Current:Home > reviewsWilly Wonka experience in Glasgow that went viral, caused mayhem is set to debut in the US -SovereignWealth
Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow that went viral, caused mayhem is set to debut in the US
View
Date:2025-04-24 10:28:40
Second time's the charm? Remember the Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow, Scotland that went viral earlier this year, with its sad Oompa Loompa becoming a meme? It's making a comeback.
Despite the backlash and mockery, the now-infamous event is returning, and this time in Los Angeles, California, according to an event page that popped up on Eventbrite.
"Yes, this is a real event," reads the first thing on the event page, set up by the House of Illuminati LA.
"Get ready to step into a realm of pure imagination as the highly acclaimed 'Willy’s Chocolate Experience LA' makes its debut in the United States, courtesy of House of Illuminati LA," the event description reads. "Following its groundbreaking success in Glasgow, this fantastical event promises an immersive journey into the whimsical world of 'Willy' Wonka."
'Fiasco':Willy Wonka experience in Scotland creates sour taste for ticket buyers
Features of previous event in Glasgow to be recreated
The "sad" Oompa Loompa, Kirsty Paterson, who instantly became a meme, will also be participating in the event on April 28 with an "exclusive absurdist Q&A and fan photo opportunity," according to the organizers.
Other features of the Glasgow event, such as the setting, will also be replicated with the event planned to be held in "a nondescript warehouse nestled in the heart of downtown Los Angeles." The exact location has not been specified.
Tickets are priced at $44 and are non-refundable. However, the proceeds of the event will be donated to an unnamed mental health charity, say the organizers.
In another nod to the previous event, attendees will get 2 complimentary jellybeans "to kickstart the sweetness".
Meanwhile, other "enchanting attractions" include local music and comedy performances, an "immersive" silent film screening complemented by live music and local vendors selling sweet treat. The organizers have also teased the possibility of "renowned comedians" to be attending the event, "promising an evening filled with laughter and unexpected twists."
The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. on April 28 for photobooth and mingling, followed by the Q&A session with Paterson at 6:30 p.m. Around 9 p.m., the event will transition into "Willy's Rave" with a D.J., who will be "keeping the energy going until 4 a.m.," the next morning.
"Prepare to be transported to a realm where imagination knows no bounds and every moment is infused with wonder," the event page adds.
Willy Wonka experience in Glasgow was dubbed a 'fiasco'
In February, earlier this year, a Willy Wonka-themed event in Scotland went viral after ticket-buyers went to an event marketed as a place "where dreams come to life," only to find a sparsely decorated warehouse with a pair of women with green wigs – apparently the Oompa Loompas – and an actor portraying Willy Wonka, who looked more like an Oompa Loompa than Wonka.
Attendees, many of whom were children, were enraged and upset with the organizers, a U.K. event company called House of Illuminati, demanding a refund. The police even showed up at the event to calm the irate crowd and shut down the event, that had promised chocolate fountains, performances by Oompa Loompas and "a celebration of chocolate in all its delightful forms."
One of the event attendees, Stuart Sinclair, who attended the event with his children said called the event "an absolute con," saying that his kids only received "two jelly babies and a quarter of a can of bars limeade," and that the whole experience took only 2 minutes. One of actor's, who participated in the event, called it a "fiasco" and said that he and the other actors "were furious."
"We’d been conned, as well, and it did turn quite scary at one point because people were angry," he said.
The company organizing the event later apologized for the event, releasing a statement that read: "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 realize we probably should have cancelled first thing this morning instead."
Contributing: Mike Snider, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter @saman_shafiq7.
veryGood! (14829)
Related
- What do we know about the mysterious drones reported flying over New Jersey?
- Horoscopes Today, September 11, 2023
- Man accused of walking into FBI office, confessing to killing Boston woman in 1979
- Danelo Cavalcante update: Sister arrested by immigration officials; search remains ongoing
- Meet the volunteers risking their lives to deliver Christmas gifts to children in Haiti
- World War II veteran from Rhode Island identified using DNA evidence
- Virginia police announce arrest in 1994 cold case using DNA evidence
- 14-year-old accused of trying to drown Black youth in pond released to father as case proceeds
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- Inside Bachelor Nation's Hannah Godwin and Dylan Barbour's Rosy Honeymoon
Ranking
- Rylee Arnold Shares a Long
- Lahaina high school team pushes ahead with season to give Maui community hope
- NFL Week 1 winners, losers: Dolphins, 49ers waste no time with sizzling starts
- Lose Yourself in the Nostalgia of the 2003 MTV VMAs
- Warm inflation data keep S&P 500, Dow, Nasdaq under wraps before Fed meeting next week
- Troy Aikman, Joe Buck to make history on MNF, surpassing icons Pat Summerall and John Madden
- Gen. Mark Milley on seeing through the fog of war in Ukraine
- Peaches the flamingo rescued, released after being blown to Tampa area by Hurricane Idalia
Recommendation
Opinion: Gianni Infantino, FIFA sell souls and 2034 World Cup for Saudi Arabia's billions
Man charged with aiding Whitmer kidnap plot says he should have called police
Tennessee father and son killed when jet ski crashes into barge on lake near Nashville
Kamala Harris says GOP claims that Democrats support abortion up until birth are mischaracterization
Former Danish minister for Greenland discusses Trump's push to acquire island
MSU football coach Mel Tucker could face monumental fall after sexual harassment allegations, reporter says
‘No risk’ that NATO member Romania will be dragged into war, senior alliance official says
North Carolina man charged with animal cruelty for tossing puppy from car window: report