Non-event

A non-event is an anticipated or highly publicized event that either does not occur or turns out to be anticlimactic, boring, or a hoax. Non-events tends to be disappointing because they are often hyped prior to their occurrence.

Direct quotes from Merriam-Webster: "an expected event that fails to take place or to satisfy expectations" or "an often highly publicized event of little intrinsic interest or significance"

Notable non-events include:

• The much-hyped 1973 appearance of Comet Kohoutek
• The Mystery of Al Capone's Vault - The 1986 live television special in which Geraldo Rivera opened Al Capone's vault, which turned out to contain a bottle of moonshine
• The Year 2000 problem (Y2K bug)
• Kony2012

See also

• Vaporware
• Media circus
• False alarm
• Anticlimax
• Failure
• Close call