Backdrop from Glasgow Willy Wonka fiasco up for auction in aid of Palestinians

Following disastrous customer feedback and the closure of Glasgow’s Willy Wonka Experience, the attraction that sparked a bitter backlash from many of its attendees could finally have a happy ending.

Three backdrops from the much-maligned event are currently for auction on eBay: two colourful candy-looking scenes and one black and white striped “Time Tunnel”.

So far the backdrops have raised over £600 on eBay from 45 bids with 100 percent of the profits being donated to Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), a London-based charity.

MAP is currently collecting funds to assist those in Gaza who require medical attention. MAP claims to “speak out in the UK and internationally, and ensure Palestinian voices are heard at the highest levels”.

Monorail Music, a record shop based in Glasgow, is the seller of the backdrops.

In the item description below their eBay listing, they detail how they came to have the backdrops, saying: “A friend of ours has a workshop below the House of Illuminati Willy's Chocolate Experience and rescued the original printed backdrops from the bin.” 

This is real

Glasgow Willy Wonka Experience "House Of Illuminati" orig backdrops, for sale, from us.

Auctioning 2 original backdrops and the Time Tunnel on Ebay. Rescued from the bin by a pal of the shop

All profits to Medical Aid For Palestinianshttps://t.co/HO76Fw7sIh pic.twitter.com/kKksZOot9B

— monorail music (@Monorail_Music) March 7, 2024

Online, social media users have responded to the auction with enthusiasm.

“This is the greatest thing. Am bidding furiously,” wrote one user, ending their tweet with an emoji of the Palestinian flag. 

“This is brilliant on many levels! Well done,” read another comment. 

When pictures of the Willy Wonka Experience were posted online in late February, the event quickly went viral. 

Images of a sparsely decorated warehouse were far from its description by the event organisers, House of Illuminati, as a place “the boundaries between reality and fantasy harmoniously merge”. 

The event, which was based on the popular Warner Brothers film Wonka, was intended to be a kids' entertainment experience but was abruptly cancelled after outraged families demanded their money back.

For £35 per head, children and parents alike found instead a small bouncy castle and a few plastic props, with a hired actor saying: “We were told to hand the kids a couple of jelly beans and a quarter cup of lemonade at the end.” 

According to the Guardian, the police were called to the venue following complaints from “furious families,” who said the experience left “children in tears”.

In a statement, the experience organisers, House of Illuminati, later apologised and promised full refunds to "each and every person that purchased tickets".

With a couple more days left until Monorail Music’s eBay auction ends on 14 March, the final price of the three backdrops, and the total amount raised for MAP is yet to be confirmed.