Virtual Event Ideas

35+ Fun Virtual Event Ideas That Keep People Engaged

Tired of virtual event ideas that sound great on paper but fall flat on screen? You’re not alone. Whether you are planning an educational seminar or trying to build a bond between departments by organizing game nights, keeping the audience engaged (and not feeling awkward) is the real challenge.

From virtual workshops to live camping nights, we’ve put together 35+ virtual event ideas that are fun, interactive, and keep energy high. These ideas help you entertain, connect, and engage, even when you're on a screen.

Besides, we will also share tips to personalize the experience and boost engagement both pre- and post-events, helping you make your next virtual event unforgettable.

Let’s dive into the best ideas people will look forward to.

Key Takeaways

• Define your event goals and audience to shape the format, content, and energy.
• Mix fun and function by alternating value-driven content with engaging, interactive formats.
• Use tech-powered ideas, personalization, and pre- and post-engagement to boost connection.
• Platforms like Eventify make managing virtual events seamless, customizable, and genuinely fun.

Define Your Event Goals & Audience

Before you jump to the fun part, that is, the planning, you need to define clear goals for your event. Do you want to entertain or educate, onboard or only connect? This question sets a clear tone for everything from the agenda to the atmosphere.

Next, think about how you are hosting the event. Are you targeting business professionals, recent graduates, students, or GenZ? Remember, remote events have a shorter runway for engagement, so 20 minutes of value should ideally be followed by 5 minutes of entertainment to make a lasting impression.

Personalization also plays a critical role in making your virtual event look less like a broadcast and more enjoyable. Use pre-event polls to let participants vote on games, formats, and ideas. Doing so would boost interest and help you deliver what the audience actually wants.

Align your content with your timing, your team’s energy, and your broader goals. Whether you're going for chill and cozy, bold and energetic, or sleek and professional, set the mood accordingly. Finally, don’t forget to define what a successful event looks like. Are you chasing leads, feedback, team bonding, or just a few good laughs? Knowing this beforehand helps you measure impact and improve future events.

Formats That Work for All Occasions

Some events are more about upgrading the classics instead of reinventing the wheel. No matter whether you’re planning a product launch or a public-facing webinar, these formats can work for nearly any audience.

Webinars & Keynote Events

No more dry and one-way webinars. You can now keep virtual talks interactive by planning a Q&A session, using reaction emojis, or even using a real-time chat application. You can also bring multiple speakers to a panel to spark interesting debates and share different perspectives. 

If you plan on holding the webinar on a larger scale with multiple speakers or a broader audience, consider arranging a moderator to manage flow and engagement as well.

Virtual Workshops

Virtual workshops don't have to be hands-off. You can try using live demonstrations and encourage the audience to use home kits (painting kits or STEM experiments). To give the audience space to collaborate, you can choose dedicated platforms that have tools like whiteboards or in-app chatrooms to allow group brainstorming or discussion sessions.

Virtual Trade Shows & Launches

Virtual trade shows and launches are perfect for showcasing innovation to a broader audience, irrespective of geographical borders. You can use 3D booths, brand avatars, and immersive walkthroughs to perfectly replicate the in-person trade shows.

To give it a human touch, you may schedule backstage interviews with product creators and founders. This would eventually add personality to your brand’s story.

Gamified and Competitive Ideas

Nothing boosts engagement like friendly competitions. Surprisingly, gamified and competitive ideas work across all types of events, whether it's internal team bonding or large-scale corporate events. Such ideas add both excitement and chaos to keep people glued to their screens.

Team-based Game Shows

Bring the high-energy feel of a TV game show right to your attendees' living rooms. You can try games like “Guess the Emoji,” “Who Said It?” or “Would You Rather?” If you want to try something more engaging, you can try a virtual version of Family Feud or a Jeopardy-style showdown with breakout rooms as team pods, buzzer apps, and all.

Interactive Murder Mystery Nights

In these choose-your-own-adventure experiences, you can assign attendees roles of suspects, detectives, or innocent bystanders. As the story unfolds, they must solve clues, interrogate others, and piece together the mystery. It’s immersive, hilarious, and perfect for groups that love a bit of drama and deduction.

Online Board Games Night

Who says classic games are only for in-person hangouts? You can now enjoy board game nights from the comfort of your home. By using dedicated platforms like Board Game Arena or Tabletopia or even dedicated game bots on platforms like Discord, you can play classic games like Codenames, Uno, or Pictionary. 

