If you've walked into a pub on a weeknight and seen it packed with people hunched over pieces of paper, deep in an argument about the capital city of Hungary, you've probably stumbled on a trivia night.
It's one of the most popular ways for Australians to spend a weekday evening, and for international students, it's a brilliant way to meet people, practise English, and have a fun night out that won’t cost you much.
Sound fun? Here’s the lowdown on pub trivia nights, and how you can get involved.
What is pub trivia? And why is it so popular in Australia right now?
Trivia nights have exploded in popularity across Australia over the past few years, and part of their appeal is that anyone can join! They’re often free or very cheap to take part in, and the questions cover a whole range of topics, so everyone has a chance to get a question right. They’re also very social. It’s hard to win a trivia night alone, so it’s the perfect chance to get your friends together for an evening of fun.
A typical trivia night runs for two to three hours and is broken into rounds, each round covering a different category. Categories can cover anything from history and geography to sport, film and TV and pop culture. There's usually a picture round, where you might have to guess a bunch of celebrities’ faces or popular brand logos, and there might be a music round too, where you listen to song clips and guess the artist or title.
You'll join or form a team, usually with a limit of six to eight people, and give your team a name (the sillier the better). A host will read out questions, and your team writes down answers on a sheet, which gets collected and marked between rounds.
If you don’t quite get some of the Australian references straight away, don't stress. Trivia questions cover such a wide range of topics that everyone in the room ends up guessing on something. It's also a great way to pick up bits of Australian culture and history you might not learn anywhere else.
Quizzes around Australia
You'll find trivia nights almost everywhere, from inner-city pubs to suburban bars and even some cafes and RSL clubs. Many universities also run their own quiz nights through student unions or clubs, which is a great way to try one out for the first time with your classmates.
In most bigger Australian cities, entire companies run trivia events across dozens of venues each week, so there's almost always one happening near you. A quick search on QuizFinder or a look at your uni's student events page is usually all it takes to find one. Some venues run themed nights too, covering everything from Seinfeld to 90s music, so keep an eye out for something you're into.
Many trivia nights are run by a handful of companies that supply the questions, the host, and sometimes the sound and screens. A few of the biggest are QuizMeisters, QuizzaMe and InnQUIZitive. Plenty of venues run their own trivia nights independently too.
If you'd rather do a quiz with friends without leaving the house, check out The Weekly Fifty. It puts out fifty new questions every week that you can do at home, and it's used at quiz nights around the country too, so it's a good way to get a feel for the format before you commit to a full night out.
Are all trivia nights at the pub?
Not at all! While pubs are the most common location, trivia nights also pop up at cafes, community centres, and even some restaurants. Some universities and student groups run alcohol-free versions specifically for international and exchange students.
And even if you do go to a pub, there's no pressure to drink. Ordering a soft drink or water is completely normal, and no one will bat an eyelid. One thing to note: prizes can sometimes be alcohol, like a bottle of wine or a slab of beer, since that's an easy prize for venues to give away. If you win and don't drink, you can usually swap it for something else or split it with your teammates.
Time to start quizzing!
We hope we’ve inspired you to get a group of friends together and head down to your local pub trivia night! It’s a low-pressure, low-cost way to meet new people and learn something new while you’re studying here in Australia. Even if you don’t win, you’re guaranteed to have a laugh.
