Culture

Hasbulla Fans Feel Ripped Off By $250 Australian Meet And Greet

“That experience has ruined Hasbulla for us.”

Hasbulla

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Hasbulla fans say they’re less than satisfied after his expensive Australian meet and greet fell flat.

The internet star visited Sydney and Melbourne for a tour with the Hour Group between August 29 and September 1. The meet and greet event — with tickets ranging between $250-$299 a pop — included a professional picture with Hasbulla, as well as a poster, and cardboard cutout of him.

However, with cancelled dates, a reportedly light-speed meet and greet, and no cardboard cutout in Sydney, the success of the event has been called into question.

All Meet No Greet

Krimil and Istiak went to the Sydney event at Le Montage together, and first became sceptical when they saw how fast the line of more than 300 people was moving.

“I was expecting at least a minute, or a couple of minutes where we have some sort of conversation or interaction with Hasbulla,” Krimil told Junkee. “You know, even in the promotion videos, they said, ‘we’re gonna punch you, kick you’ like in the cute way that Hasbulla does it.

“But unfortunately, there was nothing essentially,” he said. “You walk up to stage, it’s maximum about thirty seconds, and you just walk off.”

Attendees weren’t allowed to take their own photos, and only got one professional picture — regardless of how it came out. In Krimil’s case, his eyes were closed because of the brightness of the flash, and no one told him nor offered to do a quick re-do.

“I understand from Hasbulla’s perspective that it wasn’t really his fault, it’s more so the people that organised it that could have made sure each individual person that came on stage at least had like a minute,” said Krimil. “But at the same time, I posted the photo on Instagram, and my friends commented asking if it was real, or if Hasbulla was just a statue. Because he literally was just sitting there. There was no movement. He never said anything.

“It was horrible, like I don’t expect to pay $250 and then get nothing out of it. I could have just edited a photo with Hasbulla just sitting there with me and that wouldn’t have cost me money.”

Don’t Meet Your Idols

While the Sydney event wasn’t sold out on the day, it still managed to end early. Krimil’s friend Istiak said the pair arrived at the venue an hour early to a decent crowd already lining up in front of them, before waiting for Hasbulla who rocked up ten minutes late and yet still managed to leave half an hour early.

“I could see on people’s faces that they were disappointed when entering the venue and seeing how quick the queue was going, and when we were stepping out, people were asking us where the cardboard cutout was,” added Krimil.

Additionally, security was a looming presence on the night, aggressively herding people along. “Like bro, we came to see this little guy, but now you’re just ruining the whole experience for all of us,” said Istiak of the tight ship. “I understand that we couldn’t use our phone to take a photo, but we should be able to record from like afar while we’re lining up. But as soon as we entered the room, they were like, ‘phones away, phones away’.”

Istiak did manage to say something brief to Hasbulla, and got a response, but is still disappointed he paid so much for a poster and a photo experience that “all up lasted maybe 30 seconds”.

“If you go through all the photos, I think in one of him he was like smiling, and then all the other photos he’s just deadpan, like a statue,” he said, expecting Hasbulla to be energetic and fiery like he is online. “That experience has ruined Hasbulla for us,” he said.

The Hour Group said Sydney ticket-holders will receive an email from Festicket to receive their cardboard cutout but have not publicly commented on requests for refunds over changed dates.

Junkee reached out to the Hour Group for comment.


Photos supplied.