The infamous Fyre Festival tried its luck for a second time before it was unsurprisingly postponed. Now, one artist has revealed behind-the-scenes secrets of the Fyre Fest 2 that may never be.
Organizer Billy McFarland’s brush with jail following his first festival attempt seemed not to deter the 33-year-old businessman as he announced Fyre Fest 2 soon after his release from prison in 2022.
The original Fyre Fest in 2017 resulted in a shambles after ticket holders – who paid thousands of dollars – became stranded in the Bahamas with no performing artists, no electricity or running water, a dire food situation, and limited shelter.
McFarland pleaded guilty to fraud charges from the disastrous festival, which garnered so much attention that it inspired a Netflix documentary showcasing the horrors endured.
Yet, the re-run attempt began in August 2023 as tickets went on sale with no dates or a lineup available.
One artist told the DailyMail.com they had been contacted by McFarland directly to perform at Fyre Fest 2.
Blink- 180 Deux, a Blink-182 tribute act, announced they would be performing at the event on March 6.
‘We got asked to play Fyre Fest 2! It’s happening!’ the band posted on Instagram. Their excitement, however, would not last long.
Blink- 180 Deux, a Blink-182 tribute act, announced they would be performing at Fyre Fest 2 on March 6 but weren’t informed that the event was postponed until it was publicly announced
Billy McFarland’s brush with jail following his first festival attempt seemed not to deter the 33-year-old businessman as he announced Fyre Fest 2 (pictured) soon after his release from prison in 2022
‘I’m sure many people think I’m crazy for doing this again,’ Billy McFarland (pictured) said at the time. ‘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’
Their big reveal happened a month after a statement finally announced the festival would be going ahead as McFarland insisted that ‘thoughtful planning’ was going into it. The organizer even thanked people for giving him a ‘second chance.’
‘I’m sure many people think I’m crazy for doing this again,’ he said at the time. ‘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.’
Blink- 180 Deux told the DailyMail.com that McFarland’s offer happened over a ‘short Zoom’ call where ‘he threw out the idea of a fake blink-182 playing the festival just as a fun joke but also to have some music guests arrived for the festival.’
They agreed, and the Fyre PR team even sent them an offer and terms of their agreement.
The band told DailyMail.com that no further information could be shared due to legal reasons.
McFarland had made big promises for his second run including offering attendees ‘boundary-pushing excursions by day’ and ‘intimate beach-side performances at night.’
With those performers yet to be announced, he claimed the lineup would feature ‘international and local talent.’
Celebrity faces of Fyre Festival included Kendall Jenner, Emily Ratajkowski, Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber – several of whom were subpoenaed for their role in the scam
After paying up to $12,000 for tickets, Fyre Festival’s guests were greeted with substandard accommodation, soggy food and poor security – before the entire event was cancelled before it even began
The original Fyre Fest in 2017 resulted in a viral picture of some of the ‘gourmet’ food offered at the festival, one example of which turned out to be a cheese sandwich (pictured)
Yet, hopes of the festivals successful return began to diminish.
The locations announced, both Isla Mujeres in Mexico and Playa Del Carmen, disputed that no proper permits had been submitted and local businesses seemed to have no knowledge of the event.
On April 4, festival organizers shared a statement on Instagram insisting that they had been ‘working directly’ with the government of Playa del Carmen (PDC) since March 5 ‘to ensure a safe and successful event.’
‘All media reports suggesting our team has not been working with the government of PDC are simply inaccurate and based on misinformation,’ they said.
‘FYRE has operated as a good partner with PDC government and has followed the proper processes and procedures to lawfully host an event.’
McFarland attempted to reassure ticket holders and festivalgoers in a social media video.
He insisted that Fyre Festival 2 had secured contracts with ‘a number of villas, yachts, and hotels,’ though he conspicuously avoided naming specific locations.
In another twist, Mourad Essafi, the general manager of the Secrets resort publicly denied any affiliation with the festival.
‘We are not sponsoring Fyre Festival 2 or affiliated with it in any way. Reports to the contrary are false,’ Mourad Essafi, the general manager of the Secrets resort, declared on February 28
Blink- 180 Deux told the DailyMail.com that McFarland’s offer happened over a ‘short Zoom’ call where ‘he threw out the idea of a fake blink-182 playing the festival just as a fun joke but also to have some music guests arrived for the festival’
On April 4, festival organizers shared a statement on Instagram insisting that they had been ‘working directly’ with the government of Playa del Carmen (PDC) since March 5 ‘to ensure a safe and successful event’
‘We are not sponsoring Fyre Festival 2 or affiliated with it in any way. Reports to the contrary are false,’ Essafi declared on February 28.
Despite Essafi’s denial, the hotel was still listed on the festival’s website as a premium accommodation option, raising even more questions about the legitimacy of McFarland’s claims.
After some hotels publicly disassociated themselves from the festival, McFarland took an aggressive stance stating how his team had ‘terminated those contracts’ after two hotels allegedly gave ‘misleading statements, saying they never heard of Fyre.’
Finally, this week, the festival announced that it would be postponed.
‘The event has been postponed, and a new date will be announced. We have issued you a refund. Once the new date is announced, at that time, you can repurchase if it works for your schedule,’ the announcement said.
The move didn’t surprise many, except some of the artists who agreed to perform, including Blink-180 Deux.
‘Just last week the team reached out to us confirmed the show was still on and prepared to send us an advance,’ they said.
‘However, we were never contacted about the festival being postponed until it was publicly posted.’
The Blink-182 tribute band told DailyMail.com they were not contacted regarding the postponing of the festival, and was only made aware after it was publicly announced
McFarland had previously claimed that the event had 1,800 confirmed guests and a lineup of rappers, DJS, creators and athletes, with – again – no specifics.
With little explanation, ticket sales – ranging from $1,100 to $25,000 – were halted and the Fyre Fest Instagram put feelers out for a new location.
An update said: ‘We are vetting new locations and will announce our host destination soon. Our priorities remain unchanged: delivery an unforgettable, safe, and transparent experience.’
McFarland, however, later insisted that the festival was ‘still on,’ and told NBC the date would depend on finding a new location.
On an Instagram Story, the Fyre team posted a poll for their new location with options of New York, Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos and Utila, Honduras.
The post was coupled with a banner which read, ‘FYRE FESTIVAL 2 IS REAL.’
But the public seems unconvinced, with many joking about the festival’s validity on social media.
‘I might get tickets just to be in the Netflix doc,’ one comment said.
But the public seems unconvinced, with many joking about the festival’s validity on social media. ‘I might get tickets just to be in the Netflix doc,’ one comment said
Pictured: Billy McFarland on a jet ski
‘Imagine getting permits for a festival weeks before it happens. As an events professional watching this unfold is hilarious and is really the only news I’m enjoying at the moment,’ another said.
One wrote: ‘As massive of a scam as possible, non-refundable tickets, can’t sue, location isn’t hosting it, permits are for 250 people, no artists announced.
‘This is literally a massive scam to try and pay off the last scam. I’ve never been so invested in the failure of something.’
While the Fyre Fest website remains up and running, with merch available to buy, tickets remain unavailable to buy.