It’s the day we never thought would come. Fyre Festival – the notoriously disastrous weekender which was marketed as a ‘once in a lifetime’ luxury event before descending into chaos in 2017 – is back.
Yes, you read that right. Despite the carnage of the original festival, which led to creator Billy McFarland serving six years in prison for defrauding investors – and now even has its own Netflix documentary – Fyre Festival 2 is due to go ahead at the end of next year, and we’re just as surprised as you are.
It will apparently be taking place somewhere in the Caribbean, but there is no exact location or line-up just yet. The proposed start date is Friday December 6 2024.
Taking to TikTok to make the announcement, McFarland said that ‘it has been the absolute wildest journey to get here and it really all started during the seven-month stint in solitary confinement.
‘I wrote out this 50-page plan on how we would take this overall interest and demand in Fyre and how we would take my ability to bring people from all around the world together to make the impossible happen.
‘But we would find the best partners in the world to allow me to be me, while executing Fyre to the highest level.’
@pyrtbilly FYRE Festival 2 is LIVE! 🔗 in bio
♬ original sound - Billy McFarland
Alongside this surprise endeavour, McFarland is allegedly planning on making a Broadway musical, starring various music artists in place of actors, as well as some documentaries. Say what you want about this guy, you can’t knock his ambition.
Thankfully though, McFarland is taking a more hands-off approach this time around – apparently he’s on cheese sandwich duty alongside the iconic Andy King, whom he has somehow persuaded to join forces with him again.
How to get Fyre Festival 2 tickets
The first release tickets for Fyre Festival 2 have already sold out, and the prices for the next round of sales are almost as eye-watering as the original event.
An initial 100 tickets went up for grabs earlier this week for $499 (£390), and later releases are set to cost up to $7,999 (£6,250).
If you’ve got bags of cash lying around, and you fancy spending it on something dreamt up during the creator’s stint in solitary confinement, you can book your ticket here.
Any news on the Fyre Festival 2 line-up?
There has been no announcement detailing the performances just yet, but that didn't stop the 100 brave people who bought all the first release tickets. Watch this space for line-up announcements.
What happened at Fyre Festival?
The original Fyre Festival can be described as no less than a catastrophe. What claimed to be a weekend in the Bahamas of non-stop food, booze and partying was actually likened to a war zone.
Promotion of the festival on social media, aided by endorsements from none other than Kendall Jenner, Emily Ratajkowski, and Bella Hadid, meant around 8,000 tickets were sold, some for up to £77,000.
Yachts, villas, wellness activities and private planes were promised. However, festivalgoers were horrified upon their arrival. According to one attendee, ‘it was closer to the Hunger Games or Lord of the Flies than Coachella.’
The site had no electricity, running water or medical care, and none of the tents had been set up. The luxury catering actually consisted of bread and burger cheese, and luggage was being dumped left, right and centre.
People took to lighting fires on the beach, and some rode mattresses out to sea. Oh, and the island was hit by a tropical storm over the weekend.
When the carnage was finally over, McFarland was arrested and admitted to defrauding investors of $26 million in the festival, and more than $100,000 in fraudulent ticket-selling scheme. He was released in 2022.
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