Overview
Sleepovers at IKEA are one thing, this is a little more intense. Inspired by similar epic events held in Europe stores (and previous Australian attempts) there's a giant game of hide and seek planned for a Melbourne IKEA store. This Facebook event has been generating huge interest over the last few weeks, with Melburnians upping their yoga quota to more effectively fit into tiny storage bins and blue bags. And with over 25,000 attending on Facebook, this is going to be one seriously huge game, locked in for June 13.
This is isn't the first time Australians have tried to stage giant games of hide and seek in IKEA. In March 2015, a Sydney game was shut down by IKEA, who claimed it raises security issues for both customers and co-workers. IKEA called the police on a Melbourne game in 2010, according to Huffington Post. Commentators on the Facebook event page are saying IKEA already knows aboout the planned Melbourne event, which explains the hidden location.
But IKEA have held officially approved games in the past. Last year, about 500 people participated in a storewide hide and seek in Wilrijk, Belgium. But IKEA have also banned games in Holland after tens of thousands of people geared up to attend in Eindhoven, Amsterdam and Utrecht in April and May — IKEA found out about it on Facebook and shut it down.
The Swedish furniture giant hasn't yet declared whether they'll be kicking people out for smooshing themselves into the store's display kitchens (would definitely aim for a cushy bedding spot). We're hoping the Man looks the other way this time around.