Golda Rosheuvel as Queen Charlotte holding two pamphlets and looking concerned in Bridgerton season 3 episode 7 A Bridgerton-themed event has been labeled such a disaster that it’s being compared to the infamous Willy Wonka experience. The Wonka event took place in Glasgow earlier this year and blew up on social media, with attendees showing a barely decorated warehouse with almost no candy. The experience was bad enough that the police were called, all ticket holders received refunds, and it even went on to inspire a Willy Wonka-themed horror movie.

According to WBCKFM, the Bridgerton event took place on September 22 and has no official connection to the show or Netflix. Called the Detroit Bridgerton Themed Ball, ticket holders were surprised when the event that was originally supposed to take place on August 25 was postponed to the new date just a few days beforehand. Tickets cost anywhere from $150 to $1000, and the event was organized by Uncle N Me LLC.

According to attendees, once the Ball finally happened, they were left disappointed by a chaotic experience that included no one checking tickets at the door and subpar decorations, food, and entertainment. Those who were there claimed the photo backdrops looked cheap, some of the food was raw, and the “entertainment” included one violinist and a stripper. Twitter user @rayleearts purchased a ticket to the event and chronicled their experience along with others:

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Eloise Bridgerton (Claudia Jessie) and Cressida Cowper (Jessica Madsen) watching Penelope arrive at Lady Danbury's ball in Bridgerton season 3 Part 1

As noted by WBCKFM, the Detroit Bridgerton Themed Ball was not affiliated with Netflix or the show. However, it’s based on an official experience called The Queen’s Ball, which has stopped in several cities. While the Detroit Bridgerton Themed Ball is separate, it’s easy to imagine some people becoming confused and thinking they were buying tickets for an official, Netflix-backed event.

While it could be argued that all publicity is good publicity, Netflix likely doesn’t want to be associated with such a poorly run event, and it’s unclear why the streamer allowed it to happen in the first place.

In the past, Netflix hasn’t hesitated to go after people trying to make money off the Bridgerton franchise, famously suing Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, the creators of The Unofficial Bridgerton Musical, after they began live performances of their album. Though Netflix eventually dropped the suit, it noted that the live shows competed with the streamer’s official Bridgerton Experiences and caused confusion among fans.

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It’s A Shame That Fans Had Such A Bad Experience

Nicola Coughlan as Penelope Featherington Walking Through a Doorway in Bridgerton season 3

Living in Michigan, I’ll admit that I considered buying a ticket when the Detroit Bridgerton Themed Ball was announced, though I didn’t go through with it after realizing it was an unofficial event. Still, those who bought tickets just wanted to live in the show’s world for an evening, and it’s a shame that they weren’t able to do that.

I would argue that even “unofficial” events, when run competently, can do a lot for a show and its fans, allowing them to connect with others and celebrate a shared interest. However, when an event is like the Detroit Bridgerton Themed Ball, it’s not worth the trouble.