The Halloween Scare Maze will be back at South Barrule Forest Park on 26, 28 and 29 October, Isle of Man Today has reported. Its organisers say they have changed ticketing provider after losing around £50,000 last year.
The maze is run by local businessman Carl Underwood. He also operates Laser Mayhem, Quad Bike Mania and the Coffee Cottage at South Barrule.
Mr Underwood has said the losses followed the liquidation of WebTicketManager, the firm that had handled the business’s ticket sales for seven years. By his estimate, more than £30,000 of ticket income was never received. Isle of Man Today reported that the total shortfall came to about £50,000 once staffing costs and other commitments were added.
According to the report, the business stopped receiving payments from the ticketing firm in late September. Mr Underwood later learned that WebTicketManager had gone into liquidation on 17 November.
Isle of Man Today reported that the losses meant Santa’s Grotto at Candy Cane Lane did not go ahead last Christmas.
In announcing the maze’s return, the organisers said they were now using a different ticketing company, which they did not name.
“Despite this difficult experience, our enthusiasm for creating unforgettable events has returned stronger than ever,” a spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said the team was “fully focused” on this year’s event. Visitors could expect “terrifying surprises, plenty of screams” and a test of their nerve, the spokesperson said, and the maze had been made bigger and more exciting than in previous years.
- Venue: South Barrule Forest Park
- Dates: 26, 28 and 29 October
- Tickets: sold online through the new provider
Ticket prices and availability were not given in the announcement.
