By Soo Kim
Copyright newsweek
A video showing a frightening optical illusion on the park grounds of the Leeds Festival in the United Kingdom has gone viral on TikTok, leaving viewers convinced a man was nearly struck by a spinning theme park ride.
The clip was shared by Oladapo Gbenga Oreoluwa (@lifestyleoforezzy), a content creator from Nigeria, “popularly known as Lifestyle,” he told Newsweek. The video has amassed 114.7 million views since it was posted on August 23.
In the video, the man is seen standing calmly near a ride as it spins at high speed. From the camera’s perspective, the massive rotating arms appear to swing directly toward his head, missing him by what looks like inches.
“I am a dance choreographer and a lifestyle content creator. The video was made in Leeds Festival park,” the poster told Newsweek.
He explained that the striking footage was not planned. “The video was created by me unintentionally [because] I just love the view,” he said, adding that he hadn’t expected it would “come out as an illusion to people.”
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The viral moment comes as the global theme park market continues to grow. The sector was valued at $64.5 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $110.6 billion by 2033, according to a report from Grandview Research. The firm attributed the expansion to “rising disposable income across emerging economies, particularly in Asia Pacific and Latin America.”
‘Heart Attack’
The viral video has fueled widespread reactions online, with several describing feeling genuine fear while watching the clip.
“Bro i almost had a heart attack,” wrote @sturniolo_334, while Mirza commented: “i had an anxiety attack.”
User @___ririxoxo “was scared on your behalf,” while user @khanya1744 said they “thought it was gonna grab you.”
Some users admitted that even though they knew the poster was safe, the illusion was hard to shake.
User earthzfav wrote: “I knew it wasn’t gonna hit you and I still panicked.”
“Almost got me,” said @cyicyi40. Another viewer, cozzersspamzz, wrote: “I knew it wouldn’t hit u but I still got scared every time it got close to u lol.”
A screenshot from a viral TikTok video capturing an optical illusion with a man standing just below a theme park ride.
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