The Fyre Festival was a disastrous music event in 2017, promoted as a luxury festival on a private Bahamian island, but it was poorly organized and failed to deliver on its promises. Attendees were met with inadequate accommodations, subpar food, and no major musical acts, leading to its cancellation. The festival’s creator, Billy McFarland, was convicted of fraud for misleading both investors and attendees. But hey, second time is the charm, right?
If you want a case study in “poor planning and failed events”, look no further than Tana-con and Dash-con.
TanaCon was a disastrous fan convention organized by YouTuber Tana Mongeau in June 2018 as a rebellion against VidCon, but it was severely overbooked, leading to thousands of attendees being stranded outside in unsafe conditions. The event was ultimately canceled within hours due to overcrowding, lack of organization, and security issues, sparking widespread backlash and controversy.
DashCon was a 2014 fan convention intended for Tumblr users, but it became infamous for extreme mismanagement, including guests backing out due to lack of payment and attendees being asked to crowdfund $17,000 on the spot to keep the event running. It’s best remembered for its “ball pit” fiasco, where organizers offered extra time in a tiny inflatable ball pit as compensation for the convention’s failures.
