Pakistan-based company apologises for advertising after thousands of people feel 'scammed' for attending non-existent Halloween event in Dublin
A Pakistan-based company has apologised for mistakenly posting an advertisement for a non-existent Halloween parade in Dublin which drew a large number of people in the city centre of the Irish city.
Thousands of people reached O'Connell Street in Dublin with the expectation of seeing the grand parade but they were left disappointed when the event did not take place.
According to the website myspirithalloween.com, the event was scheduled to take place between 7pm to 10pm on Thursday night from Parnell Square to Temple Bar.
The website reportedly claimed the event was due to be hosted by the Galway arts ensemble Macnas.
Meanwhile, the Pakistan-based company said the incident occurred due to a 'mistake'.
Speaking to The Irish Times, the man behind the website, who identified himself as Nazir Ali, said that it was not his or his business’s intention to mislead people and he expressed concern that multiple reports suggested it was a hoax when it fact it was a genuine mistake.
Filmmaker Bertie Brosnan shared a video on X showing a large number of people turning up for the event.
The SCAM Halloween Parade in Dublin City Centre (everyone was ghosted 📷) Definitely thousands, potentially into 10's of thousands, showed up.
— Bertie Brosnan (@BrosnanBertie) October 31, 2024
This happened on the 31st of October from 7pm at the top of O'Connell Street in Dublin City.#halloweenparade #hoaxparade pic.twitter.com/ldt2Skr2CI
He described the incident as a 'scam'.
"The SCAM Halloween Parade in Dublin City Centre (everyone was ghosted ) Definitely thousands, potentially into 10's of thousands, showed up," the filmmaker said.
"This happened on the 31st of October from 7pm at the top of O'Connell Street in Dublin City," he said.