A cafe in Bournemouth, England, is planning to host an immersive '9/11 watch party' on Friday, which will mark 25 years since the September 11, 2001, attacks. The event, organized by the political arts group Verdurin as part of the Adam Curtis Party Conference, aims to have guests "relive" the terrorist attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.
Attendees are reportedly being asked to surrender their mobile phones upon arrival to "experience again the fear, tears, and paranoia of the live news channel analysis and raw footage of the disaster." The event's online listing describes it as the "most avant-garde event to take place in Bournemouth for many years," promising to rebroadcast mainstream media responses alongside conspiratorial commentators.
The listing states, "By the end of the evening, you will have been taken in by the seductive power of conspiracy theories." It further suggests, "If you were there when it happened, you can refresh your memories. If you were too young, get a feel for what it was like as it happened."
Verdurin describes itself as a group that addresses "urgent cultural, political, and philosophical questions through visual culture." Pierre d'Alancaisez, the group's curator, stated that the live television images of the 9/11 attacks were pivotal in defining the 21st century. He noted that news anchors were seen revising the narrative as events unfolded, creating "a true conspiracy in real time." D'Alancaisez added that the anniversary provides an opportunity to review the "raw television image, our hyperreality's fundamental building block."
However, the planned event has faced criticism. Christchurch councillor Simon McCormack expressed deep concern, warning that the event risks "turning a tragedy into a spectacle." He emphasized that the attacks were a "real human tragedy—not entertainment, a 'watch party' or an experience to be recreated for an audience." McCormack added that while respectful ways to remember victims and educate the public exist, packaging the final moments and suffering of families as an immersive event "crosses a line."
The owners of the Wild Boscombe Cafe, the venue for the event, insisted that the screening was "not intended as a celebration or trivialisation" of the attacks. The 9/11 attacks involved 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacking four commercial airplanes. Two planes were flown into the World Trade Center in New York City, another struck the Pentagon near Washington D.C., and a fourth crashed in Pennsylvania.
McCormack urged the organizers and venue to reconsider the event out of respect for the victims, survivors, and their families.