…And some of the Fyre Festival 2 tickets go for a whopping $1.1 million.
Entrepreneur and convicted wire fraudster Billy McFarland is putting the idea that any publicity is good publicity to the ultimate test. Despite the disastrous fallout of the Fyre Festival in 2017, he is pressing ahead with Fyre Festival 2, and tickets are now available for purchase.
The original festival became an international scandal when attendees paid exorbitant prices only to arrive at a dilapidated site on the Bahamian island of Exuma, greeted by a lack of basic amenities like food and shelter. Following a federal investigation, McFarland served nearly four years in prison for defrauding investors, which spurred several documentaries on Hulu and Netflix detailing the Fyre Festival debacle.
Nevertheless, McFarland announced Fyre Festival 2 in August 2023. Initially planned for December, the event has now been rescheduled to take place from May 30 – June 2 on Isla Mujeres, Mexico, in partnership with Mexican promoter Lostnights.
However, the follow-up event is already echoing the chaos of the first. “We live on Isla Mujeres (not a private island), and there is no way this event is going ahead like you are selling it,” one commenter noted on the Instagram announcement post. “To say the statements made thus far are misleading would be a massive understatement … As best the local community here (about 15,000 people) can tell, there has been zero planning, communication or bookings.”
Some of the ticket packages, developed in collaboration with SoldOut.com and FriendlySky, are priced astronomically. A visit to the new Fyre Festival homepage reveals the “Ignite,” “Fuego,” and “Phoenix” packages priced at $1,400, $5,000, and $25,000 respectively.
Scrolling further down reveals the “Prometheus” package, which is priced at an astonishing $1.1 million. This exclusive package includes “on-stage access to the Water Stage, fight team access at the Fight Pit [whatever that is], a curated itinerary of FYRE Experiences, 24/7 private chauffeur service, a dedicated on-site concierge, and access to the PROMETHEUS Marina.”
In a recent statement, McFarland expressed, “I’m sure many people think I’m crazy for doing this again. But I feel I’d be crazy not to do it again. After years of reflection and now thoughtful planning, the new team and I have amazing plans for FYRE 2. The adventure seekers who trust the vision and take the leap will help make history. Thank you to my partners for the second chance.”
It’s safe to say that Fyre Festival garnered more negative publicity than any other music festival in history. Can McFarland transform the notoriety of this media spectacle into a successful sequel eight years later? It seems we are about to find out.
