“Nightmare” Barbie Dream Fest event in Florida likened to Glasgow Willy Wonka Experience

    Barbie

    A Barbie Dream Fest event in Florida has been branded a “nightmare” and likened to the disastrous 2024 Willy Wonka Experience.

    • READ MORE: ‘Barbie’ review: Greta Gerwig’s grown-up toy story is fantastic fun

    The “fan weekend” is being hosted by Mattel at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, but within days of its opening on Friday (March 27), it has already been widely criticised by some of those who have paid to attend.

    It promised “interactive experiences”, “unique programming” and a “star-studded panel”, among other “unforgettable experiences”, but in reality, attendees have complained that all that was on offer in the sizeable convention centre was a small offering of Barbie-adjacent vendors, a skating rink and a “dreamhouse” with little inside.

    “This is Glasgow Willy Wonka all over again lmao,” wrote one Reddit user, while another said they had “attended a careers expo that was more exciting than this hot mess”.

    Barbie Dream Fest customers have paid up to $450 (£340) for tickets, but TikTok users have described their tour of the venue as a “nightmare”. “Is this Fyrefest yet???” they wrote.

    “Barbie Dream Fest was a nightmare fest,” wrote another. “Worst event ever.”

    See a range of reactions here:

    @alittlebitbarbie

    #barbiedreamfest #barbie #mattel #barbiedreamfestnightmare #fortlauderdale

    ♬ original sound – Christmas Baller

    @alittlebitbarbie

    So they rearranged. #barbiedreamfest #barbie

    ♬ original sound – Christmas Baller

    @rainbowdollmom

    Barbie Dream Fest was a nightmare fest. Worst event ever. I got a few nice things from the sparse marketplace. Did you like Barbie Dream Fest? Let me know in the comments. #barbiedreamfest #barbiebarbiecollector #barbienightmarefest

    ♬ original sound – rainbowdollmom

    @rainbowdollmom

    Barbie Dream Fest nightmare. Warning: this video contains terrifying imagery. What did you think of this event? Comment! barbiedreamfest barbienightmarefest barbie barbiecollector

    ♬ Horror, Fear, Mystery, Suspense, Criminal, Terror, Halloween, Movie, Soundtrack, OST, TV Game, Creepy(1323087) – SAKUMAMATATA

    In February 2024, a Willy Wonka-themed chocolate “experience” in Glasgow went viral after it was branded as “awful” by furious parents and was forced to shut down just hours after opening.

    Advertised as “a celebration of sweetness and imagination” that was inspired by the hit movie Wonka and the Roald Dahl book behind it, parents describing it as a “farce” run by “cowboys”.

    A documentary was made about it, titled Wonka: The Scandal That Rocked Britain, and the event’s organiser Billy Coull revealed that it had “ruined his life”, explaining that he had been “hoping for an event that would be joyful and happy”.

    One of the actors at the event, Kirsty Paterson, spoke out about the disastrous experience, while Paul Connell, one of the actors hired to impersonate Willy Wonka, revealed more about how the event unfolded. “The script was 15 pages of AI-generated gibberish of me just monologuing these mad things,” he told The Independent.

    Sydney Sweeney also poked fun at the event during a skit on her recent Saturday Night Live appearance.

    Greta Gerwig’s Barbie was a major hit in 2023, with NME writing in a four-star review: “The script contains unexpected subtlety, particularly during the tender moments which pack an emotional punch. For a movie that ostensibly exists to promote a doll, this is laudable. Now come on Barbie, let’s go party.”

    The post “Nightmare” Barbie Dream Fest event in Florida likened to Glasgow Willy Wonka Experience appeared first on NME.