GRIN AND BEER IT
‘It’s the worst event ever,’ cry punters at ‘freezing’ beer festival being compared to notorious Willy Wonka experience
Ticket-holders slammed the venue adding there was hardly anyone there
A "FREEZING" beer festival has been dubbed the "worst event ever" after being compared to Glasgow's infamous Willy Wonka experience.
Punters have slammed a booze-up in Manchester after paying nearly £40 to sit in an "abandoned, empty warehouse" that had no atmosphere.
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International Brewing and Cider Festival (IBC) hosted their first event in the city over the weekend.
But bosses have since been forced to apologise for the car crash experience at Mayfield Depot.
Matt Turner-Allen, who paid £38.50 to attend, was only one of a handful of ticket-holders at the "vibe-less" event.
Describing it as the "worst event ever by a country mile", Matt contacted IBC on X/Twitter before likening the event to .
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He said: "It is an old brick structure at the end of March, which if it is packed is fine but this was just not the right venue.
"I texted my boss in Glasgow, and I said this is the Willy Wonka festival of Manchester.
"I have young kids and I have to be selective with my nights out, so it was a big disappointment."
The Willy Wonka festival up north hit headlines last month for its disastrous turn-out.
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Families paid £35 for what was supposed to be an "immersive experience" which turned out to be a near-empty warehouse in the city centre.
Parents and kids were greeted with "tragic" actors, "disappointing" props and shambolic backdrops.
Wonka Event, Scotland, disappointing to the kids with a dirty floor and no attractions or sweets
Matthew Curtis, a beer writer, he estimated crowds at the Manchester event were no bigger than 50 to 100 people at any time.
And Freddy Hardy, the co-founder of an independent brewery selling at the event, said he only had around 20 customers on the Friday.
A spokesperson for the IBC festival said they had 800 people arrive across four sessions on Friday and Saturday.
Bosses said they "only had a couple of direct complaints".
The spokesperson said: "As the organiser of the oldest international brewing and cider awards in the world, we held the Awards in Manchester this year and wanted to bring the entries from around the world to the public in the city.
"We adapted throughout the two days, ironing out some early teething troubles to deliver a better model as the event progressed."
Glasgow's Willy Wonka fail
A WILLY Wonka-inspired event in Glasgow hit headlines last month - but for all the wrong reasons.
Families arrived at a near-empty warehouse after paying £35 for what was supposed to be an "immersive experience".
Kids were given just a few jelly babies and a cup of limeade before it was all over in minutes.
The experience was so bad kids were reduced to tears and police were called to the venue as angry parents gathered outside.
Organiser Billy Coull was eventually forced to issue an apology for the "sheer and utter disappointment" blaming technical difficulties for the chaos.
Hundreds of families had paid to see Willy's Chocolate Experience, which was due to take place over two days.
But House of Illuminati - the firm behind the show - cancelled it mid-way through its first day.
Parents slammed it as a "scam" - with some paying £65 for family tickets.
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