Bridgerton event compared to Glasgow Willy Wonka experience after guests paid $250 for raw food

By Abby Amoakuh

Published Sep 25, 2024 at 01:18 PM

Reading time: 2 minutes

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Image courtesy of Nita Eaton

Following in the footsteps of Glasgow’s infamous Willy Wonka Experience flop in March 2024, Bridgerton fans recently got a taste of what it feels like to be scammed, after a group of individuals shelled out $150 to $1,000 for tickets to a live action experience, only to be hand-delivered a disastrous night, complete with raw food, plastic flowers, and a pole dancer.

The immersive experience took place in Detroit, Michigan on 22 and 23 September 2024. It was publicised as a chance to “step into the enchanting world of the Regency-era… For an evening of sophistication, grace and historical charm.”

So a lot of eager fans of Netflix’s hit show snatched up all the tickets and made their way over to the city’s three-story Harmonie Club to immerse themselves into the world of the old British aristocracy, composed of dancing, courtship, elaborate decorations, luxurious food, and instrumental covers of pop hits.

The much-awaited event was originally set to take place on 24 August. However, it was cancelled just a few days before due to a venue issue and rescheduled for late September.

Fast forward to the weekend in question, when Detroit’s very own Bridgerton fans finally got to enter the experience they paid $300 on average for.

According to attendees, it wasn’t so much a disappointment as it was a straight-up scam. The moment guests stepped in, dressed in tiaras and their best gowns, the atmosphere was hectic and chaotic.

There were zero security, check-ins, or organisers, which led to multiple pedestrians gaining access to the event which shouldn’t have been there. This major hiccup massively affected the capacity and undermined the exclusivity of what was marketed as an upscale event.

Apparently, the live music that had been advertised to guests was in fact one lone violinist—you know, not the complete orchestra that had been promised. This poor solo musician was tasked with providing musical entertainment for an entire ballroom. Talk about serious pressure.

Then there was the food part of the event: the dinner ended up being a buffet, which reportedly ran out after an hour and was served uncooked, with some guests complaining that the chicken was “raw” and inedible. Others described the cups and cutlery as “[pre-]used.”

To top it all off, the dance performance the event had organised was made up of one pole dancer equipped with a portable pole, who was introduced as an “acrobat.” Right…

This, of course, didn’t quite convey the regal Regency atmosphere advertised. Combined with a poorly decorated ballroom, which was adjourned with plastic flowers and cheap-looking posters, the whole experience went viral on social media as one of the biggest scams 2024.

“It was definitely the price tag that had given us this expectation of luxury, regality, class, [and] the Bridgerton experience. Even arriving at the event we were told there would be valet service and we had to end up self-parking and paying for parking,” Ayrton Hamrick told WXYZ Detroit.

He and his girlfriend had purchased the “Duke and Duchess” package which was $250 and set to include a professional dance card, professional photo, valet service, dinner, music, and entertainment. It’s fair to say that it was anything but that.

A scheduled best-dressed competition for a cash prize also never happened, nor did the organisers choose a Diamond of the Season as they do on the show, according to guest Nita Eaton.

In response to the backlash, the organisers, Uncle & Me LLC, released a statement acknowledging the chaos. “Dearest Gentle Readers, we understand that not everyone had the experience they anticipated…

Our goal was to create a magical evening, but we recognise that organisational challenges and unforeseen changes, including a last-minute venue and date change, impacted the experience for some guests.

Unfortunately, some nonrefundable deposits from the original bookings resulted in losses on our end, which added to the challenges. Nonetheless, we take full responsibility for these shortcomings.”

Due to the lack of monetary compensation for the inconvenience caused, some attendees are now discussing taking class action.