‘We've been robbed!' Parents slam £58 hot air balloon festival with NO balloons, lame Eminem tribute act & £18 hotdogs
Promising live music and a hot air balloon display Balloons and Beats in Manchester was slammed for being "overcrowded" and "overpriced."
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Parents turning up with their kids for a fun family day out were sorely disappointed by the lack of hot air balloons.
The event was held in Platt Fields Park, Manchester, over the weekend on June 27 and 28 and left punters furious with organisers.
Before coming to Manchester the festival had visited Nottingham and Wrexham, and over the summer will move to Salisbury, Hull, Chepstow and Birkenhead.
Parents were reportedly asked to cough up a whopping £58 for a family ticket admitting two adults and two children to the event.
The event promised to offer "captivating hot air balloon displays, electrifying live music and a thrilling celebration of family fun, infectious rhythms and captivating performances."
But parents were left furious after it turned out to be the exact opposite.
Attendees said no hot air balloons made an appearance, food was overpriced and the live music was disappointing.
One parent told the Manchester Evening News: 'In reality it was just a noisy and overpriced funfair.
'We paid so much for entry but were charged £5 for rides on top of that."
The event was touted as being perfect for music lovers by organisers.
Glastonbury opening ceremony branded a flop by disappointed revellers as fireworks display 'dogged by sound issues'
After being promised live music parents expected local bands to be playing but were left disappointed again with only one stage hosting tribute acts.
Parents left the event early after being offered nothing of what they were promised.
Dozens of parents and punters took to social media to complain about the event, slamming organisers who they claim "mis-sold" the festival.
According to organisers around 5,500 people showed up to the Balloons and Beats festival in Manchester.
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Complaints varied from overpriced food and beer to a lack of balloons to promised attractions not materialising.
A foam party, monster trucks, BMX displays and kids entertainers were all promised but not delivered as expected.
One upset punter took to social media to say: "Bought a family ticket on Friday thinking it was going to be amazing had the worst time ever.
"Security on the gate said we couldn't take food and drink in, it was so crowded and on a boiling hot day queues to get any drinks were crazy.
"We ended up leaving after an hour and was so thirsty and weren't paying them type of prices.
"Will definitely not be going next year £6 for a small kids slushie was so expensive and line was massive."
The Sun has contacted the organisers of Balloons and Beats for comment.
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.
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