New York club night inspired by Glasgow’s failed Wonka event
It is one of the most talkedabout events of the year, sparking news stories across the globe and becoming the subject of memes and jokes on social media.
Now the notoriety of the failed Glasgow Willy Wonka Experience has gone a step further – inspiring events from a club night in New York to an ice dance routine by an Olympic medal-winning Japanese figure skater.
In New York, a rave is being advertised based around the disastrous theme event, which saw police called after disappointed children and parents turned up to a half empty warehouse in Glasgow’s Whiteinch area to be given three jelly beans and half a cup of lemonade last month.
The £35-a-head Willy Wonka-themed event at the Box Hub Warehouse made international headlines when images of an almost-empty warehouse, devoid of entertainment, decoration or chocolate goodies, were shared on social media.
The New York event, organised by Flipphone Events, will be held on April 4 at Brooklyn nightclub 3 Dollar Bill. It promises a “Glasgow Wonka costume contest”, “Pop-up Glasgow Wonka acts” and a “Cartchy Tuns” dance party – in reference to the spelling error-riddled Artificial Intelligence-created marketing materials used to advertise the Wonka event.
“Step into ‘a pasadise of sweet teats” and dance to ‘cartchy tuns’ at ar ave inspired by the ‘catgacating” world of Wonka in Glasgow,” Flipphone Events said on Instagram in an advert for the rave.
Japanese ice dancer and Olympic medallist Tim Koleto separately joked he and his partner, Misato Komatsubara, could use the Glasgow event as inspiration for next season’s routine.
“It’s all fun and games until somebody does a ‘Dance Party’ themed to the Willy Wonka Glasgow Experience,” he said, in reference to a recent announcement by the International Skating Union for the theme for the 2025 season competitive programme, which has been selected as “21st-century dance party”.
He added: “By somebody, I mean me. To be clear.”
Skating fans welcomed his comment. “As someone from Glasgow, I would eat that UP,” said one. “I would pay to see that,” added another.