope you enjoyed our 100+ trivia night questions for a successful trivia night.
Trivia nights can be truly memorable - all you need to do is choose the right people (an audience that loves trivia events), a venue (a bar or any other spot suitable for private events), and consult the right trivia companies (or get insights online, such as reading this article).
And whenever you feel like you’re forgetting something, can’t seem to find the right trivia night questions, or simply need to recall a thing or two - you know where to find us.