The organisers of a Lantern Festival that prompted fears it was a scam said it will go ahead as “a safe and environmentally friendly event for all”.
The event, which is being advertised in London and Birmingham, has already sold out but ticket-owners have not been told where it will be held – prompting fears among some they were being conned while others raisedconcerns about potential damage to the environment.
Guys I booked that lantern festival thing is it a scam let me know asap pls😭😭😭😭
— t.🇵🇸 (@tsh97__) April 9, 2024
But a spokesperson for the festival, which has been compared to the Wonka experience in Glasgow that became an online sensation when it went wrong, told the BBC West Midlands the event was “carefully planned”.
They said: “We share the public and media’s heightened awareness ofevent promotion, following the disastrous Wonka experience in Glasgow that was widely reported recently.
“Our events and theirs could not be more different.
“Our selection of lanterns is based on ensuring aesthetics that align with our advertisements and an effort to limit the environmental impact as well.”
The event, scheduled to be in London on May 26 and June 8 and in Birmingham June 1 and July 13, is billed on its website as a “mesmerising process of launching hundreds, even thousands, of sky lanterns, each adding its unique glow to the darkness above”.
It adds that the organisers “understand the importance of ethical and eco-friendly alternatives” and the lanterns are “designed with sustainability in mind”.
Ticket prices start at £35 and go up to £75 for a group of four.
A spokesperson for the National Fire Chiefs Council (NFCC) said lantens can “start wildfires and property fires” and “kill or injure livestock”, adding: “Our advice is simple - don’t use them.”
