Look, we were as shocked as you when we reported that Fyre Festival, that infamous, celebrity-endorsed car crash of a supposedly ‘luxury’ weekender which descended into carnage back in 2017, was coming back for a second instalment in 2025, and set to take place in Quintana Roo, Mexico

We were less shocked to learn that last week, according to the New York Times, people who had bought tickets received refunds along with a notification that the event had indefinitely been ‘postponed’. 

Now, in an even more unhinged turn of events, Billy Macfarlane, founder and convicted fraudster dubbed by Vanity Fair as the ‘poster boy for millennial scamming’, has actually put the brand up for sale. 

The announcement on the festival’s Instagram reads: ‘Since 2017, FYRE has dominated headlines, documentaries and conversations as one of the world’s most talked-about music festivals.’ 

‘We knew that FYRE was big, but we didn’t realise just how massive that wave would become. That wave has brought us here: to a point where we know it’s time to call for assistance.’

‘We have decided the best way to accomplish our goals is to sell the FYRE Festival brand, including its trademarks, IP, digital assets, media reach and cultural capital – to an operator that can fully realise its vision.’

‘To the supporters, believers and builders who’ve stuck with my team and me: thank you. We will pick the new group based on their ability to execute the vision of FYRE in a transparent, grand and expeditious manner. The next chapter of FYRE will be bigger, better and built to last without me at the helm.’

The internet obviously has some opinions on this outcome. Read on for our favourite reaction to the news so far. 







It’s probably for the best, eh? Why not have a look at the world’s 35 best festivals for 2025 –  these ones are actually going ahead. 

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