Xplosive Events Reviews 

Fire work spectacular - absolute shambles !!

Tried to say no refunds due to the event going ahead and being unable to control the weather ,

No consideration for the copious smoke machines from the fair rides , the lights from the fair , the bonfires smoke,

purely blaming the weather rather then bad event planning and a poor display for what was a sell out event !

Very disappointing firework display in Northampton.
The fireworks were not visible through so much thick smoke.

The funfair and food stalls were great although expensive but the fireworks which should’ve been the main event this evening were absolutely horrific you simply could barely see them through smoke most people started walking out because there was no point even trying to see them!Photo proof available.
Refund refused also.

Myself and 10 family members attended Abingdon summer fireworks. WOW the fireworks were out of this world! A little loud for the young children but that was to be expected. We had a gazebo to shelter from the English weather, I would definitely recommend getting one as it was a nice base for all.

Terrible company, I wish I had looked at these reviews before being sucked into their advertising.
Here is a copy of my email sent to summarise my experience.

Hello there,

I am writing to express my complete dissatisfaction with the event we attended at Ardingley, on 10th August. The event was advertised as a family-friendly occasion, yet our experience was anything but enjoyable.

First and foremost, I was threatened rather aggressively by a very unpleasant guest while waiting in line for the restroom. Another guest was also threatened when they politely pointed out that there was a queue. Being subjected to such aggression in what was supposed to be a safe, family-oriented environment was alarming and deeply unsettling. This incident ruined any chance of us relaxing or enjoying the remainder of our day.

Additionally, the lack of a proper queuing system across the fairground was a major issue. We repeatedly tried to take our son on the “mini monster truck” ride, only to encounter people pushing in ahead of us. With no staff managing the lines, our son was left disappointed and upset after patiently waiting, only to miss out on the ride due to the lack of organization.

Moreover, the overall atmosphere of the event was far from family-friendly. We observed men walking around shirtless, smoking, and clearly intoxicated. This created an environment that was inappropriate and uncomfortable, especially for families with young children.

Finally, the excessive queues for activities and refreshments were extremely frustrating. The line for ice cream alone was about 100 meters long, and similarly, the bounce park and monster truck ride had unreasonably long queues. We didn’t think it was fair to endure these queues with our toddler, meaning we didn’t get to participate in activities we had planned to do with him, leading to an overall disappointing experience.

I am extremely disappointed with how poorly this event was managed and the unsafe, unpleasant environment it fostered. This was not the family-friendly experience we were led to believe we would enjoy. I strongly urge you to consider these issues seriously and take immediate steps to improve future events.

I would appreciate a prompt response addressing my concerns and outlining the actions you will take to prevent such issues in the future.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Laura

We have just returned from the Abingdon hot air balloon and firework display. It was advertised as a joint event between the two displays. It's also advertised to have monster truck rides and helicopter rides at additional costs. The cost for a family of four be paid a little over £90. The fairground rides were reduced to half price for the first 2 hours, at an average cost of £2 It was unheard of in this age and fantastic to see. The food and drinks trucks were also catering for all dietary needs at reasonable prices. Unfortunately the monster truck was fully booked the entire evening, and the helicopter never showed up. Due to weather conditions hot air balloon display also did not take place. At this point we would have expected a portion of our entry fee refunded as three of the main activities advertised on the posters and website were not available. I appreciate you can't help the weather however as this was one of the main advertising strategy and reasons for us attending I believe this is the least they should offer. Firework display however, was spectacular. The greatest display I have ever seen with pyrotechnics fire lighting and audio All-Timed to perfection. The music was clear and easy to hear throughout the field. Providing of the advertised activities are available to all. I would highly recommend, however, if items advertised are missing I would expect a partial refund.

Illusion Fireworks ie xplosiveevents.com present an annual display at Abingdon Airfield which is not to be missed. This world class presentation includes a running commentary, a spectacular light and sound show to accompany the fireworks. Many other attractions fill the day.
Highly recommended.

I would never have thought 42 minutes could pass so quickly. We were entranced by the fabulous fireworks beautifully choreographed with lights, lasers and great music.
Very well organised, we had no queue to get in and it took only 20 minutes to leave. There was plenty to do if you stayed on and let the crowds die down but we had a 160 mile journey ahead with 2 road closures en-route so needed to get away.
Well worth the trip. Looking forward to 2025 event.

Abingdon balloon and fireworks festival 2024 was hands down the best fireworks I’ve ever seen it truly was magical, everyone involved did a fantastic job running the whole event, from getting you in and out as smoothly as possible, to keeping you updated on events throughout the afternoon and evening. The event was well laid out with something for everyone, with the food and drinks stands along with the fairground.
This was our first time attending and we will definitely be going again and 100% recommend to everyone.

