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We went along to the Brain Float Retreat event at Mannakin Hall in Fulbeck




The event hadn’t even started, and I was already screaming and running through the mannequins, only hoping none of them would move again!

On Saturday evening (October 26), we ventured through the Mannakin Hall in Fulbeck for The Brain Float Retreat.

I had never been but knew to expect a lot of mannequins some creepier than others, but despite thinking I was, I was not prepared for it, nor for the moving ones.

Brain Float Retreat at Mannakin Hall
Brain Float Retreat at Mannakin Hall

The one-night-only event followed the story of a group that was promised the miracle cure for a pain-free eternal life from a visit to the Brain Float Retreat but no-one returned.

As we entered the premises, we were welcomed by people in white suits who gave us a new ID for the evening, my name was Audrey and my colleague Fionn Burrows was Dave.

Not knowing what to expect, we were told we had to figure out who was the leader of the retreat, that was our mission of the night — however, we were constantly reminded that we would not return to the outside world.

Brain Float Retreat at Mannakin Hall
Brain Float Retreat at Mannakin Hall

The fairy lights that illuminated the way to the main event were ‘cosy’ to a certain extent, but the amount of mannequins, with and without eyes, clothes, accessories, or full-on black suits and who move certainly made it scary and uncomfortable.

As we waited for the event to start, there was a food van and a bar, the ‘Manic Inn’, which kept people warm, giddy and entertained.

Groups of six were called to go inside the building and I’m not going to lie, I was a tiny bit scared. I think it was not knowing what to expect and the surprise element that scared me.

With a few loud bangs, our group entered what looked like a horror film — a mannequin dismemberment station.

Brain Float Retreat at Mannakin Hall
Brain Float Retreat at Mannakin Hall

A crazy doctor spoke to us about mannequins and maybe the whole experience wouldn’t be so terrifying if I hadn’t noticed one of the black-suit ‘mannequins’ moving (yes it was a human, but it was even scarier).

Next, we were taken to a waiting room, which I assume is where they spray the mannequins, and there was a short film about a paranormal investigation being screened.

Not long after, we were taken into a room full of mannequins, some with really cool outfits I must admit, and boom! Someone who I thought to be a mannequin stood up.

Brain Float Retreat at Mannakin Hall
Brain Float Retreat at Mannakin Hall

A man with pink hair and great fake breasts claimed to be the hairdresser who was going to give us all new looks in the final step of us becoming mannequins.

It was quite entertaining, we got our shiny silver wigs and were told to act like mannequins, otherwise, they would know… the mystery was left there.

Pretending to be a mannequins and low-key afraid of what was to come next, we were taken to a dark room, and immediately I was looking around looking for humans dressed as mannequins to scare them before they scared me.

Curious about the next stage of the event, the new characters we’d meet, the jump-scares that were yet to come, we were just shouted at by a man with a megaphone — he was in character — and told to leave.

Brain Float Retreat at Mannakin Hall
Brain Float Retreat at Mannakin Hall

We returned to the original place with the food van and bar and waited around for nearly an hour until all the groups went through the same experience as we did.

After all the groups returned with their new shiny wigs, the next part of the event was the maggot race — yes, you read that right, real maggots were racing.

A man dressed as ‘God’ read out the names of the six people who passed the test, surprisingly my name was there and ‘I’ was one of the maggots racing.

Brain Float Retreat at Mannakin Hall
Brain Float Retreat at Mannakin Hall

The different maggots raced to the brain and the winner would be the one destroying AI.

The ending, for me, was a bit disappointing as I was expecting the story to continue and for more to happen.

On the other hand, when leaving the premises, there was a box with mannequin parts that people could take home and I couldn’t be more excited after hearing that.

Brain Float Retreat at Mannakin Hall
Brain Float Retreat at Mannakin Hall

I saw a mannequin leg and claimed it as mine, walking back to the car with a big smile and just hoping the police wouldn’t stop us on the drive back home, only to find a leg in the boot.

The place itself was amazing and I can’t wait to return, so creepy yet exciting, not only perfect for Halloween but for the whole year.



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