Billy McFarland talks plans for Fyre Festival 2: Music, 'Fight Pit,' redemption
Show Caption
Hide Caption
'It's real': Fyre Festival 2 tickets on sale for up to $1.1 million
Fyre Festival relaunches in 2025, despite founder Billy McFarland's conviction and past failures, with tickets going for up to $1.1 million.
Straight Arrow News
Eight years after a weekend of leaky tents, insufficient bathrooms and a lack of running water, Fyre Festival is back for redemption.
Festival founder Billy McFarland announced last year that the infamous music festival, first held in the Bahamas in 2017, would be returning. This year's come-back music festival, to be held on Mexico's Isla Mujeres, is slated for May 30 through June 2, with tickets starting at $1,400 per person.
Fyre Festival 2 comes nearly a decade after the first attempt of the upscale music bash, resulting in two documentaries, including Netflix's "Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened."
"I have a very limited ability to convince someone to trust me or to come to Fyre Festival 2," McFarland told USA TODAY on Monday. "We don't want the person who's necessarily afraid or questioning what's going to happen. We want the person who's going to embrace it and going to realize that this is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, just based on who you're going to meet, who you're going to be around and maybe some of the adventures you're going to take."
As the date for Fyre Festival 2 approaches, here's everything we know about what went wrong in 2017 and what could be in store for 2025.
What happened during the first Fyre Festival?
Intended to be held over two weeks in April and May 2017, the first Fyre Festival was promoted by social media influencers like Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber, and ticketholders were promised acts like Blink-182 and Migos.
However upon arrival, festival-goers learned artists had canceled. Due to poor Caribbean weather, the festival was essentially washed out, with the promised luxury accommodations and gourmet food nowhere to be found. In the end, attendees only stayed one night before they were evacuated.
In 2018, McFarland, who is now 33, was sentenced to six years in prison for engaging in several fraudulent schemes related to the festival. He acknowledged that he had defrauded investors out of $26 million for the festival and more than $100,000 in fraudulent ticket-selling schemes after his arrest. After serving four years of his sentence, McFarland was released from prison in early 2022 and transferred to a New York halfway house, which he was then released from later that year.
What is Fyre Festival 2?
According to its website, Fyre Festival 2 is an "electrifying celebration of music, arts, cuisine, comedy, fashion, gaming, sports and treasure hunting."
McFarland said the festival will feature live music during the evenings and a variety of "excursions" and athletic activities during the day.
Fyre Festival 2 co-founder Mike Falb told USA TODAY that confirmed excursions include a whale shark dive with a festival artist and diver, exploration of the Cancún Underwater Museum with a visual artist and a class with an MMA champion. McFarland also confirmed that the festival will feature a "Fight Pit," where MMA fighters will duel each night.
When is Fyre Festival 2?
Fyre Festival 2 is May 30 through June 2, 2025.
How much are Fyre Festival 2 tickets? How many are available?
Only 2,000 tickets are available for Fyre Festival 2, ranging between between $1,400 to $1.1 million. As of Monday, 400 had been sold, including one of the $1.1 million ticket packages McFarland said.
According to the Fyre Festival website, there are four ticket options available:
Ignite ($1,400): Four-day access for one person.
Four-day access for one person. Fuego ($5,000): Four-day access for one person, VIP access to festival grounds and close viewing of Fight Pit.
Four-day access for one person, VIP access to festival grounds and close viewing of Fight Pit. Phoenix ($25,000): Four-day access for two people, artist access to festival grounds and pit-side access to Fight Pit, three-night stay for two at Impression Isla Mujeres or Almare All-Inclusive Resort, Isla Mujeres, private ground transportation, travel and accommodation assistance from Fyre Concierge.
