The infamous Fyre Festival is making a comeback according to co-founder Billy McFarland, five years after the disastrous event left attendees stranded in a far-from-luxurious setting.
Despite the catastrophic failure of the original festival, McFarland, who served nearly four years in prison for his role in the debacle, is determined to make Fyre Festival II a success.
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, McFarland emphasised the high stakes, stating: “Fyre II has to work.”
The 2017 festival had promised ticketholders a lavish experience on a Caribbean island, with tickets costing as much as £9,200 per person.
The event was advertised as an ultra-luxury getaway, featuring gourmet food, top-tier music performances, and accommodations fit for a VIP. Supermodels like Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski appeared in promotional campaigns, although they later distanced themselves from the event.
However, when festival-goers arrived, they were met with a nightmarish scene of rain-soaked disaster relief tents instead of the promised luxury villas, and the gourmet meals turned out to be little more than cheese sandwiches in styrofoam containers.
The event's spectacular failure became the subject of the 2019 Netflix documentary, FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, which chronicled the chaos and deception behind the scenes.
Now, with Fyre Festival II on the horizon, McFarland is under immense pressure to deliver on his promises this time around.
Guests famously described the original Fyre Festival as a "post-apocalyptic nightmare," with images of a sad, lackluster cheese sandwich for dinner going viral and becoming a symbol of the event's catastrophic failure.
The dinner that @fyrefestival promised us was catered by Steven Starr is literally bread, cheese, and salad with dressing. #fyrefestival pic.twitter.com/I8d0UlSNbd
— Tr3vor (@tr3vorx) April 28, 2017
Despite the $26 million (£20 million) in losses incurred after the festival was canceled due to inadequate accommodations, food, and water, McFarland is pushing forward with a sequel.
McFarland, who was released from prison in 2022 after serving time for his role in the debacle, told the outlet that Fyre Festival II is happening, and he understands the immense pressure to succeed this time. He admitted that if this attempt fails, it could be his last chance to rebuild his career.
"It's going to be very hard to get other opportunities, whether that's a marketing job, a podcast appearance, a TV show, or even a relationship,” he said. “People are going to be hard-pressed to trust me if I put it all on the line and fail at it twice.”
While Blink-182 and Migos were tipped as headline acts for the original festival, artists and events for Fyre II are still being considered.
“Karate combat on the beach, I think that would be amazing,” McFarland said. “Having some extreme sports, having some comedy and some fashion.”McFarland first teased his plans for the festival’s comeback in a YouTube video last August, where he appeared in a white spa robe.
Although he offered few details on how the event would be organised, he did reveal that after considering locations in the Middle East and South America, he ultimately decided to bring Fyre Festival back to the Caribbean.
However, a year later, McFarland still hasn't locked down the essential details.
According to the Wall Street Journal, he's yet to confirm "where, when, and how" the festival will actually take place. Despite this, McFarland remains adamant that Fyre Festival II will happen, promising a new and improved version of the ill-fated original.
