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Families who were disappointed by a large fireworks show are now requesting a reimbursement due to smoke obstructing their view of the event.
The Bonfire Night celebration at Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham was touted as the largest in the city and attracted hundreds of attendees for the Fireworks Spectacular.
Attendees who paid up to £42 each have requested refunds after thick smoke engulfed the stadium shortly after the event began, making it difficult to see the pyrotechnics.
David Kelly, a father, stated that it was his daughter’s initial experience with watching fireworks. He added that the display was accompanied by the sarcastic song “The Greatest Show” and eventually became difficult to see. This was reported to The Independent.
Customers reported being “covered in ash”.
“At first, we witnessed a small display of fireworks, but soon after, a large amount of smoke started to form and filled the entire stadium. Our child’s excitement quickly turned into worry as the fireworks started bouncing off the stadium lights.”
“The smoke became nearly unbearable and we were bombarded with a heavy downpour of ash.”
According to Mr Kelly, he and his family waited for 45 minutes to witness the main event. He also mentioned that the boos heard at the end were possibly louder than the fireworks.
Thirty-year-old Caoimhe mentioned that she went with some friends but they quickly realized they couldn’t see anything.
She stated that the fireworks display was highly entertaining and became even funnier as they lost sight of it. Despite this, the overall experience was enjoyable.
A few clients found humor in the situation, joking, “We can hear them, but we can’t see them. You’ll just have to imagine it.”
Bernie Phillips, a 42-year-old special education teacher, informed The Independent that the exhibition had caused distress for numerous individuals who are neurodivergent.
Some members of the audience who were neurodiverse had a difficult time with the event and left quickly due to the loud noises and smoke. The experience was distressing for them.
Ms. Phillips expressed that her family was “distraught and let down” but did not have high hopes for receiving a refund.
Following the event, several customers reported receiving an email from the organizers apologizing with the statement “Ooops… we know that could have gone better!”, which was deemed by some social media users as “a joke”.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Edgbaston Stadium announced that due to the weather conditions, their fireworks display was affected and did not go as planned.
“We are currently looking into the problems that arose and will provide updates to all ticket buyers in a timely manner.”
Source: independent.co.uk