Four-day access for two people, artist access to festival grounds and pit-side access to Fight Pit, three-night stay for two at Impression Isla Mujeres or Almare All-Inclusive Resort, Isla Mujeres, private ground transportation, travel and accommodation assistance from Fyre Concierge. Prometheus ($1.1 million): Four-day access for eight people, "Prometheus access" to festival grounds, fight team access to Fight Pit, curated itinerary, 24/7 private chauffeur service, access to private marina, private air charter flight from Miami, Florida to Cancun International Airport followed by private helicopter ride to Isla Mujeres, travel and accommodation assistance from Fyre Concierge, three-night stay on yacht or villa.
All ticket sales are final and refunds are not allowed.
Where is Fyre Festival 2?
Fyre Festival 2 will be held on Isla Mujeres in Quintana Roo, Mexico. Located in the Caribbean Sea, Isla Mujeres is about eight miles off the coast of Cancún, Mexico.
McFarland said the festival is working with a "private venue owner," which is where the festival will be held, but he said on Monday that he couldn't disclose the exact venue.
Who is headlining Fyre Festival 2?
A musical lineup has not been announced for Fyre Festival 2. Artists will be announced one-by-one in March, McFarland said.
McFarland confirmed that the festival has booked some artists and is targeting a "few dozen" total. He said the music will be cross-genre, including electronic, pop, rock and hip-hop.
When asked if any "A-list musicians" had been booked for Fyre Festival 2, McFarland said, "I think A-list of pretty subjective, but in my opinion, they're definitely A-list."
Why is Billy McFarland hosting a second Fyre Festival?
McFarland said he has two goals with Fyre Festival 2: "Bring the initial goals of sharing these island adventures and island trips with as many people as possible" and restitution.
As part of his sentencing, McFarland agreed to pay $26 million in restitution to victims of the first Fyre Festival. Falb told USA TODAY that $500,000 of the proceeds from the festival and an additional 10% of all profits will be put toward the restitution.
What will make Fyre Festival 2 different?
"There is a big difference from last time," McFarland said. "For the first Fyre, we had the idea ... in October (2016), we put tickets for sale in December (2016) and tried to execute in April (2017), and obviously, we made a ton of bad decisions and mistakes along the way. The big difference this time was the process we ran. We started speaking with potential partners almost two years ago and then the idea had obviously been in the works for a long time before that."
For the first Fyre Festival, McFarland and his associates handled every aspect of planning, from talent booking to ticket sales. This time around, McFarland is working with three partners to handle behind-the-scenes operations. These include production company Lostnights, ticketing platform FriendlySky and ticket resell platform SoldOut.com.
SoldOut.com President Andrew Hentrich said he was one of the first 100 people to purchase a Fyre Festival 2 ticket when they were teased back in August 2023. When the opportunity arose to partner with the festival, he was "thrilled."
"We have worked closely with Billy and the Fyre team over the past few months and have seen firsthand his commitment to making a true redemption story," Hentrich told USA TODAY.
Friendlysky CEO Ian Chalmers told USA TODAY that in his 30-plus years working in the hospitality industry, he "can't think of a more highly-anticipated event than Fyre Festival 2."
Lostnights did not immediately respond for comment about working with McFarland when contacted by USA TODAY on Monday.
Who is Billy McFarland?
Deemed by Vanity Fair as the "poster boy for millennial scamming," William "Billy" Zervakos McFarland hails from New Jersey and is the son of real estate developers Steven and Irene McFarland.
