A fake message lured thousands of people into the heart of Dublin for a Halloween parade that never actually existed.

Flocks of hopeful residents poured onto the streets of the Irish capital after an announcement was made on a website called My Spirit Halloween.

The website falsely claimed that a Macnas Halloween Parade was due to take place from 7pm to 9pm on Thursday, October 31, beginning on Parnell Street and concluding at Christchurch Cathedral.

A bogus announcement posted online misled thousands of Dubliners into gathering for a Halloween parade that never existed

Image credits: Peter Farrelly

Image credits: Peter Farrelly

“This year’s parade promises to be a spectacular display of creativity and festive spirit, kicking off the Halloween celebrations in style,” read the fake website.

“The event is expected to run for approximately three hours, ensuring plenty of time to enjoy the thrilling performances and elaborate floats,” the website continued.

News of the bogus event was widely shared on social media, leading to thousands of people gathering in central Dublin, according to CBS News.

The fake website falsely promoted a “Macnas Halloween Parade” scheduled from 7pm to 9pm, promising “a spectacular display of creativity”

@peterfarrelly♬ A Sky Full of Stars – Coldplay

The gathering turned the city’s streets into a scene of pure chaos, with packed roads, honking buses, and bewildered crowds.

Local officials had to intervene when the scene spiraled out of control.

“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 Irish police posted on social media. “All those gathered on O’Connell Street in expectation of such a parade are asked to disperse safely.”

The unexpected crowd packed Dublin’s streets, causing confusion with buses and trams stuck in honking chaos

People waiting for a halloween parade. #Dublin

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

— Artur Martins (@arturmartins) October 31, 2024

An eye-witness spoke to Dublin Live about the mayhem triggered by the fake announcement.

“The bus drivers were going crazy with all the people on the road,” Léna Scao told the outlet.

Law enforcement officials “announced there was no Halloween parade. There were people everywhere, and the bus and tram drivers were going mad honking non stop so they could pass,” the witness added.

Peter Farrelly, who shared a video of the mob captured from his window, told the Independent, “It was funny. We are still smiling now. It took about an hour from the start time for people.”

“It seems to be an online scam. It’s really sad to see that people are being scammed,” Sinn Féin councillor Janice Boylan said

The SCAM Halloween Parade in Dublin City Centre (everyone was ghosted 📷) Definitely thousands, potentially into 10’s of thousands, showed up.
This happened on the 31st of October from 7pm at the top of O’Connell Street in Dublin City.#halloweenparade #hoaxparade pic.twitter.com/ldt2Skr2CI

— Bertie Brosnan (@BrosnanBertie) October 31, 2024

On October 31, 2024, a large crowd gathered on Dublin’s O’Connell Street for a nonexistent Halloween parade falsely advertised online, causing public transport disruptions. The hoax may have been the result of an AI-generated website. Quickly spreading misinformation on digital… pic.twitter.com/JfbaeAzece

— Lukasz Olejnik (@lukOlejnik) November 1, 2024

The police “were trying to clear the street. It was also the festival of Diwali last night so a lot of people were out on the street as well,” he added.

Sinn Féin councillor Janice Boylan said an “awful lot of people” were “scammed” by the fake news.

“It seems to be an online scam. It’s really sad to see that people are being scammed,” Sinn said.

“Everyone is trying to have a fun and safe Halloween. Having a parade to go to sounded really good. I know an awful lot of people turned up. It’s a terrible pity that there is people out there that are trying to scam people.”

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