Bridgerton fans paid ₹25,000 to attend dance ball. They got no food, no chairs, one dancing stripper

Bridgerton fans who shelled out $300 ( ₹25,000) to attend what promised to be an authentic Regency Era ball experience were left furious after the event turned out to be a disorganised mess.

The “Bridgerton Themed Ball”, organised by an event management company in Detroit, was not affiliated with the super hit Netflix period drama known for its lavish costumes and opulent settings. Even so, fans shelled out hundreds of dollars for tickets and costumes to attend what organisers advertised as a chance to “step into the enchanting world of the Regency-era … for an evening of sophistication, grace and historical charm.”

The reality turned out to be starkly different from what was advertised.

Fans who dressed up in lavish ball gowns to attend the Bridgerton Ball were dismayed to find a royal mess of an event with shabby decor, no seating and little food. Photos shared on social media show attendees sitting on the floor, browsing their phones as there was “nothing else to do.”

What went wrong?

In short: pretty much everything.

Event management company Uncle & Me LLC promised guests a “Bridgerton Themed ball with prizes, giveaways and more.” Tickets for the ball were sold for $300 and fans spent much more on their costumes and jewellery, excited to attend a night of dancing and revelry done Regency-style. The organisers also advertised a “play/performance” along with live music at the event.

Instead, what guests found at the venue was a disorganised mess.

The Bridgerton Ball was first supposed to take place in August. It was then rescheduled to September 22, with organisers claiming that the original venue cancelled the event.

This claim was disputed by an employee of the original venue who said that Uncle & Me LLC did not pay the full amount needed to rent the venue.

Moreover, people who could not attend the ball on the rescheduled date were not issued a refund. Instead, their emails asking for a refund went unanswered.

From bad to worse

When Bridgerton fans finally reached the event venue in Detroit, they were shocked to see a bare-bones hall with barely any decor and none of the frills promised in the enticing ball announcement.

The advertised “live music” turned out to be a sole violinist performing alone, said Rachel, an X user who had purchased a ticket for the ball but could not attend due to the rescheduling.

The food served at the ‘party’ was undercooked and ran out after an hour. Nobody was there to clear the plates, so dirty dishes piled up on the few tables that the venue had.

Meanwhile, the promised “performance” turned out to be – bizarrely enough – a lone stripper on a stripper pole in the middle of the large hall.

7 News Detroit interviewed some people who attended the event and everyone had negative reviews.

"The way that it was described was this was going to be a Bridgerton evening. We were gonna have classical music, good dinner. There was gonna be a play and they were gonna pick Diamond of the season. They were gonna give away all of these prizes and we went in and it was completely empty in there," said Amanda Sue Mathis as she stood outside of the Harmonie Club. "There is nothing going on. They have a pole in the middle of the dance floor. A stripper pole in the middle of the dance floor."