McFarland's LinkedIn profile lists several different startups he has founded over the years, including online advertiser Spling in 2010, exclusive "black card" social club and membership program Magnises in 2013 and marketing agency PYRT in 2022. McFarland also founded Fyre Media, Inc., the company behind Fyre Festival, in 2016. FYRT and Fire Media, Inc. are the only two startups that remain.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Follow her on X and Instagram @gretalcross. Story idea? Email her at gcross@usatoday.com.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
6 minutes ago
- Yahoo
'Night Always Comes': Vanessa Kirby, Benjamin Caron Netflix thriller unfolds in a single night of desperation
Kirby's characters races through Portland, Oregon overnight to find $25,000 in this gritty new film Following their work together on The Crown, director Benjamin Caron and actor Vanessa Kirby have collaborated again on the Netflix film Night Always Comes, a thriller based on the book by Willy Vlautin. Set in Portland, Oregon, the movie takes place over one night as Lynette (Kirby) tries to secure $25,000 to buy her family's home, alongside her brother Kenny (Zack Gottsagen). "We had been looking for a project for a few years, and there were a couple that nearly happened, but for various reasons they didn't quite get over the line," Caron told Yahoo Canada. "I think [Vanessa] ... felt that the character of Lynette was something she wanted to play. ... I really wanted to make a stressful movie, and I thought this had the mechanics of that." Caron previously worked on the Apple TV+ series Sharper, a show that really utilized its New York location as a tool to tell a story that blended classic rom-com elements with a thriller. In Night Always Comes, the filmmaker tapped into the unique elements of working-class Portland. "I'm sort of well travelled in terms of the more recognizable cities in [the U.S.], and whether that's Los Angeles, whether that's Chicago or New York or Miami, and I'm also very familiar with those cities on screen. ... I was less familiar with some of the more mid-sized American cities, and Portland being one of those," Caron said. "I always think, as a filmmaker, it's great to come into somewhere and sort of look at a city through an outsider's perspective. But I don't think this story was necessarily unique just to Portland, ... the gentrification, the homelessness, it's something that I'm seeing happening all over, certainly the Pacific Northwest of America, and also not just America, but across the world." Caron added that he found Portland to be a particularly "filmic" city. "I loved all the bridges, I loved the river that ran through it," he said. "There was the fabric of this sort of old city, and then from the sort of middle of it ... you could see this urban gentrification that was starting to push out from the middle. So filmically, it felt like a really good city to put on screen." 'We believe that they exist before and after the film' A distinct element in Night Always Comes is that the film is told trough Lynette's perspective as we really take every step with her on her desperate journey to get her hands on $25,000. But with each character that Lynette meets, it feels like they have their own interesting experiences and histories they bring into this story. "I think in many ways, the entire film is not just Lynette, I think it's full of desperate people who are trying to get by, by doing desperate things," Caron said. "And I think that as a allegory for the whole film is really important." "I know it's really important to me, and also I know to actors, that I really want to take care of the characters and their journeys within the moments they are on screen. So we invited all of the actors to come in and work with us on making sure that these lives that they inhabit, ... they burn brightly. Not just in the film, but that we believe that they exist before and after the film." One of those characters is Scott, played by Randall Park, a wealthy former escort client of Lynette's who she reconnects with early in the film, hoping he would give her the money she needs to buy her family's home. "He wanted to make sure that the character wasn't just a two dimensional cheating husband, that there was a sort of an understanding about the pressures that character has in his life, ... even if it feels unfair to what we're seeing happening to Lynette," Caron said. "[Randall] relished that opportunity of bringing that character onto screen and it's a moment in the film where your heart just breaks. ... [Lynette] is so desperate in that moment where she's asking for something [that] probably isn't a huge amount of money to him. And he's sort of got the wrong end of the stick. He thinks she's come for something else. And ... when he just laughs it off, it just absolutely crushes your heart in that moment." Mother-daughter relationship 'you just don't see enough of' Another key relationship for Lynette is with her mother Doreen, played by Jennifer Jason Leigh. While Lynette had been coordinating with the property's landlord about the buying the home, she needed her mother to cover the downpayment. But Doreen ends up spending that money on a new car, which is what sets Lynette off on her quest to get the funds herself. "What I love about what Jennifer brought to that part is that, even at the beginning, you sort of feel that there's a mother there that has ... a 38-year-old daughter still living at home with her. And there's that sort of unspoken tension, energy in the air," Caron said. "I love the fact that she's not even able to really say these words to Lynette, that I just don't think we can together anymore, that the only way that she can do that is as a form of self-sabotaging herself by going out and buying the car." "But those two were just brilliant to watch as dancing partners on screen together. I think they brought a really unique mother-daughter relationship to screen that you just don't see enough of." 'A unique, modern tragedy' But at its core, Night Always Comes reflects larger concerns around economic challenges that many people face, including in Canada, from housing affordability issues to other cost of living challenges. "The idea of someone that's basically doing two or three jobs and not able to afford their own home is such a unique, modern tragedy," Caron said. "And I really wanted Lynette to represent the many Lynette's out there who are one paycheque away from collapse." "We did a lot of work at the beginning to try and establish the sort of economic pressures that were on Lynette, ... but also just understanding the bigger economic, social issues that were happening in and around Portland, and also across America. ... It felt like, yes, a story of Lynette, but also a story of that American working class. ... It was a story of those single moms. It was a story of those nurses, or those caregivers that were being priced out of the cities that they were helping to run."
