An event based on one ofRoald Dahl’s most beloved books that promised “a day filled with laughter, joy, and the irresistible allure of chocolate” was anything but that for attendees.
Guests paid £35 (about $45) to attend Sunday’s event in Glasgow, according to SWNS and theBBC. But when they arrived, they were shocked to find it was nothing like it was described.
Images from the event, which have since gone viral, show what appears to be a large warehouse with decorations sparsely placed throughout the room. The space was nothing like what organizers promoted, both on their website and social media.
Jenny Fogarty, an actor who was hired to play an Oompa Loompa, claimed she received a 15-page script the night before the event, according to SWNS. Her costume was the “sexy” version of an Oompa Loompa, not the kid-friendly version she anticipated.
SWNS
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Families were indeed upset. Online, one attendee said organizers “sold a dream and delivered a nightmare,” according toSky News.
Aileen Butcher toldGlasgowLive.comthe event “was pathetic” and took “a minute to walk through” she also said some kids “were crying” and that the atmosphere was “tense.”
Yulia Burns told the BBC said “the crowd became angrier” as they began to realize the event was not what they expected. She said they “never had a chance to get inside.”
The Willy Wonka-inspired event that police were called to in Glasgow.SWNS
One image on the booking site features a number of nonsense words such as “cartchy tuns” (which likely were supposed to be “catchy tunes,” which were said to be part of the experience), “sweet teats” (likely meant to be “sweet treats”), “catgacating” (likely meant to be “cascading”) and “exaserdray.”
House of Illuminati appears to have started promoting the event in mid-December 2023. In a description of the event on Facebook, the organizers said the experience was “designed for families and children” to enjoy.
The booking site promoted attractions such as an Enchanted Garden, an Imagination Lab and Twilight Tunnel. House of Illuminati said the space would be filled with “giant mushrooms filled with sweets, colossal lollipops, and candy canes that seem to touch the sky.”
But that is not what the guests got. Instead of various sweet treats, families said they received a handful of candy, per the reports.
House of Illuminati issued an apology for the “stressful and frustrating day,” according to SWNS. The organizers claimed they were “let down in many areas of our event” at the last minute “and tried our best to continue on and push through.”
“We planned a fabulous event and it just did not take shape as planned,” House of Illuminati said, “and for that we are truly sorry we are devastated at how this has turned out.”
The organizers acknowledged guests’ “anger and frustration” and said refunds “have already started being issued.” House of Illuminati shared aFacebook postthat also claimed, in part, that refunds are being processed. PEOPLE cannot currently confirm those claims.
The organizers did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Eva Stewart, of East Kilbride, told the BBC she has heard “absolutely nothing” from House of Illuminati and is “not very hopeful” about receiving a refund.
Matthew Waterfield, operations manager at the Box Hub Warehouse where the event was held, said the venue was not responsible for the promotions surrounding the experience, per the report.
source: people.com
