What was imagined to be Lagos’s first Cake Picnic become chaos, with viral movies displaying attendees clawing at desserts with their naked palms.

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One TikTok video by Debs (@beeplebeepybeep) captured folks swarming the tables, scooping cake into containers, and pushing apart any try at order. 

At one desk, specifically, a mob of individuals was grabbing chunks of cake with their palms, some piling it into tubs that already appeared full. Debs later posted one other viral clip on August 9 displaying a lot the identical scene. As of Tuesday, Deb’s preliminary clip of Lagos’s first Cake Picnic had garnered over 7.8 million views.

What are Cake Picnics?

London-based UX designer Elisa Sunga created the Cake Picnic final yr as an annual occasion the place visitors deliver desserts, unfold blankets in a park, and share slices in a relaxed and orderly method. The solely rule is easy: “No cake, no entry.”

Attendees are anticipated to deliver a cake, take photographs of the usually elaborate creations, after which use utensils to serve themselves. According to The New York Times, attendees at a latest Cake Picnic in San Francisco included pastry cooks, residence bakers, and even people who introduced store-bought desserts. At a March occasion, there have been practically 1,400 desserts.

According to write-ups of comparable occasions held in different U.S. cities, these gatherings are calm, virtually genteel affairs. However, one thing sinister occurred on the Cake Picnic held in Lagos.

What occurred on the Lagos one? 

The Lagos occasion was chaotic, as Debs’ video and others clearly confirmed. Some social media customers even known as it a “royal rumble.”

@beeplebeepybeep Cake picnic Lagos, Nigeria #cakepicniclagos #cake #picnic #placesinlagos #eventsinlagos #lagos #cakepicnic @cakefestivalpicniclagos ♬ authentic sound – debs 🪻

Instead of following the same old etiquette of sharing desserts with utensils, folks caught attendees grabbing and smashing slices with their palms, sparking a frenzy that shortly went viral. According to MSN, critics accused the organisers of breaking the no-cake-no-entry rule by letting in individuals who confirmed up empty-handed however paid on the door. 

The outlet additionally reported that some Nigerians linked the dysfunction to a “scarcity mindset,” arguing that visitors felt the necessity to hoard cake out of worry there wouldn’t be sufficient to go round. 

Ultimately, although, the organizers took the blame for the mess. They posted an apology on Instagram, admitting flaws in planning and promising to do higher. 

“We’re deeply grateful to everyone who attended our first Cake Picnic Festival in Lagos. Your presence, support, and energy meant the world to us,” their assertion learn.

“Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. We take full responsibility for the shortcomings in planning and organisation, and we sincerely apologise. We promise to learn from this and do better next time. Thank you for believing in us.”

Clips of the chaotic Lagos occasion shortly unfold throughout social media, sparking reactions from around the globe—together with some Americans questioning how the scenario had unraveled so badly.

“Scrolling TikTok and tell me how I ended up at a disastrous cake picnic in Lagos,” one consumer posted to X. “The edits are so funny.”

“Tell me why the Lagos one was so chaotic,” one other content material creator requested whereas sharing two movies from the picnic.

Even viewers who watched Debs’ TikTok clip stated they had been horrified. 

“This one is called cake panic, not picnic,” one lady joked. 

“I’m starting to believe we were not fed enough as kids, because why?” one other wrote. 

“I’m sorry, but the moment I see someone grab a chunk of cake with their BARE HANDS, I’m leaving,” a 3rd viewer added. 

“I have gone from shocked to disappointed,” a fourth concluded.

Others stated the footage made them grateful their very own metropolis’s picnics had been tame by comparability. 

“After watching [the] Nigerian cake picnic, this is a breath of fresh air,” one man quipped, posting a video of a peaceful gathering the place ladies practically collected small slices of cake. 

The Daily Dot has reached out to Debs by way of a touch upon TikTok.

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