The DashCon Disaster
How did greed ruin a famous expo?
4.1 (31)
44 mins
Explore how poor planning and sudden financial demands turned a major Tumblr fan convention into an infamous disaster. Discover how the cancellation of key guest panels led organizers to offer extra time in a tiny inflatable ball pit. Learn about the legendary viral response that transformed DashCon into one of the internet's most memorable convention failures.
Ep 1:
The Myth Before the Mess
Before Fyre Festival, there was DashCon—the internet's original disaster convention. We unpack the Tumblr dream, the teenage visionary, and the grifters who hijacked it.
Ep 2:
The Ballroom Ransom
Doors open at the Renaissance Marriott as joy turns to crisis: a hotel ultimatum, a desperate $17,000 fundraiser, and a ballroom full of singing, sobbing teenagers.
Ep 3:
Nacho Cheese and Night Vale
Night Vale walks out, a pitiful ball pit becomes legend, and the internet invents horrifying rumors faster than the truth can spread—separating fact from vicious fiction.
Ep 4:
The Real Legacy of DashCon
The apology, the cover-up, and the quiet heroes: how DashCon's organizers vanished into disgrace while attendees built something real amid the wreckage.
Discussions (5)
Frederick
Level 8 · 1 week agoThe bit about queer teens finally meeting their internet friends in person for the first time got me. That was real regardless of the chaos around it.
Reid
Level 7 · 1 week agoNacho cheese did more damage than the organizers
Zebulon
Level 7 · 1 week agoSo Meg and Kane autocorrected Roxanne's name to 'Voldemort' on their forums. These were adults in their 30s doing this to a 19 year old who was carrying their whole operation
