Halloween chaos as hundreds flock to Dublin city centre for fake parade advertised online

31 October 2024, 23:43

In what can only be described as a bit of Halloween mischief, hundreds of people were tricked into attending a fake parade in Dublin on Thursday night.

Crowds gathered in the Irish city on Thursday evening to celebrate the spooky holiday, but little did they know, the event had seemingly been conjured up by AI.

Details of the fake parade were spread on social media, according to local reports, with Twitter, TikTok and Instagram playing a central role.

The website where the false news seemingly originated, named myspirithalloween.com, claimed the parade would begin at Parnell Square, before taking revellers on a walk to Temple Bar.

Images on social media showed what looked to be hundreds of people gathered on Dublin’s streets in anticipation.

But the excitement quickly fizzled out when officials confirmed no such parade was planned in the city.

A representative of the Gardaí said: "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.

“All those gathered on O'Connell Street in expectation of such a parade are asked to disperse safely."

The statement continued: “Should you need our help or assistance, we are out on the beat along O'Connell Street and surrounding areas throughout this evening and tonight - please do not hesitate to stop and speak with us."

Locals flooded social media following the hoax, with one user writing: Looks like a random AI slop site based in Illinois, aided by social media, has coaxed hundreds of people on to the main street of Dublin for a Halloween parade that was never happening.”

While another said: “If that was a test, then we failed. Some people are believing any old stuff once it's onscreen.”