Halloween ‘chaos’ in Dublin as hundreds fall for AI hoax
Hundreds of people showed up in the Irish capital expecting a Halloween parade, only to be met with the honks of angry drivers as the promised spectacle turned out to be fake.
Parade in 2023. Niall Carson via Getty Images
Hundreds of people showed up in the Irish capital expecting a Halloween parade, only to be met with the honks of angry drivers as the promised spectacle turned out to be fake.
Crowds “descended into mayhem” as hundreds of people blocked O'Connell Street in central Dublin, anticipating an event promoted on a hoax website, according to local media reports.
The website, called My Spirit Halloween, falsely claimed that a Macnas Halloween Parade would take place in the capital from 7pm to 9pm, starting at Parnell Street and ending at Christchurch Cathedral, one of the city’s landmarks.
"The bus drivers were going crazy with all the people on the road,” an eyewitness told DublinLive, which described the situation as “chaos.”
“There were people everywhere, and the bus and tram drivers were going mad honking non stop so they could pass,” the eyewitness was quoted as saying.
Another witness, posting on X, noted there was “no Gardaí [Irish police], no official announcement, people waiting on the wrong side of the road,” before adding that “someone did pull a big hoax.”
People waiting for a halloween parade. #Dublin
undefined Artur Martins (@arturmartins) October 31, 2024
No Gardai around, no official announcement, people waiting on the wrong side of the road...
Someone did pull a big #hoax #Prank pic.twitter.com/zTQUShZrya
Eventually, the police were called to handle the situation and appealed on social media for the crowds to “disperse safely.”
“Please be advised that contrary to information being circulated online, no Halloween parade is scheduled to take place in Dublin City Centre this evening or tonight,” the police said.
In previous years, Galway-based theater company Macnas indeed organized a yearly Halloween parade in Dublin city center but there were no plans to do so this year, according to the Irish Independent.
However, the hoax website, which featured an apparently AI-generated list of events in Dublin, promised “a spectacular display of creativity and festive spirit,” as well as “thrilling performances and elaborate floats,” as reported by Metro.
Public transportation services were disrupted in central Dublin amid the confusion, though no serious incidents were reported. However, the event adds to growing concerns over how quickly large crowds can be mobilized through misinformation, now amplified by AI.