There is 0 entertainment other than a fair which you then have to spend money on. You also have to pay for food, i understand as to why the hot air balloons couldn't fly however the 'day light fireworks' lasted around 5 seconds. The main fireworks didn't start until 9:15 and we were stood there for hours.

Awful, overpriced, misleading, overcrowded, terrible food, terrible rides, overly expensive, the list goes on. Don't waste your time, absolutely awful.

Great event with a chilled vibe, plenty for everyone and you can bring your own picnic too. Fab day out whether just adults or with a family

What an incredible day at the Ardingly SummerFest. Sooo much going on and very well organised. We saw Stunt shows, monster trucks, fairground rides, parkour show, Noasis, Symphonic Ibiza, ate noodles and cookies, wore ourselves out dancing, watched fireworks, did rifle shooting and relaxed in the sun. Couldn't have wished for a better or more fun day. Thank you Xplosive Events, we will be back next year!

If Carlesberg made THE perfect event....Summerfest would be it. Third year we've been, and it just gets better every year.
An absolutely fantastic day with so much to do, everything you could want at a festival, best burger I've ever had!! Music elements with something for everyone, just a brilliant day, huge congratulations to the team... see you next year.

Dishonest company who advertise events at a set price then when you try and book the price increases. When contacted they said the tickets at that price have sold out (convenient) and because on the separate Eventbrite payment page the tickets aren’t available this isn’t their problem. Rude, unhelpful and dishonest. Doesn’t say a lot for their events if this is how they treat people trying to give them money. Avoid.

We visited the ardingly one in 2022. It was awful from start to finish. Chaos parking the car no organisation. Expensive to get in, rude staff. Shows we're crap and not long enough. Nothing was good. 3 hot air balloons that didn't even fly.. 1hr queue for food & water in 30 degree heat. I complained orginially on their fb page and was immediately blocked. They ignored all my emails. Fireworks were delayed and basic. Don't go you'll regret it!

Loved it. Fantastic day had by all.

Could have been a great event if it wasn't for the ridiculous prices they were asking. Not only did we have to pay £50 to get in, but the rides on the fun fair went up from £2 a person to £5pp after 2PM!! This is just one example of the silly prices that were being charged. The motor cross & hot wheels shows were very good & my boys of 6 & 4 did have great fun watching them but the prices ruined the day for us.

Was really looking forward to this event .
Was really disappointed
A very expensive entry to a fun fair that was well over priced .
There was not many stalls and litter everywhere left after 2 hrs .
Total waste of money .

We went today, 2 adults, 2 young children. We bought tickets in the super early bird offer ages back after a Facebook ad. I can’t imagine what it might have cost some people to get tickets. I thought a family friendly festival with monster trucks would be ideal.

I was not expecting so many things to need additional payment apart from food and stalls. Maybe this was naive of me.

We arrive, very easy to park and the children see the collection of bouncy castles and it’s a big queue and £5 for 10 minutes inside a fenced area. Disappointing, as meant to be a family day out I’ve paid to attend and I now have to pay for all things again.

We watched the monster trucks drive around people (who have paid for rides) and it was great to see the big trucks as not seem them in person before, but we couldn’t get a look at the actual show slot at 3.30pm too busy, to get the kids to get anywhere to see. I couldn’t see as a pretty tall adult.

We did go on the little free land train. Loved the bubble performer. It needed more festival type entertainment like this as it makes a great vibe. There were some great circus people, but it was tucked down the opposite side. We missed the Parkour as couldn’t find it, as spent as so much time queuing to do anything and spending.

I’ve never taken the kids to a “festival” and my oldest loved it, as he bought loads of donuts and a giant ball to mess about with. He went on the bungee trampolines ( which we paid for) could have done that at a fair. My wallet was hurting a little, but it’s good to try new things.

I think some nicer FREE rides, like a some Carousels, some things kids can do like giant connect 4 or just a little keep class with the general look. Fairs are great, but I hadn’t expected to need to pay for lots of fair rides here and was a bit tacky.

There was also a stunt show, motorbikes, we’ve seen them before at a community event and they are good, some pyrotechnics. I’d paid something like £3 per person last year to go to that, similar thing with a fair in comparison. I think this too similar to monster trucks, so maybe a trick show like dance, parkour as a bigger thing would have been nice as an alternative.

Music and shows noise all competing, kids not at sit still age, but seemed good for tribute acts and lots of organised people with seats.

Also a bit fumey, more from a strong smelling generator as part of the fair giving us a dose of fuel smell when in another queue.

Would I go again? Not sure, the idea is good, maybe change the name to drop the family day out and just say the family and seemingly dogs welcome.