Second time’s the charm.
Or so says Billy McFarland, creator of the disastrous 2017 Fyre Festival, which scammed people out of thousands of dollars and landed McFarland six years of prison time for his financial crimes, though he only ended up serving about four years from 2018 to 2022.
“I’m sure many people think I’m crazy for doing this again,” McFarland said Monday in a statement. “But I’d feel crazy not to do it again. After years of reflection and thoughtful planning, the new team and I have amazing plans for FYRE 2.”
McFarland added that the “adventure seekers out there who trust the vision and take the leap will help make history.”
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Tickets for Fyre Fest 2 range from $1,400 to more than $1 million.
The $1 million ticket includes private air travel from Miami to Cancun and private yacht travel from Cancun to Isla Mujeres. Accommodations for this ticket include the choice of either a four-stateroom yacht or four-bedroom villa with access to the festival grounds for three nights. It also grants festival access over four days to eight people.
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Fyre Fest has not officially named any music acts, but it does promise “an electrifying celebration of music, arts, cuisine, comedy, fashion, gaming, sports, and treasure hunting — all set in the stunning location of Isla Mujeres, Mexico.”
The original Fyre Fest promised big-name music acts from Blink 182, Migos and other artists; celebrity model attendees including the Hadid sisters and Emily Ratajkowski; luxury accommodations; and fine food, with tickets ranging from $1,200 to over $100,000.
The festival reached a settlement with 277 ticket holders in 2021, when it was ordered to pay each recipient an award of $7,220.
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Now, McFarland wants a do-over, and he’s promising a successful three-day event in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, between May 30 and June 2.
“Thank you to my partners for this second chance.”
Thomas Mustac, a publicist with Otter PR, told Fox News Digital that “Fyre Festival 2.0 sounds like a ticking time bomb.”
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“Whenever you, as an individual or organization, burn your stakeholders so badly, it’s hard to regain trust,” Mustac said. “Something as heavily publicized will have a tough sell to restore trust, but you will always have a crowd of supporters who like to live with a risk. That way, they are in an in-crowd IF things happen as planned and are on the frontlines of a successful major event as Fyre Festival claimed to be.”
Mustac added that McFarland’s track record may make it difficult for the festival to sign major performers or organizations to help with the event.
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“Social media seems to be loving the Fyre Festival news, which is probably the attention that Billy wants, but this is not a way to repair an image or trust when you’re looking to make a profit on folks while STILL being in debt to the original festival goers and leaving them with nothing years later still,” Mustac said.
Media Culture CEO Christena Garduno had a slightly different opinion, telling Fox News Digital that “Fyre Festival 2 can certainly capitalize on its notorious past by embracing the ‘bad press is good press’ mantra, but it requires a strategic shift.”
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“The key to overcoming their reputation will be complete transparency and a commitment to delivering an experience that exceeds expectations,” Garduno explained. “This time, they should lean into their redemption story — showing growth, accountability and a genuine effort to do things right. If they can balance the allure of exclusivity with strong brand messaging and ensure real customer value, the negative press could actually fuel curiosity and drive ticket sales.”
The 2017 Fyre Fest scam went viral on social media after Hulu and Netflix published documentaries about the failed beach bash, making the #fyrefraud hashtag go viral at the time.
A photo of a meal at the fest — specifically, a shabby sandwich on white bread thrown together in a Styrofoam box — also went viral, showcasing one small part of the larger scam that was the original Fyre Fest eight years ago.
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