Guys, it’s official – Fyre Festival, the notoriously disastrous weekender which was marketed as a ‘once in a lifetime’ luxury event before descending into chaos in 2017, is back.
Yes, we are indeed as shocked as you are. Despite the carnage of the original festival, which led to creator Billy McFarland being convicted of fraud and sentenced to six years in prison (though he served just under four), inspired a Netflix documentary and earned him the title, coined by Vanity Fair, as ‘the poster boy for millennial scamming’, plans for round two are well and truly underway.
In August 2023, McFarland took to TikTok to announce that ‘it has been the absolute wildest journey to get here and it really all started during the seven-month stint in solitary confinement.
‘I wrote out this 50-page plan on how we would take this overall interest and demand in Fyre and how we would take my ability to bring people from all around the world together to make the impossible happen.
‘But we would find the best partners in the world to allow me to be me, while executing Fyre to the highest level.’
And now it’s actually happening – the next stint is rumoured to be taking place on Isla Mujeres in Quintana Roo, Mexico, from May 30 to June 2, 2025.
How to get Fyre Festival 2 tickets
Tickets are on sale now, ranging from $1,400 to a staggering $1.1 million. You can have a browse of the various packages on the website here.
Any news on the Fyre Festival 2 line-up?
There has been no announcement detailing the performances just yet, but, according to an interview with the Today Show, MacFarland has promised ‘artists across electronic, hip-hop, pop and rock’. Stay tuned for updates on this.
What happened at the first Fyre Festival?
The original Fyre Festival can be described as no less than a catastrophe. What claimed to be a weekend in the Bahamas of non-stop food, booze and partying was actually likened to a war zone. According to the Guardian, somebody said it was ‘closer to The Hunger Games … than Coachella.’
Promotion of the festival on social media, aided by endorsements from none other than Kendall Jenner, Emily Ratajkowski, and Bella Hadid, meant around 8,000 tickets were sold, some for up to £77,000.
Yachts, villas, wellness activities and private planes were promised. However, festivalgoers were horrified upon their arrival. According to one attendee, ‘it was closer to the Hunger Games or Lord of the Flies than Coachella.’
The site had no electricity, running water or medical care, and none of the tents had been set up. The luxury catering actually consisted of bread and burger cheese, and luggage was being dumped left, right and centre.
People took to lighting fires on the beach, and some rode mattresses out to sea. Oh, and the island was hit by a tropical storm over the weekend.
When the carnage was finally over, McFarland was arrested and admitted to defrauding investors of $26 million in the festival, and more than $100,000 in fraudulent ticket-selling scheme. He was released in 2022.
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Travel newsletter for the latest travel news and best stuff happening across the world.
