Ticketholders for Calgary Banksy exhibition left in the dark as event date arrives with no show

The rescheduled dates for an art exhibit featuring works from the artist ‘Banksy’ have arrived, but ticketholders say they still have not received any information from the company putting the show on.

The World of Banksy exhibit was originally scheduled to be put on in Calgary – along with several other cities – in April.

According to the World of Banksy website, a “secret location” for the event was supposed to be revealed one to two weeks before. That information is no longer available on the event’s website.

The three-day exhibit was scheduled to open on June 7 – after it was rescheduled from dates in April.

Kelly Barichello, from Bragg Creek, paid $41 for a ticket for the exhibition in January. She is a big Banksy fan and went to a similar show in Edmonton last year.

Barichello said she contacted Lumio Studio – the company behind the event – multiple times over the past couple of weeks to confirm a location. She has not heard back from the company since she received tickets with the rescheduled dates.

“They were always responding pretty quickly, so I never expected that in June I would not be able to go see the exhibit,” Barichello said.

She has not asked for a refund yet, as she remained hopeful that the location information might come at the last minute.

“Since they make it so secret, I was like, ‘It’s normal that they wait last minute,’” she said.

“When I wasn’t hearing back from them I was like, ‘OK there is something that doesn’t seem right,’”

She has since contacted her credit card company to explain the situation but does not know where to go from there.

“I don’t know what to do, to be honest,” she said.

Up in the air

Lumio Studio alerted ticketholders via email in April that the Banksy art pieces were held up at the border due to issues with U.S. Customs, and despite efforts to expedite the process, the decision was made to push back the show.

Erik Wolf, a former employee of Portland-based Lumio Studio, reached out to CTV News and said he had been laid off by the company and that there was never a venue booked for Calgary.

He believes the company might have run into financial problems. He claims he was not paid for several weeks of work before he was let go.

CTV News reached out repeatedly to Lumio Studio and the company’s CEO Kelly Dachtler for comment, with no reply as of publishing.

Upcoming shows are no longer listed on the event’s website and tickets can no longer be purchased.

What can ticketholders do?

The Better Business Bureau (BBB) has started to receive some complaints about the World of Banksy Show in Calgary.

“Some of the inquiries that we are getting are questioning whether or not the event will in fact take place,” Mary O'Sullivan-Andersen, the president and CEO of the Calgary BBB office, said.

With the situation being fresh, the organization does not have the exact number of complaints filed.

O'Sullivan-Andersen said ticketholders for events like this – and others – should start by reaching out to their credit card companies to try and get the money refunded or dispute the charge. They can also reach out to event organizers.

Then, if they do not make progress, they can reach out to consumer dispute organizations, like the BBB, to try and get the situation sorted out.

“When situations maybe don’t go as planned, I know it’s very difficult to be a victim, but make sure that you are reaching out, getting support and knowing that there are resources here to help you,” she said.

As Stampede season in Calgary approaches, with lots of events scheduled throughout the city, BBB encourages Calgarians to do their research before buying tickets.

“Check reviews, check trusted reviews, BBB.org is a resource, other resources as well, know who you’re booking with and who you’re giving your credit card information to,” O'Sullivan-Andersen said.

Tony Vernon, of Calgary, filed a complaint with the BBB about the event.

“That I’ve been conned,” Vernon said, speaking about how he feels after buying tickets.

He started to have doubts about the event but wasn’t sure due to the shroud of mystery that had surrounded the exhibition from the beginning.

“It is Banksy,” he said, referring to the artist’s reclusive reputation.

Vernon, who used to live in London, Ont., said he has heard from friends who attended a completely separate Banksy exhibit that went off without a hitch in that city.

He said he plans to continue to try and get in touch with Lumio Studio.

O'Sullivan-Andersen said these types of situations can affect consumer confidence in spending money on events.

“Any time that a consumer is wanting to engage in the community and if trust is broken, whether it be because ticket sales didn’t happen or the experience wasn’t there, it affects the consumer confidence, it affects trust and it affects their ability or interest to be able to continue to support locally,” she said.

More questions than answers

Other customers who bought tickets are frustrated and disappointed about the event seemingly not happening.

Jackie Bernard – who first spoke with CTV News about the event two weeks ago – said that after reviewing her credit card statements, she believes she was never actually charged for her order, despite receiving updates about the initial and updated tickets.

“I’m relieved on the one hand,” she said.

“More so I’m disappointed, I feel misled. This organization has lost all credibility with me.”

But the revelation that she was not charged for her tickets left her with more questions than answers.

“This is good, I wasn’t charged. But what actually then happened? Why did they send me all these tickets and then rescheduled tickets, how did that happen on their end?”

Larissa Brell, from Calgary, said she bought two tickets to the show for herself and her husband – as a Valentine's Day gift.

“It was something that my husband and I were really looking forward to,” Brell said.

“Disappointed, feel a little bit scammed in that it seemed to be a very legitimate business.”

She said she will contact her bank to see if she can get a refund.

“Other than that, not much, I’m kind of powerless,” she said. “I feel like I’ve been lied to.”