AI-generated fake Halloween parade hoax causes thousands to gather in Dublin
An AI-generated fake advertisement for a Halloween parade on a Pakistan-based website falsely claimed the Galway performance group Macnas was hosting a parade in Dublin on 31 October 2024. Thousands of people gathered along Dublin's streets waiting for a parade that never materialised, until gardaí asked crowds to disperse safely.
What happened
A post on a Halloween-focused website based in Pakistan announced a Macnas Halloween Parade scheduled for 7pm to 9pm on 31 October 2024, to run from Parnell Street to Christchurch Cathedral in Dublin. The post, which appeared to be generated by artificial intelligence, falsely attributed the parade to Galway-based performance group Macnas.
Thousands of people gathered along O'Connell Street in Dublin in anticipation of the parade. The post was found on the My Spirit Halloween website, and similar AI-generated posts with different European cities were discovered on other Halloween-focused sites.
Reported impact
Hundreds to thousands of people lined Dublin's streets, leaving space on the road for the non-existent parade. The situation persisted for about an hour before attendees realised there was no event.
Index analysis
The false information ranked highly on Google search results, amplifying its reach. Sinn Féin councillor Janice Boylan described the situation as 'really sad' and noted the positive response that a real parade would have received.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.