Bridgerton superfans who forked out up to $1400 for tickets to a themed ball in the US have compared the disastrous event to the infamous Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow.
A ball inspired by the hit Netflix show was held at The Harmonie Club in Detroit, Michigan on September 22 after being rescheduled in August.
Tickets and packages were reportedly priced between $US120 to $USD1000 ($1400) for the event, which was billed as a lavish “evening of sophistication, grace and historical charm”.
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Attendees say this was hardly the case, with dozens of ticket holders left disappointed by the dismal display.
The decor was tacky and food was sparse, there was no alcohol even though it was advertised and the live entertainment was virtually non-existent, 7News Detroit reported.
“There was nowhere to sit. Although the venue was nice, the decor was sparse and extremely tacky. It wasn’t even Bridgerton themed!” a Reddit user who bought tickets wrote.
One woman who attended the event said on X the only “live music” was a lone violin player.
Another guest claimed the food ran out after just an hour.
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“The way that it was described was that this was going to be a Bridgerton-themed evening, we were going to have classical music, good dinner, there was going to be a play… we went in and it’s completely empty in there,” attendee Amanda Sue Mathis told the outlet.
“Absolutely 100 per cent feels like a scam, feels like a Fyre Festival situation,” Camerin Morey, who also attended the ball, said.
“They had either no idea what they were doing, or just didn’t care and had no problem taking people’s money.
“I think we should absolutely get refunds and honestly I want to see this company never doing business again.”
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Another woman told 7News Detroit she had forked out $363 for the “Duke and Duchess package” which promised a professional dance card, professional photos, valet service, dinner, music and entertainment”.
Photos and video from the Bridgerton ball were shared to X and viewed by millions.
Some pointed out the event bore a resemblance to the ill-fated Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow which made headlines in February.
US company Uncle and Me LLC organised the Bridgerton event and said in a statement shared to 7News Detroit that it acknowledged “not everyone had the experience they hoped for”.
“Our intention was to provide a magical evening, but we recognise that organisational challenges affected the enjoyment of some guests. We take full responsibility and accountability for these shortcomings,” the statement read.
Harmonie Hall in downtown Detroit said in a statement it had no affiliation with Uncle and Me LLC.
The event also had no affiliation with the Netflix series Bridgerton.
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