UK ‘Fortnite Live’ Event Leaves Kids In Tears

The UK videogame festival known as ‘Fortnite Live’ recently took place in Norwich, Norfolk. It was billed as ‘the event of the year’ for Fortnite fans but after the event’s disastrous scenarios all it left behind were furious parents and sad children.

UK ‘Fortnite Live’ Event Leaves Kids In Tears

Excited children, ferried to the event by their parents, travelled to ‘Fortnite Live’, no doubt, with that special spark – that warm fuzzy feeling that tells you a great day is in the cards. A feeling that many of us, as adults, have all but lost. A shame then, that when they arrived, families having to pay £22 per person and further £20 for a wristband, the event has been plainly referred to as “depressing” by those who attended. So what went wrong, exactly? 

The Fortnite themed festival and its organisers appear to have underestimated just how popular Fortnite is. Justine Peterson travelled 25 miles with her family who then waited 45 minutes to get through the main gates. The next queue, in order to get wristbands, took a further hour. 

UK ‘Fortnite Live’ Event Leaves Kids In Tears - Epic queues

Justine returned to report a distinct lack of things to do or see, as well as a ‘bare minimum’ kind of effort put into it. “There was a climbing wall that could only fit about four kids on it, the sort of thing you would only see at a school fete”, Justine complained and went on to mention the enticing “Cave Experience” which turned out to be “some sort of truck with tarpaulin over the sides, then they had stuck a grey plastic slide on the back… It wasn’t even slippery. The kids were using their arms to push themselves down it”. To make matters even more questionable, the merchandise stall was selling baseball caps with cannabis leaves on them.

UK ‘Fortnite Live’ Event Leaves Kids In Tears - A shambles

Justine continues her vivid descriptions of the depressing event, mentioning “the main stage where they were meant to be having a dance competition was tiny… The Dusty Diner was just two or three tables and a couple of ladies with tea urns… Everything had a massive queue. There were thousands of people and only around six things to do”. Justine and her disappointed family left inside of an hour. 

After trying to get a refund for the disappointing set of affairs, Justine reported that the event organisers would only refund the wristbands and not the tickets themselves. 

UK ‘Fortnite Live’ Event Leaves Kids In Tears - The 'thrilling' cave experience

Despite some families paying in excess of £120 for the day out, the event organiser Shaun Lord, of Exciting Events, denies complaints of poor value for money, and believes there was plenty to see and do. “There is more than six minutes worth of stuff to look around here. It is £20 for a wristband and they can get anything, all day. Here, you’ve got unlimited usage on anything. People are utilising it a lot… Yes I think it is value for money. There is a lot of equipment in there for kids to go on. Kids are going round and round all day on the equipment.

Lord says the event will back next year with vast improvements. However, will Fortnite still be relevant in a year? Did Lord miss his shot at a great Fortnite festival at the right time? If you went to the event, please comment below and let us know how you felt. Are the outraged families in the news overreacting?

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