A £120 million "festival of Brexit" which was supposed to attract a massive 66 million people has brought in less than 0.4% of that figure, according to reports.
It is claimed that the Unboxed celebration - consisting of events up and down the country - has seen just 238,000 visitors pass through since it began in March.
The much-maligned project has been beset by issues, with its creative director saying it suffered by being "politicised" - and saying it had nothing to do with the UK leaving the EU.
Today a campaign group likened the festival to Brexit, saying it was "hugely expensive and deeply unpopular with no-one really getting what they wanted."
MPs had previously voiced reservations about the project, with members of the Commons' digital, culture, media and sport committee early this year branding it an "irresponsible use of public money”.
They added that the government's handling of it was a “recipe for failure”.
It was initially pitched as a celebration of British creativity, but comments by Jacob Rees-Mogg calling for Brexit to be celebrated with a festival, ensured that the two were connected from the start.
Following a report by House Magazine about low visitor numbers, Naomi Smith, chief executive of campaign group Best for Britain said: “With a bill of around £500 per attendee, the Festival of Brexit is the perfect metaphor for how Brexit itself has turned out, hugely expensive and deeply unpopular with no-one really getting what they wanted.
“The new Prime Minister must stop squandering cash on these vanity projects and put it where it’s needed, struggling families, businesses and public services.”
But organisers maintain it was never intended to have anything to do with Brexit.
Before being named Unboxed, it was titled Festival UK* 2022 - complete with asterisk - but by that stage "Festival of Brexit" had stuck.
In what appeared to be an early reference to the planned event, by hardcore Tory Brexiteer Mr Rees-Mogg, said back in 2018: “A Festival of Brexit would be excellent.
"There should be a huge celebration and in the spirit of friendship of our European neighbours, upon leaving we should drink lots of champagne to say that though we may be leaving the European Union, we don’t dislike Europe.”
Martin Green, Unboxed's chief creative officer, told the magazine he was assured it would not be a "jingoistic jamboree" or a "festival of Brexit" when he took the job on.
The festival has so far included lightshows and a walking trail themed around the Earth's place in space.
Government insiders said there was displeasure within the Department of Media, Culture and Sport, with a feeling that the event was "really contrary to the original vision”.
Announcing the festival back in 2018, former Prime Minister Theresa May said: "We want to showcase what makes our country great today.
"We want to capture that spirit for a new generation, celebrate our nation’s diversity and talent, and mark this moment of national renewal with a once-in-a-generation celebration."
A spokesperson for UNBOXED said:“UNBOXED has invested in 10 ground-breaking projects across the UK, bringing together the best creative minds in science, technology, engineering, art and maths. In doing so, UNBOXED has established a new model for national festivals, without a reliance on metropolitan hubs.
“The past few months have seen people throughout the UK – from the Outer Hebrides to Southampton and from Omagh to Swansea - experiencing many different UNBOXED events and activities, from the solar system recreated as a 10km sculpture trail to an immersive storytelling project that is testing out new developments in 3D technology. We’ve been going to places that are often underserved by the cultural sector and the local response has been fantastic.
“UNBOXED is also about investing in future creativity – a cornerstone of the UK economy and integral to our image on the international stage. Conceived during a global pandemic and national lockdowns, UNBOXED invested in creativity at a time when the future of the sector looked uncertain. This includes hundreds of jobs and development opportunities for young creatives, often from under-represented communities. It has also supported international creative collaboration opportunities.
“With some of the biggest UNBOXED projects opening this month – and people really should experience them for themselves - it’s much too early to talk about engagement numbers. These will be released as part of the evaluation process when the programme is over."
