To the Moon Expo dubbed as “Dashcon but without the ballpit” on Day 1

Hannah Marie ZT, Senior Editor

Last Updated: 13/11/2025

The latest UK video game expo, “To the Moon,” has faced criticism after attendees on day one described half-empty halls and a far lower number of attendees than promised.

As a result, attendees have likened the event to both Fyre Festival and Dashcon, both infamous overpromised events. 

“A Fyrefest of a Vessel of a Game Expo” – To the Moon faces its first wave of feedback

When To the Moon Games Expo was announced for Birmingham this November, some were cautiously optimistic that a new company would be able to revive the games expo scene in the UK. 

However, after the first day of the To the Moon expo came to a close, attendees began to share their experiences online. 

Immediately, the tone of the feedback was evident.

Perhaps the most damning is the instant comparisons to Dashcon and Fyre Festival. Dashcon, in particular, is one of the most well-known failed expos. Its memory continues to live on in the famous image of a ball pit, sitting in the middle of a mostly empty hall. 

Creator ‘TheePhenomenal1’ made a video breaking down the overall experience. 

He clarifies in his feedback that he “was really hoping for this to be a successful event,” but ended up feeling incredibly disappointed.

In his video, he likens To the Moon to “a Fyrefest of a vessel of a game expo.”

TheePhenomenal1 also reports that there were “barely 500” attendees. To The Moon was advertising ticket sales up to the day before the expo was due to start, including offering discount codes with creators. 

He also bluntly explained: “I don’t want people to go to this event thinking it’s gonna be great when it’s not.”

With such high levels of disappointment, he encouraged anyone with tickets to “dodge the event.” 

“I just saw a bunch of empty space” – Inside the creator experience

One creator, ‘BigFuzzyYak,’ who was invited to the event, drove for two hours to arrive at the venue at 9 am. This is when creators were allegedly told they could arrive.   

The event itself was scheduled to start at 10 am. However, it was delayed and didn’t open until after 11. 

In a video posted on TikTok, she detailed her experience. 

Early in the video, she clarified that “the reason why you haven’t seen many people post about the To the Moon expo is because it was kind of shit.”  

She explained that there was not enough content at the expo to justify the travel and ticket costs for creators. This lack of stands, activities, and other expo activities is also evidenced in other videos of the event. 

The creator lounge was also very empty, with computers not set up for creators upon arrival and no refreshments available.

TheePhenomenal1 also supported this claim, likening the creator lounge to a “sheep pen.” 

BigFuzzyYak decided not to attend the second day of the expo as planned. Another attendee in the comments section of her video shared that they had left after one hour at the event. 

The downfall of UK gaming expos – To the Moon Expo further lowers expectations for Insomnia revival

Other reviews of To the Moon expo include, “I’ve seen graveyards be more alive,” “I feel absolutely robbed,” and “more barren than the Sahara desert.” Clearly, people feel To the Moon missed its mark. 

Its failures paint a grim picture for the future of other UK expos. In particular, the looming threat of an Insomnia Gaming Festival revival seems all the more bleak. 

Insomnia Gaming Festival i74 organisers have repeatedly come under fire before the event even reaches fruition. This includes being forced to reverse the proposed Insomnia Cosplay rules after backlash in their i74 announcement.  

Amusingly, the UK games expo community were also shocked to find that Insomnia was planning to offer private portaloos for £95 as an optional add-on for ticket buyers.

To the Moon expo failing to meet expectations leaves hopes low that i74 will be any better. 

It may be time to accept that the golden age of UK game expos is over.

Hannah Marie ZT, Senior Editor

Hannah is a journalist specialising in the esports, gaming, and technology sectors. Working for outlets such as Dot Esports, Esports Insider, and of course ENUK, she has developed a love for wider esports, Apex Legends, and advocating for women's esports initiatives. You may have seen her at various esports and gaming events, including ALGS LANs, ESI London, EGX, and watch parties.

All Posts By Hannah Marie ZT