Pure Exaggeration - Willy's Chocolate Experience
27Willy's Chocolate Experience was an unlicensed event based on Charlie and the Chocolate Factory that took place in Glasgow, Scotland, in February 2024. The event was promoted as an immersive and interactive family experience, illustrated on a promotional website with "dreamlike" AI-generated images.[1][2][3][4] After customers discovered that the event was held in a sparsely decorated warehouse, many complained and the police were called to the venue. The event went viral on the Internet and attracted international media attention.[3][4][5][6][7][8]
The event drew comparisons to the 2008 Lapland New Forest controversy, the 2014 Tumblr fan convention DashCon, and Billy McFarland's 2017 Fyre Festival.[9][10][11][12]
Background
The event was stated to take place over the weekend between 24–25 February 2024.[2] Promotional material advertised "stunning and intricately designed settings inspired by Roald Dahl's timeless tale" and "an array of delectable treats scattered throughout the experience".[13] Both the website and promotional material used AI-generated images, which included several spelling errors.[14][15][16] Tickets cost £35.[3][8] While the event was being promoted in early February, a Reddit user who saw Facebook adverts suspected it to be a scam and was surprised that people were apparently buying tickets based solely on AI-generated images.[16]