‘Bridgerton Ball’ Experience in Detroit Being Called a “Scam” and “Complete Chaos”

A “Bridgerton Ball” experience held in Michigan turned out to be a royal mess.

Pictures on social media (below) are going viral for an event on Sunday which organizers billed as a chance for fans to “step into the enchanting world of the Regency-era … for an evening of sophistication, grace and historical charm.”

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The reality, say some attendees, was a disorganized and bare-bones event that left costumed attendees sitting on the floor amid vendors selling Kit Kats and watching a stripper who was hired as the evening’s entertainment. The event is drawing comparisons to the infamous (and unofficial) Willy Wonka Experience that earned global headlines back in March.

According to local station WBCK, the ball was not an official Netflix event. The streamer does have a touring event called The Queen’s Ball: A Bridgerton Experience. According to the event’s sparse, two-page website, this was the “Detroit Bridgerton Themed Ball.” Tickets were priced from $150 to $1,000.

“The way it was described was this would be [a] Bridgerton event and we were going to have classical music, a good dinner, and there was going to be a play, and they were going to pick diamonds the season,” said one attendee in a report by local ABC affiliate WXYZ-TV. “They were going to give away all of these prizes. And we went in, and it’s completely empty in there.”

“It was complete chaos,” said another in the report. “They never even scanned our tickets. We paid to eat dinner, and there were random people all throughout the venue.”

“My family and I just left the Detroit Bridgerton Ball,” wrote one attendee on Reddit who posted several photos. “It was absolutely HORRENDOUS. There was nowhere to sit. Although the venue was nice, the decor was sparse and extremely tacky. It wasn’t even Bridgerton themed! We spent $400 on tickets for a complete b*s experience!”

“Besides the lackluster event itself, they promised a cash prize to the best dressed (didn’t happen), that they’d choose a diamond of the season like they do in the show/other bridgerton inspired balls (didn’t happen), and had an itinerary with contradicting information,” penned another on Twitter.

“No one asked for our tickets so we just walked in,” wrote another on Reddit. “All attendees looked absolutely decked out but there was zero direction. We essentially followed the crowd to the third floor where we saw LOCAL FREAKING VENDORS selling goods like we were at a local festival … After seeing people sitting on the floor in disappointment, my wife and I left.”

The Detroit Bridgerton Ball
The Detroit Bridgerton Ball

The event organizer Uncle N Me LLC on Tuesday released this statement to WXYZ: “We understand that not everyone had the experience they hoped for at our most recent event Sunday night at The Harmonie Club, and for that, we sincerely apologize. Our intention was to provide a magical evening, but we recognize that organizational challenges affected the enjoyment of some guests. We take full responsibility and accountability for these shortcomings. Please know that we are working diligently to address all concerns to ensure that all guests have the enjoyable experience they deserve …we are committed to doing everything in our power to make this right.”

The Detroit Bridgerton Ball
The Detroit Bridgerton Ball

Netflix, while not directly related to the event, hasn’t commented.

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