Meme Battles

For a light and fun virtual gathering, consider a meme-making showdown where you can share a prompt and let the attendees compete to create the funniest memes in real time using tools like Canva. The audience votes for the best memes. To make it more fun, you can add prizes as well.

Creative and Offbeat Virtual Events

Sometimes the best virtual events are the ones that are a little weird, but in a nice way. These offbeat ideas break the routine, spark interesting conversations, and bring out everyone’s fun side.

Bring Your Pet or Plant Online

Let your audience show their furry friends or desk plants to the audience and get a few seconds to introduce them. The rest of the people vote for the one with the most unusual name or best-dressed pet. One who gets the most votes wins.

Virtual Fashion Show

Who needs a runway when you have a webcam? Challenge your attendees to DIY their outfits with the items they have at home, like sheets or towels. Incorporate a live commentary and give awards for the most unique look based on the audiences’ votes. It’s weird, wonderful, and always delivers the best laughs.

“Zoom Cribs” Office Tour

Inspired by MTV Cribs, this idea turns your work-from-home setup into a stage. Attendees give a short tour of their setup to the audience, showing off their gadgets, setup, secret snack drawer, and aesthetic. Based on the audience, you can award prizes to the most aesthetic, best set, or most chaotic energy desks.

Home Safari or Virtual Petting Zoo

Want something different? Book a live stream from an animal sanctuary or petting zoo. From llamas to goats to sleepy sloths. These animal cameos are delightful and entertaining for all ages. It’s a feel-good, low-effort way to bring everyone together.

Immersive & Tech-Powered Experiences

If your audience is tech-savvy people who love trying new gadgets or cutting-edge tools, these virtual tech events are something you would love to try out with them.

Virtual Reality Hangouts

Take your meetup to the next level by stepping into the virtual world. Platforms like VR Chat, Mozilla Hubs, or Meta Horizon Worlds let users interact in 3D spaces with avatars. This way, attendees can visit virtual lounges, museums, or attend a rooftop party. Such hangouts are a great fit for tech-savvy teams or creative communities.

AR Filters and Digital Photo Booths

Add some instant fun with AR-powered selfie filters and branded digital photo booths. Attendees can capture silly and fun selfies and add stickers to them to use them on their social media handles. It's a playful way to make remote events feel more personalized and to closely replicate physical ones.

Remote-Controlled Race Cars or Robots

With tech and thrill coming together, these races are as cool as they sound. Rent kits that let participants control mini race cars or robots remotely via webcam. Some setups support Raspberry Pi and YouTube Live, allowing attendees to compete in real-time from different cities.

Chill & Wellness Breaks

Virtual events can get exhausting, especially when packed with speaker sessions and dense content. In this case, it is important to prioritize the wellness of your audience by planning chill and wellness breaks.

ASMR Experiences

Add a soothing effect by hiring an artist or a streamer. This 20-minute session uses soft sounds like whispering, tapping, or brushing to create a calming effect. It's unconventional, oddly relaxing, and surprisingly popular for helping people feel more balanced during long events.

Sound Bath & Healing Frequencies

Give your audience a gift of stillness by arranging a guided sound bath using instruments like singing bowls, chimes, and binaural beats to help people unwind. These peaceful sessions are perfect for reducing stress and boosting focus.

Virtual Journaling & Vision Board Party

Great for reflective teams or goal-setting workshops, virtual journaling or vision board parties encourage attendees to journal or build a vision board using platforms like Miro or Jamboard. You can provide prompts like “What’s your focus for Q3?” or “What’s one thing you’re letting go of?”, and watch them showcase their creativity.

Food, Drink & DIY Events

Food has always helped bring people together, even virtually. These events are delicious and packed with personality because who doesn't love a little snack break?

Global Cooking Night

Ask your attendees to vote for their favorite cuisine, and then hire a chef to walk them through the recipes of that cuisine. You can ship the attendees' ingredient kits or simply hand them a grocery list beforehand. This event is fun, productive, and an amazing opportunity for people who want to try something new.

“Nailed It” Cooking Fails Contest

In this event, attendees try to recreate a recipe mutually decided among them. The most epic fail recreation wins the prize. This is a fun, low-pressure way to cook together and embrace the mess.

Live Barista Class or Bubble Tea Mixing

Send out mini kits with coffee syrups, boba, or tea flavors, and guide attendees through mixing their drinks live. Whether they are mastering the boba tea or crafting the perfect latte art, this event feels like a low-effort, fun treat.

Networking With a Twist

Small talks in breakout rooms can be awkward. These networking ideas flip the script, helping connections feel less awkward, less forced, and more fun.

