Fyre Festival 2 will be held on Mexican island, says embattled founder Billy McFarland
The notoriously disastrous Fyre Festival is, apparently, still getting a sequel.
Fyre Festival 2 is set to be held on Mexico's Isla Mujeres between May 30 and June 2, according to the festival's founder Billy McFarland.
McFarland on Monday described Fyre Festival 2 as a 'three-day escape to the Mexican Caribbean where you'll explore by day alongside your favorite talent and come together at night to celebrate with music,' in a news release posted to his X page.
The release also promises 'world class accommodations' and 'adventures led by international and local talent, taking guests on boundary-pushing excursions by day and uniting for intimate beach-side performances at night.'
Performers have not been announced.
McFarland is the founder of the original 2017 Fyre Festival that gained popularity after it was heavily promoted on social media by influencers and celebrities before disastrously unfolding.
Attendees, who spent thousands of dollars on tickets, were met with mass disorganization, shoddy tented lodging and now-infamous limp cheese sandwiches when they arrived on the island of Exumas in the Bahamas for the festival.
Many of the musicians who were expected to perform – like Blink-182 and Major Lazer – ended up backing out of the festival prior to its start.
In 2018, McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of wire fraud, bank fraud and making false statements to federal law enforcement, the US attorney's office for the Southern District of New York confirmed to CNN at the time.
McFarland was released from prison in 2022 after serving nearly four years of his six-year sentence.
'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,' McFarland said in a statement Monday.
His statement continued: '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.'
In 2023, McFarland first announced his plans for Fyre Festival 2, which at the time was set to take place in the Caribbean last year. According to the LA Times, plans for that festival were scrapped and tickets were refunded.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Self-driving cars set on fire during LA protests
CNN's Kyung Lah reports on self-driving cars being set on fire and vandalized during protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles.
The Hill
3 hours ago
- The Hill
Tensions rise in Los Angeles as police declare ‘unlawful' assembly
Tensions mounted in Los Angeles Sunday afternoon as police clashed with protesters on a freeway and declared another protest outside the Metropolitan Detention Center 'unlawful.' Dozens of protesters were arrested throughout the day. About 300 National Guard members were deployed in the city, after President Trump made the extraordinary decision to send members of the military to counter what he called 'insurrectionist mobs.' The protesters, responding to the Trump administration's immigration raids in the city, blocked the 101 freeway starting at about 3:30 p.m. in Los Angeles. Police officers, firing tear gas canisters and other projectiles into the crowds, managed to clear the highway by 5 p.m. Hundreds of people continued to line the surrounding streets. Shortly after 3 p.m., LAPD announced that a separate pocket of protesters outside the city's prison in Alameda was illegal and that arrests were underway. 'An UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY has been declared for the area of Alameda between 2nd St and Aliso St. A DISPERSAL ORDER has been issued. Arrests are being made,' LAPD wrote on X. CNN reported that police officers were seen striking and pushing protesters and deploying flash-bangs and tear gas into the crowd. Mayor Karen Bass (D), who slammed Trump's decision to send the National Guard into the city, issued a warning to protesters who did not remain peaceful. 'We will always protect the constitutional right for Angelenos to peacefully protest. However, violence, destruction and vandalism will not be tolerated in our City and those responsible will be held fully accountable,' she wrote on X. She later said the chaos on Sunday was 'provoked by the administration.' Dan Bongino, the deputy FBI director, also issued a warning as tensions mounted through the afternoon. 'If you choose violence tonight, this message is for you. We will be investigating and pursuing all available leads for assault on a federal officer, in addition to the many arrests already made,' he wrote on X. All 23 Democratic governors issued a statement Sunday afternoon slamming Trump's decision to federalize California's National Guard, using a law that hasn't been used in decades, arguing it was both unnecessary and escalatory. Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) office sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday asking him to rescind the order deploying armed forces into the city. Trump spoke briefly to reporters before boarding Air Force One en route to Camp David on Sunday afternoon. He said he would meet military leaders at the presidential retreat, but did not say what they were meeting about. Asked by reporters whether he would invoke the Insurrection Act, which expands the president's powers during a national security crisis, Trump suggested the protests were not yet an 'insurrection.' However, soon after that, he described the protesters as an 'insurrectionist mob' in a post on Truth Social. 'I am directing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, in coordination with all other relevant Departments and Agencies, to take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion, and put an end to these Migrant riots,' Trump wrote. 'Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free.'
