Families across the region have been left devastated and out of pocket after turning up for a highly anticipated Harry Potter themed music extravaganza that was never scheduled to take place. The Music of Harry Potter concert was advertised to eager punters as occurring at Bolton's historic Victoria Hall on Sunday, only for disappointed ticket holders to arrive at a shuttered theatre with a sign bluntly informing them no such event had ever been planned.
Venue Issues Warnings as Scam Unfolds
The management of Victoria Hall issued multiple warnings across their social media platforms in the days leading up to the scheduled weekend performance. These alerts were an attempt to notify customers of Jenmat Productions, the company behind the venture, that the show would categorically not be proceeding. Despite these efforts, numerous dedicated fans of the beloved franchise still made the journey, only to discover they had wasted money on a completely bogus experience.
A Trail of Broken Promises and Financial Loss
Affected fans are now desperately trying to pursue refunds for their purchased tickets. However, Jenmat Productions has declared it has entered liquidation, complicating any recovery efforts. Intriguingly, official documents on Companies House appear to show the company remains active at the time of reporting. This incident represents merely the latest in a long series of complaints levied against Jenmat events. Previous grievances include last-minute cancellations with minimal notice, promised refunds failing to materialise, and allegations from musicians of non-payment for services rendered.
In a formal notice posted prior to the supposed event, Victoria Hall bosses stated unequivocally that tickets had been sold using their venue's prestigious name 'without our knowledge or permission'. It is estimated that approximately 500 tickets were purchased for the Sunday concert by hopeful attendees.
Official Statement from Victoria Hall
'The event titled "Music of Harry Potter", promoted by JENMAT Productions and advertised as featuring the International Film Orchestra, was listed and tickets were sold to the public using our venue’s name without our consent or authorisation,' a stern statement issued on behalf of the hall clarified. 'JENMAT Productions did not have a signed contract, booking agreement, or any permission to promote or sell tickets for an event at this venue.'
The statement further highlighted Jenmat's history of cancelling performances shortly before their scheduled dates. It noted that tickets, sold via the platform Ticket Tailor, contained specific conditions stating no refund would be issued to customers in the event of a cancellation. 'We sincerely regret the inconvenience and frustration caused. However, we must make it absolutely clear that this event was advertised and ticketed without the venue’s knowledge, agreement, or authorisation, and we had no involvement in its promotion or ticketing,' the venue reiterated.
Personal Stories of Disappointment
Many ticket buyers did not see the venue's attempts to publicise the issue, discovering the event was non-existent only upon arrival. Jo Whitehead purchased two tickets for herself and a friend in November for £74, arriving at Victoria Hall before the 3pm start time. She later uploaded a photo of the venue's sign to social media, accusing Jenmat of operating a deliberate 'scam'.
'We arrived no sign on the door at that point, waited outside until someone else told us it had been cancelled, we received no email in regards to cancellation. What a wasted journey,' lamented a second customer. A third added with palpable anger: 'I'm absolutely disgusted by this as I'd bought tickets for this event today as a Xmas present. I was only alerted to this yesterday and my daughter had already travelled back from university especially.'
A Pattern of Problematic Promotions
Sunday's non-event is not an isolated incident for Jenmat Productions. A similar Harry Potter concert in Coventry last month was reportedly cancelled with just four days' notice, according to customers. A John Williams themed event in Chester also met the same fate. Other concerts promoted by the company have been cancelled and rescheduled months later, sowing confusion and distrust.
In the wake of this debacle, several musicians have come forward online claiming they have not been paid for events that did actually take place under Jenmat's banner.
Company in Liquidation Amid Financial Questions
Although Jenmat Productions claims on its website to have gone into liquidation, Companies House records indicate the firm was still trading as of the latest updates. Jenna Hopkins, whose husband leads the International Film Orchestra—frequently scheduled to perform at Jenmat events—is listed as the company's sole director. The firm's most recent accounts reveal she had borrowed tens of thousands of pounds from the company, with an outstanding debt of £63,812 as of April 2024. All social media pages for the company have since been deleted or deactivated.
Announcing the firm's liquidation, a statement on Jenmat Productions' website read: 'Jenmat Productions Ltd has appointed an Insolvency Practitioner as Liquidator and the formal liquidation process is now underway following a period of severe trading disruption. As a result, all scheduled and forthcoming events will no longer proceed. We recognise the disappointment this will cause and regret that the company has been unable to continue trading.'
The statement attempted to offer a defence, adding: 'For clarity, all events promoted by Jenmat Productions Ltd were genuine productions arranged in good faith with venues and suppliers at the time of promotion. At no point were events advertised without the genuine intention of delivering them. In a number of instances, agreed performance dates were subsequently cancelled by venues following external communications and adverse publicity. Those decisions were made independently by the respective venues.' Ms Hopkins has been contacted for further comment on the matter.