Speed Friending Rooms

This is a quick way to make new work besties. Every 5-7 minutes, attendees are moved to a new room with prompts like “What’s your most used emoji?” or “What song instantly boosts your mood? These prompts act like quick icebreaking tools, especially when team members across the department want to bond.

Digital Campfire Night

Want to set a cozy vibe and unwind? This digital campfire night is relaxed, nostalgic, and ideal for teams that want to bond without the usual structure. You can set the mood with digital campfire scenes, virtual marshmallows, and an open mic. You can also encourage attendees to share ghost stories or poetry.

“Whine & Wine” Hour

Group therapy meets happy hours. Whine & Wine Hour gives people a chance to let it all out in a casual venting session hosted by a chill host. Attendees can anonymously drop complaints (funny or serious) in the chat, making this session weirdly healing.

Culture, Entertainment & Inspiration

Want to entertain and inspire your guests at the same time? These creative events are full of personality, laughs, and a little magic.

Drag Bingo or Drag Trivia

Add sparkle to your screen with a drag queen host running the show. Whether you are playing Bingo, Trivia, or lip-sync, this virtual event is packed with energy and campy fun. Inclusive, lively, and perfect for groups, this format is always unforgettable.

Tarot or Astrology Night

Invite a spiritual guide to host the mini tarot readings, birth chart breakdowns, or fun astrology games. Light-hearted yet meaningful, it would be an amazing experience for people who love cosmic conversations.

Virtual DJ or Silent Disco

Pick up the energy with a virtual DJ for the audience or send them a themed Spotify playlist and let them decide the vibe. Split your audience into different rooms online based on genre and let them groove with their cameras on. To amp up the energy even more, host a live dance contest.

Digital Escape Rooms with a Twist

Turn your event into a brain-teasing adventure with themed escape room challenges. Divide your audience into breakout rooms and assign them puzzles and challenges related to sci-fi, spy, or true crime. They race to complete the challenge with their teammates. It’s a fun, inclusive event that encourages teamwork.

Social Impact & Feel-Good Ideas

Virtual events don't always have to be fun and games. \you can use them to bring together communities and spread positivity and kindness. These virtual event ideas are perfect if you want to give back to the community.

Virtual Volunteering

Make doing good a shared experience. Hold virtual events where the attendees pack hygiene kits, school supplies, and care packages together at home. These kits and supplies are then sent to a partnered NGO. To help participants see the impact of their time and effort, you can provide an impact report later.

“Kindness Bingo”

Spread positivity and good vibes with Kindness Bingo. Audiences can compliment their teammate, help support their small business, or simply donate to a local food bank. This virtual event is a fun way to inspire generosity while adding a playful twist.

Pre-Event & Post-Event Engagement

An unforgettable event doesn't start and stop with the main session. Building momentum before the major event and keeping a connection afterward is what will retain the audience, making the entire experience amazing.

Secret Missions

Pre-event, ask the participants to solve a mini challenge like “Send three people a compliment in the chat” or “Ask a funny question during Q&A.” In the end, reveal who accomplished the challenge. Doing so will boost interaction among attendees.

Highlight Reel or Blooper Montage

Don’t let the best memories fade away. Capture the best moments from your event and create a short and shareable recap video.Include behind-the-scenes clips, funny mishaps, reaction videos and unexpected moments to make a blooper reel everyone would love. It’s a great way to keep the post-event buzz alive and give people something to smile about.

Tips for Hosting Like a Pro

Here are a few tips that will help you host your next virtual event like a professional:

• Assign a Moderator: Moderators help chat lively, filter questions, and handle any tech hiccups behind the scenes.
• Pre-Event Testing: Check all tech before the event to avoid any mishap amidst the event.
• Constantly Engage: Make sure the event is not only one-sided by constantly engaging the audience with questions, challenges, and emojis.
• Host & Speaker Rehearsals: Give your hosts and speakers a run-through with talking points, tech checks, and an energy boost.
• Plan for the Unexpected: Make sure you always have plan B in case of issues like slow Wi-Fi or late speakers.
• Impactful Ending: Recap key takeaways, tease what’s next, or leave attendees with a fun challenge or thank-you gift link.

Time to Reimagine Virtual Events

Virtual events do not have to feel like boring lectures or any other online meeting, they should be fun, engaging and entertaining. With the right ideas and smart implementation, you can turn any online gathering into something people actually look forward to.

No matter what type of virtual event you are hosting, Eventify’s seamless, customizable, and engaging virtual event management tools, can make it all happen effortlessly.

So step ahead and decide the weirdest, wildest virtual event idea.