Out of control birthday party which resulted in street riots in Haren, Netherlands, named after the 2012 Project X movie
A Facebook birthday invitation went viral and drew tens of thousands of youths to Haren, Netherlands, resulting in mass street riots on 21 September 2012.
Key Facts
- Date
- 21 September 2012
- Attendees
- Tens of thousands of youths
- Origin
- Public Facebook birthday party invitation
- Location
- Haren, Groningen, Netherlands
- Netflix documentary
- Trainwreck: The Real Project X (2025)
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
A teenage girl in Haren publicly posted a birthday party invitation on Facebook without restricting its visibility. The invitation spread rapidly across social media, attracting attention far beyond her intended guests and inspiring a large-scale unsanctioned gathering, partly inspired by the 2012 film Project X.
On 21 September 2012, tens of thousands of youths converged on the small town of Haren, Groningen. What began as a birthday party spiralled into violent street riots, overwhelming local authorities and causing significant public disorder throughout the town.
The riots drew widespread national attention and prompted debate in the Netherlands about social media's capacity to incite mass gatherings and public disorder. A similar precedent had occurred in Hamburg, Germany, in June 2011. In 2025, Netflix released a documentary, Trainwreck: The Real Project X, revisiting the events.