10 Real Life Parties That Got Totally Out of Control

Unpermitted Rooftop Concert (2025)

Los Angeles

It’s easy to take a good time too far. On Memorial Day weekend, a rooftop punk show quickly got out of hand. Hundreds of people arrived to enjoy the show, quickly causing a scene of pure debauchery. Things went from bad to worse once the police arrived. The crowd quickly split up, but not without causing some chaos on the way out. Countless buildings and vehicles were tagged with graffiti, officers had items thrown at them, and commuters were trapped as people blocked trains. The mayhem wasn’t just on the West Coast. Just a few days beforehand, a party at Smokehouse Valley Farms in North Carolina got so out of hand that dozens of calls were made to authorities to break it up.

Benoît Savéan’s Final Dinner Party (2006)

France

What should’ve been a nice dinner amongst friends resulted in cold-blooded crime instead. In 2006, Benoît Savéan accepted an invitation to a dinner party, not knowing it would be the last decision he’d ever make. At some point during the meal, he brought up his lucrative financial situation. Authorities believe it was the catalyst for how the night ended. The other attendees made sure Savéan was heavily intoxicated before suddenly kidnapping him and taking him into the woods. There, they beat him to death before leaving his body behind. All eight guests were arrested, and six were further investigated, revealing that they had violently stolen from others in the past as well. It goes to show that even the mildest get-togethers can end in horror.

Gloria Coons’ Apartment Bash (1997)

Texas

Coy Wayne Wesbrook had only been divorced for a short time before deciding to make up with his ex-wife, Gloria. He had an opportunity when she invited him to a party she was throwing. When he arrived, instead of a warm welcome, the other guests insulted him over his ex’s cheating. After walking in on Gloria with two other men, Wesbrook snapped. He left, retrieved a gun, and when he returned, things boiled over. He fatally shot three attendees, before heading to the bedroom and doing the same to both Gloria and another man. He was arrested that night in 1997, and after a swift trial, found himself on death row, where he remained until his execution in 2016.

Andrew Jackson’s Inauguration Party (1829)

Washington D.C.

It seems unthinkable now, but in the 19th century, everyday citizens had an opportunity to visit the White House and the newly elected President. The tradition began with Thomas Jefferson and ended with Grover Cleveland, but Andrew Jackson made the biggest splash. After his first inauguration, tens of thousands of people arrived at the White House and proceeded to party like it was 1829. Guests climbed on furniture, broke valuable items, and consumed an abundance of spiked drinks. So much food was mushed into the carpets that it reportedly reeked for months afterwards. It could only be quelled when the attendees were lured outside with even more alcohol. It kicked off his administration with a bang, and was somehow one of its least controversial moments.

Festival of Drunkenness (Unknown)

Egypt

According to Ancient Egyptian lore, there was once a time when the sun god Ra saved humanity by pouring thousands of jars of beer mixed with the mineral haematite onto the Earth, in order to appease the goddess Hathor. To keep her satisfied, citizens threw an annual function known as the Festival of Drunkenness. Everyone attending was encouraged to be as raucous and loud as possible in order to ward off any potential negative energy, and thus keep them safe from her wrath. The celebrations took place everywhere, from modest homes to grand temples. It may sound like an archaic frat party, but it was a period of pure reverence, rather than one of regular drunken fun.

Field of the Cloth of Gold (1520)

France

If only all conflicts could be handled this way. In an attempt to deepen a peace treaty between England and France, its leaders threw the party of the century. European Kings Henry VIII and Francis I planned the Field of the Cloth of Gold, a festival spanning multiple weeks in 1520. Each ruler brought hundreds of guests, bountiful amounts of food, games, and other luxurious amenities in order to show off to one another. The days were filled with friendly competition and live entertainment. At one point, Henry even challenged the French monarch to a wrestling match, only to lose shortly afterwards. Despite the jovial time, it didn’t strengthen the relationship between the two countries, with England even declaring war on France the following year.

Marie Antoinette & Louis XVI’s Wedding (1770)

Paris

Their marriage began and ended with death. To cap off the 1770 union between Marie Antoinette and Louis XVI, citizens partied for days on end. Though the wedding happened on May 16th, the festivities continued until the 30th. That night, a fireworks show was planned. It quickly took a turn for the worse when the pyrotechnics started burning the wooden platform they were being shot from. The hundreds of spectators — including the newlyweds — assumed it was part of the act. When they realized they were in danger, they all flooded the narrow street in an effort to escape. Many people were either caught in the stampede or pushed into the Seine. When the smoke cleared, 132 people had perished, and even more had been hurt.

Jägermeister Pool Party (2013)

Mexico

It should come as no surprise that an event dedicated to an alcohol brand would end in mayhem. Yet, Jägermeister wasn’t the main culprit behind a 2013 party in Leon, Mexico coming to a sudden halt. As guests drank and made merry, organizers decided to add liquid nitrogen to the pool. When added to the chlorinated body of water, it created both the intended smoke effect and a toxic cloud of gases. The latter was exposed to the attendees, which caused eight people to become ill and even pass out, with one even falling into a coma. It took the company’s advice to consume their drinks ice cold to a new level.

Bal des Ardents [aka Ball of the Burning Men] (1393)

Paris

Following a breakdown and a vicious attack on his own men, it was decided that Charles VI shouldn’t be exposed to stress. This led to a string of ongoing parties, including a 1393 masquerade. Six men — including Charles himself — dressed up like wild men of the woods and danced for the crowd in costumes covered in flammable materials like flax and linen. At one point during the crazed performance, a drunken man arrived with a torch and set one of the dancers ablaze. Though the King was saved, others weren’t so lucky. Four men burned alive, and several other partygoers were injured attempting to save them. Needless to say, the event didn’t help the ruler’s mental state, with his episodes occurring more frequently afterwards.

Coronation of Nicholas II (1896)

Moscow

What was intended to be a celebration of new leadership ended in sheer tragedy. The coronation of Nicholas II and his wife Alexandra Feodorovna went fine, but the same couldn’t be said for the following festivities planned for civilians. Several theatres and bars were constructed, along with dozens of tables laden with gifts. By the early morning on May 30, 1896, hundreds of thousands of people had arrived. Gossip soon circulated that there wasn’t enough food to go around, and that people would be given gold as gifts. Everyone rushed forward so as not to miss out, resulting in a huge crowd crush. Over a thousand people perished and even more were injured, all while other unknowing guests partied on.

What’s the craziest party you’ve ever been to? Let us know in the comments below!