Newsweek
5 hours ago
- Newsweek
Scott Bessent Accuses Gavin Newsom of Threatening 'Tax Evasion'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent accused California Governor Gavin Newsom of "threatening to commit criminal tax evasion" after the Democratic leader suggested in a social media post that the state should consider withholding federal tax payments in response to possible funding cuts from the Trump administration. Newsweek has reached out to Newsom's press office for comment via email on Sunday. Why It Matters The Trump administration has threatened to withhold federal funding from various state programs and institutions, including research and education programs. Last week, CNN reported that the administration is considering cutting grant funding to the University of California and California State University systems. In late-May, President Donald Trump threatened to pull "large scale federal funding" from the Golden State unless it bars transgender athletes from competing in girls' sports. Bessent's remarks come amid ongoing tensions between federal, state, and local authorities as protests continue in Los Angeles, which were sparked following immigration raids during which police followed the Trump administration's directives to arrest people. Some protesters have thrown rocks at officers, with one allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail, and burning items in the streets. Agents have used tear gas on the crowds. The clashes highlight deepening conflicts between sanctuary jurisdictions and federal immigration policy, as Trump has implemented sweeping changes through executive orders and deployed the National Guard against local leaders wishes. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on May 7. Inset: California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks in West Hollywood, California, on March 26. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent testifies on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., on May 7. Inset: California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks in West Hollywood, California, on March 26. Photo by Corine Solberg/Sipa USA/Aaron Schwartz/AP Images What To Know On Friday, Newsom shared a screenshot of a CNN article on X, formerly Twitter, about the Trump administration's potential move to cut federal funding to the state, writing, "Californians pay the bills for the federal government. We pay over $80 BILLION more in taxes than we get back. Maybe it's time to cut that off." Californians pay the bills for the federal government. We pay over $80 BILLION more in taxes than we get back. Maybe it's time to cut that off, @realDonaldTrump. — Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 6, 2025 His post followed a CNN report that the Trump administration is targeting California's public university system over alleged antisemitism on campus. The administration has already taken similar action against Harvard University. California is the most populous state in the country with over 39 million people. It leads all the states in federal tax collection, with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) reporting that California contributed around $806 billion to total IRS collections in the 2024 fiscal year, which is about 15 percent of the national total. A recent analysis by the Rockefeller Institute of Government found the state contributed $83.1 billion more in federal taxes in 2022 than it received back. In response to the governor, Bessent, who oversees the IRS, wrote in an X post on Sunday: "Governor @GavinNewsom is threatening to commit criminal tax evasion. His plan: defraud the American taxpayer and leave California residents on the hook for unpaid federal taxes." Governor @GavinNewsom is threatening to commit criminal tax evasion. His plan: defraud the American taxpayer and leave California residents on the hook for unpaid federal taxes. (1/3) — Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent (@SecScottBessent) June 8, 2025 In a follow up post, he wrote: "I am certain most California businesses know that failing to pay taxes owed to the Treasury constitutes tax evasion and have no intention of following the dangerous path Governor @GavinNewsom is threatening." In a third post, the treasury secretary called the governor's comments "extremely reckless." Federal law defines a willful attempt to evade or defeat federal taxes as a felony under United States law. The public clash comes as Newsom is sparring with Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over deployment of the National Guard, and potentially active-military Marines, following protests in California sparked over federal immigration enforcement operations. Hegseth wrote in a Saturday evening post on X that in addition to mobilizing guards, nearby Marines may also be called upon, writing, "And, if violence continues, active-duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized — they are on high alert." What People Are Saying White House spokesperson Kush Desai told CNN in a Friday statement: "No taxpayer should be forced to fund the demise of our country," in regard to certain California policies related to energy and immigration. "No final decisions, however, on any potential future action by the Administration have been made, and any discussion suggesting otherwise should be considered pure speculation." Robert Rivas, speaker of the California State Assembly, wrote in a BlueSky post about the CNN article on Friday: "This is unconstitutional and vindictive. We're the nation's economic engine and the largest donor state, and deserve our fair share. I'll use every legal and constitutional tool available to defend CA -- we must look at every option, including withholding federal taxes." What Happens Next? The tension between the Trump administration and Newsom don't show signs of easing.
