Abstract
Worldwide, dark tourism attracts millions of visitors to indulge in various experiences. In the lightest shade of dark tourism lie dark fun factories, which are entertainment-centred through a high level of tourism infrastructure. Arguably, to a large extent, dark fun factories for visitors are an interactive and affective performance of fear and fun. This study employs retrospective collaborative autoethnography to explore how a dark fun factory can be understood as an assemblage including co-performances of service providers and visitors along with their interaction with non-human affordances. In so doing, this assemblage co-creates a participatory and affective space, as well as the desired experience(s) of fearful fun. The findings suggest theoretical and practical implications for researchers, lightest dark tourism suppliers, and visitors. For researchers, the findings provide a nuanced understanding of the process of how both visitors and hosts approach and practice performances in a dark fun factory. Suppliers can use the information to enhance the elements that effectively work to provide a quality experience for visitors. The findings inform visitors that they have an essential role in co-performing and co-creating the dark fun factory and experience.