A "Willy Wonka Chocolate Experience" in Glasgow ended in disappointment and chaos. Tickets were sold for £35 each, with promises of "captivating live performances featuring charming characters singing orginal catchy tunes. Marvel at extraordinary props, oversized lollipops, and a paradise of sweet treats… Brace yourself for an adventure that will leave you spellbound!"
Instead, attendees were greeted with a poorly decorated warehouse in Whiteinch, Glasgow, containing a small inflatable castle, bland vinyl backdrops taped to the wall, sparse plastic props, and sullen Oompa-Loompas.
From The Guardian:
Paul Connell, an actor who had been hired by the company to perform at the event, told STV News of his shock when he arrived at the warehouse and realised that the rubric he had been given was impossible to fulfil because none of the promised props or special effects were there.
"My heart sank looking around … I just felt sad because I was aware of how many kids were going to be coming through. We were told to hand the kids a couple of jelly beans and a quarter cup of lemonade at the end."
Connell said that when he asked the organisers what he should do with the script he was told to improvise.
A Facebook group was created by the disgruntled attendees, who have labeled the event a "farce" and criticized the organisers for their incompetence. Local police were called to the scene following complaints from the public.
The promotors, House of Illuminati, have issued a Fyre Festival style apology, admitting to the event's failures and acknowledging that it should have been canceled from the outset. "Unfortunately, last minute we were let down in many areas of our event and tried our best to continue on and push through and now realise we probably should have cancelled first thing this morning instead."
Why did House of Illuminati even bother to have anything in the warehouse? They should have just taken the money and disappeared.
they charged $45 for this pic.twitter.com/0Nlk0IMJkj
— Chris Alsikkan (@AlsikkanTV) February 26, 2024
See also: FYRE Fest criminal Billy McFarland says he is building a hotel in the Bahamas, called PYRT