What was intended to be a star-studded celebration for beauty influencers turned controversial after videos showing attendees scrambling for giveaway hampers at Flipkart’s Glam Up Fest went viral on social media.
The event, held at Pragati Maidan in Delhi on June 19, brought together beauty content creators from across the country and featured appearances by Bollywood actors Janhvi Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar. While many participants initially praised the event, criticism soon emerged online over alleged overcrowding and poor crowd management.
The controversy reportedly unfolded during the distribution of promised gift hampers at the end of the programme. Several viral videos showed attendees rushing towards stacks of giveaway bags, with some individuals allegedly entering restricted areas to collect merchandise. In one widely shared clip, a heated tussle over a hamper can be seen involving multiple attendees.
Influencer Ravleen Kaur, who shared one of the viral videos, accused the organisers of mismanagement. According to her social media post, participants were promised gift hampers worth around Rs 6,000 as part of a barter collaboration but many attendees who stayed for the entire event allegedly left without receiving them.
She further claimed that event staff were largely absent when the situation escalated, leaving no one to address concerns or manage the distribution process. At the same time, she acknowledged that some attendees also contributed to the chaos by aggressively competing for the giveaway bags.
Several other influencers echoed similar grievances online, alleging that despite fulfilling their commitments for the collaboration, they did not receive the promised hampers.
As videos of the incident spread across social media platforms, users reacted with a mix of criticism and amusement. Some questioned the event’s crowd management and influencer selection process, while others remarked that the overwhelming turnout appeared to be driven largely by the promise of free merchandise.
The viral clips have since sparked widespread discussion online, with many calling for better event planning and distribution systems at large influencer gatherings.