Quiz nights draw crowds seeking competition and community

Music quiz nights are filling venues in Odense, as people gather for a competitive, social hobby, DR reports.

At Musikhuset Dexter, a music venue in Odense, 18 teams and about 90 participants meet on the last Thursday of each month. The quiz has been running since 2010, and its latest edition was number 188. Quizmaster Michael Sørensen says people come to challenge themselves and others, and to share an activity that is not sport.

Sørensen, who left his job as a schoolteacher in March to work as a quizmaster full time, runs events in Odense, Svendborg, Middelfart, Nyborg and Horsens, and is preparing to expand to Aarhus. He says demand for company quizzes has also grown, offering a way for colleagues to spend time together where an office assistant can know as much as the director.

Trend researcher and lifestyle expert Mads Arlien-Søborg sees the popularity as part of a wider interest in meeting through shared activities, including book, running and knitting clubs. He says quiz events offer entertainment and competition in an in-person setting, as digital quizzes have moved into social, offline gatherings.

Quiz nights are also popular at Storms Pakhus in Odense, where the weekly Tuesday event draws between 100 and 200 people. The venue recently had 60 teams take part. Two quizzes cancelled over the summer prompted complaints from teams whose plans were affected, marketing manager Jannik Meier said.