A trail of ‘horror’ was in store for LSE students who have signed up for what was promoted as one of LSE’s biggest Halloween parties. The event was abruptly cancelled less than two days before the event was planned to begin (26 October).
The LSE Student Union (LSESU) announced the event’s cancellation in a Facebook post on 25 October. While not providing an immediate reason for the cancellation, it stated that a regular DJ and Cocktails night will be organised at the event’s original venue, the Three Tuns student bar at Saw Swee Hock Student Centre.
In response to queries by The Beaver, LSESU said in a statement that lower than expected pre-event tickets sales gave the union an “opportunity” to assess what would be best for the student population.
“Our DJ and cocktail night has been proving popular so on that basis we felt it might be what our communities would prefer at this point in the term,” said the LSESU. “We are sorry that LIFT won’t be going ahead and apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.”
The Lift Fridays Halloween party was previously promoted as a “lit” event, with a Halloween fancy dress theme, fake blood station and promised free sweets. In an earlier Facebook post by the LSESU on 24 October, it was claimed that the tickets, sold at £5 each, were “selling fast” and down to the final few.
One LSE student who signed up for the event with six of her friends told The Beaver that she was quite disappointed with the sudden cancellation which left her unprepared and unsure about how to respond, and her friends feeling “pissed”.
Some students were not overly concerned about the cancellation. One student said: “I don’t really mind as long as I get a refund.” LSESU had said that refunds will be issued within three to five working days.
But some students said that the LSESU could have done more. “I appreciate their offer but this (DJ and Cocktails Night) doesn’t have much to do with Halloween,” said one student. She added that the LSESU could have suggested alternatives to students affected by the cancellation. “Luckily, we found other parties,” she said.
LSESU Statement:
“We are sorry that LIFT won’t be going ahead and apologise for any inconvenience this has caused. Lower than expected pre-event tickets sales gave us the opportunity to assess what would be best for our student population. Our DJ and cocktail night has been proving popular so on that basis we felt it might be what our communities would prefer at this point in the term. We hope everyone enjoys their night out tonight.”
