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‘Shambles,’ say furious families at £40 balloon festival that promised ‘breathtaking sights’…but had ‘NO balloons’
One excited festival-goer spent £70 on a ticket to 'see nothing'
FURIOUS families have lashed out at a "shambles" balloon festival that they claim had no balloons.
Wales Balloon Festival promised "breathtaking sights" in what should have been a spectacular display over this past weekend.
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Event bosses had sold a hot air balloon extravaganza and a balloon night glow show in the evenings throughout the three days it was at Carmarthen Showground.
But it was the complete opposite of the "unforgettable" experience promised to ticket holders.
One mum slammed the festival as a "complete let down" after being forced to leave the tragedy early.
Cara Thomas said: “I'm so disappointed. A balloon festival with no balloons on show.
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"We spent half an hour on the grounds and decided to go back home. £32 to see fairground rides and food stalls - what a complete let down.
"I just don’t know how they can justify charging for something that isn’t there; I feel sorry for the poor people.”
Heather Spain raged after she forked out £70 on a ticket and there was "not a single balloon to be seen".
She added: "My little ones won’t make it until 7pm [when the light show starts]. What a rip-off - just a slightly rubbish fairground.”
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Sarah Louise added: "What an absolute joke today was! We came from Cardiff this morning and spent eight hours expecting to see balloons and to have fun.
'It's the worst event ever,' cry punters at 'freezing' beer festival being compared to notorious Willy Wonka experience
"There were a max of three balloons in the field awaiting to see if they could fly, then just two at the end."
Bosses had explained to those attending that its flagship attraction - the hot air balloon displays - were weather dependent.
But despite this, festival-goers still claimed there were no balloons in sight.
Event managing directer David Rowland said: "We can confirm that over 30 balloons were in attendance, with 25 successfully taking flight over the course of the 3-day event.
"However, it's important to note that the balloon operators are third-party contractors who make on-site decisions regarding when they fly and when their balloons are on show.
"Weather conditions and safety considerations are key factors in their operational decisions."
It comes after a shambolic beer festival in Manchester at the start of this year was ripped to shreds by Brits.
Punters slammed the booze-up after paying nearly £40 to sit in an "abandoned, empty warehouse" that had no atmosphere.
Matt Turner-Allen, who paid £38.50 to attend, was only one of a handful of ticket-holders at the "vibe-less" event.
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Describing it as the "worst event ever by a country mile", Matt likened the event to Scotland's ‘Willy Wonka’ fail.
The Willy Wonka festival up north hit headlines for its disastrous turn-out.
The tragic Willy Wonka experience
A WILLY Wonka-inspired event in Glasgow hit headlines in February this year - but for all the wrong reasons.
Families arrived at a near-empty warehouse after paying £35 for what was supposed to be an "immersive experience".
Kids were given just a few jelly babies and a cup of limeade before it was all over in minutes.
The experience was so bad, children were reduced to tears and police were called to the venue as angry parents gathered outside.
Organiser Billy Coull was eventually forced to issue an apology for the "sheer and utter disappointment" blaming technical difficulties for the chaos.
Hundreds of families had paid to see Willy's Chocolate Experience, which was due to take place over two days.
But House of Illuminati - the firm behind the show - cancelled it mid-way through its first day.
Parents slammed it as a "scam" - with some paying £65 for family tickets.