Bridgerton fans get a dollar-bin Willy Wonka experience to call their own

Following in the tradition of Glasgow’s historic “Willy Wonka Experience,” which fooled Scottish parents into taking their kids to Spirit Halloween landfill for the afternoon, Detroit’s Bridgerton fans got to bask in the glow of being scammed last weekend. Per Detroit ABC affiliate WXYZ, an events company known as Uncle N Me (which should’ve been everyone’s first warning because it’s not Netflix) advertised a night of unauthorized Bridgerton-themed decadence and came up woefully short. Held at Detroit’s Harmonie Club on September 22, the Bridgerton Ball was a total bust, as fans complained of a lack of food, entertainment, and, really, anything to do with Bridgerton.

Depending on the package, tickets ranged between $100 and $1,000 to the sparsely decorated, potentially health-code-violating event. Alas, after paying $250 to Uncle N Me, guests who purchased the “Duke and Duchess” option, which supposedly came with a dinner, music, a professional dance card, a professional photo (if Airdrop is working), and valet service, didn’t get what they paid for. Instead, they received “undercooked food” and an exotic dancer grinding on a pole in a half-empty banquet hall—the Bridgerton experience, as we all imagined.

Initially, Uncle N Me planned to host the event on August 25 but canceled and then rescheduled the event. At the time, the trustworthy company Uncle N Me announced that, “due to unforeseen circumstances,” the original venue canceled the event. Speaking to their reputation as an honest business, Uncle N Me refused refunds and decided to reschedule. The company has since disabled its website and turned off social media comments, 7 News Detroit reports, as angry attendees demand refunds.

In a statement to 7 News, Uncle N Me apologized for failing to “provide the magical evening they promised.” The company says it takes “full responsibility and accountability for these shortcomings” and is “reviewing resolution options.” But while attendees’ “understanding and loyalty means the world” to Uncle N Me, the word refund does not appear in the statement.

This latest Fyre Festival-esque situation is another bait-and-switch by promoters hoping to turn a quick buck, and it pains us to include Uncle N Me in such company. However,  tweets by @rayleearts, who bought tickets but didn’t attend, seemingly confirm the organizers’ sub-prime planning. Images from inside the event reveal a complete lack of theming outside the costumes attendees bought or made themselves. The music was a “lone” violinist, and the dancing, as noted, was “one stripper.” As the video of the pole dance confirms, fans “don’t remember this in Bridgerton.”

Thread about the Bridgerton Ball SCAM in Detroit that I (and hundreds of others) spent $300 on pic.twitter.com/EUgX482w8j

— Rachel Eaton @ Realta (@rayleearts) September 24, 2024

Correction: This article has been updated to reflect that Netflix did not authorize this event.