Storyful Spotlight: Did Dublins Halloween Parade Actually Happen? [Video]

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On Halloween night, thousands of people gathered on O’Connell Street in Dublin, anticipating a parade that was, in fact, non-existent—a stark example of how misinformation can disrupt real-world events.

Our Storyful team was on the scene, gathering firsthand accounts and user-generated content (UGC) to give our clients comprehensive, verified coverage of the event. The rumor of the parade originated from a website mistakenly advertising an old event: Irish theater company Macnas had held their Dublin parade in 2023, and their 2024 Halloween celebration actually took place in Galway. 

With our digital verification skills and local insights, Storyful journalists quickly confirmed the facts, publishing verified footage from multiple angles just hours after the crowd first gathered. After filtering out misinformation, our team enabled newsrooms to report accurately with all necessary context.

Digital misinformation can …