A three-day festival dedicated to all things Barbie in Fort Lauderdale has drawn sharp criticism online for failing to meet expectations.
The first-ever Barbie Dream Fest, billed as the ultimate fan event for the world’s most famous doll, kicked off Friday, March 27, at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale and runs through Sunday, March 29. But as early as Friday evening, word began to spread on the Barbie subreddit, X (formerly Twitter), and TikTok that the festival was a bust.
Attendees’ photos showed that what was advertised as an ’80s roller disco was a small, barricaded pen inside the sparsely decorated convention center with signage reading, “Roller Disco.” Another activation that disappointed crowds? The festival’s Barbie Dream House, which had been called a “larger-than-life version of Barbie’s iconic front yard.” The accompanying graphic on the festival’s website depicts a Barbie Dream House resembling the set seen in 2023’s Barbie film. In actuality, the activation appears to be a cardboard backdrop on a wall next to a pink vintage VW van…