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Convicted fraudster Billy McFarland is seeking to make his comeback with the forthcoming Fyre Festival 2, which he believes has the chance to “take over the festival industry.”
McFarland, 33, who served a four-year jail sentence after pleading guilty to charges of wire fraud related to the disastrous 2017 Fyre Festival, is officially giving it another go this summer.
“FYRE 2 is real. My dream is finally becoming a reality,” he told Today in a new interview. “FYRE 2 really isn’t about the past, and it’s not really about me. It’s about taking the vision, which is strong.”
The original Fyre Festival, which took place in The Bahamas, was advertised as the “cultural experience of the decade” and promised attendees the chance to rub shoulders with celebrities while staying in luxury accommodations.
However, upon arrival, concertgoers — who had paid between $1,000 and $12,000 to attend — were met with “total disorganization and chaos,” court filings described.
Instead of luxury accommodation, there were disaster relief tents and sodden mattresses, cheese sandwiches served in Styrofoam containers and no big headliners.
“Since 2016 Fyre has been the most talked about music festival in the world. Obviously, a lot of that has been negative,” McFarland acknowledged in a 2024 interview with NBC News’ Savannah Sellers, “but I think that most people, once they kind of get under the hood and study the plans and see the team behind Fyre II, they see the upside… And if it’s done well, I think Fyre has a chance to be this annual festival that really takes over the festival industry.”
No longer will McFarland be responsible for handling the details of the festival, as those duties have been passed on to a festival operator. Ticketing, hotel accommodations, and travel will also be dealt with by other companies.
When and where will Fyre Festival 2 be held?
Fyre Festival 2 has been delayed a month and will now run from May 30 to June 2.
The new festival will take place in Mexico’s Isla Mujeres in the Caribbean Sea. Located just off the coast of Cancún, the island is known for its turquoise waters, white-sand beaches like Playa Norte, and vibrant coral reefs.
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Which artists will headline the event?
While McFarland has yet to announce a lineup of artists, he told Today: “We’re going to have artists across electronic, hip hop, pop and rock. However, it’s not just music. We might have a professional skateboarder do a demonstration. We might have an MMA champion teach you techniques in the morning.”
Asked if he expected A-list performers to sign on, he said: “I really hope so, and I expect so from our conversations.”
Limited tickets are now on sale on the Fyre website, with prices ranging from $1,400 to $1.1 million. The lowest-tier tickets will grant one person access to the four-day event. However, accommodation is not included.
The million-dollar-plus option will give eight people an ultra-luxury experience with flights and accommodation included, plus the option to stay in either a yacht or a villa provided by Fyre.
McFarland, who was ordered to pay back the $26 million he took from his investors, was released early from prison in 2022.
Following his release, he spoke with Good Morning America, sharing that his time spent behind bars allowed him to reflect on his wrongdoings.
“I was wrong. I messed up. And I was so driven by this desperate desire to prove people right. … I think I was just so insecure that I thought the only way to prove myself to them was to succeed,” he said. “That led me down just this terrible path of bad decisions.”