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
Quentin Tarantino is happy with David Fincher taking on Once Upon A Time In Hollywood spin-off
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. It's been almost three decades since Quentin Tarantino left another director to handle one of his scripts (the last being From Dusk Till Dawn). Now, David Fincher is being tasked with taking care of Once Upon A Time In Hollywood stuntman, Cliff Booth (Brad Pitt), for the new film, The Adventures of Cliff Booth, for Netflix, and he couldn't be happier with his replacement. During a discussion on The Church of Tarantino podcast, Tarantino explained what it meant that Fincher was a blessing that halted any interference with his plans for his tenth film to be his last, amid the upcoming torch passing of the character and the world. 'I love this script, but I'm still walking down the same ground I've already walked. It just kind of unenthused me. This last movie, I've got to not know what I'm doing again. I've got to be in uncharted territory.' By the sounds of things, there was also no better director at the helm to handle the film, which takes place eight years after Once Upon A Time in Hollywood. 'I think me and David Fincher are the two best directors. So the idea that David Fincher actually wants to adapt my work, to me, shows a level of seriousness towards my work that I think needs to be taken into account,' Tarantino explained. Should there ever be an occasion that the mind behind both movies is needed on set, Tarantino assured that he would make himself available. "I'm moving back and forth between here and Israel, so I won't be on the set every day and everything. But, yeah, I'll be around if they need me to do something, you know, I will." Filming is currently underway, with Brad Pitt already spotted in Booth's legendary worn-down shirt, but there's still no release date confirmed from the big red N just yet as to when we'll see him in action again. Should you need to keep yourself busy in the meantime, check out every upcoming Netflix show heading to the streaming service here. Solve the daily Crossword
Business Upturn
5 hours ago
- Business Upturn
Sullivan's Crossing Season 4: Release date rumors, cast updates and plot – Everything we know so far
Fans of Sullivan's Crossing can't stop buzzing about the cozy Canadian drama that's taken Netflix by storm. After a jaw-dropping Season 3 finale, everyone's eager to know what's next for Maggie, Cal, and the rest of the Timberlake crew. Here's the latest scoop on Season 4, packed with release date speculation, cast updates, and plot predictions to keep the excitement alive. Sullivan's Crossing Season 4 Potential Release Date Nobody's dropped an official release date for Season 4 yet, but there's enough tea to spill based on how the show's been rolling out. Sullivan's Crossing has a pretty steady groove. Season 1 kicked off on CTV in March 2023, then hit The CW in October 2023. Season 2 showed up on CTV in April 2024, followed by The CW in October 2024. Season 3 kept the pattern, landing on CTV in April 2025 and The CW in May 2025. If the trend holds, Season 4 should pop up on CTV around April or May 2026, with The CW airing it a bit later, maybe June 2026. Word on the street—or rather, posts on X—says filming started in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in August 2025 and should wrap by November. That keeps things on track for a 2026 premiere. Netflix fans, you'll probably get Season 4 around August 2026, a few months after The CW run, since Season 3 dropped on Netflix in August 2025. Sullivan's Crossing Season 4 Expected Cast The Sullivan's Crossing crew feels like family at this point, and most of the faves should be back for Season 4. Here's the rundown on who's likely strolling through Timberlake: Morgan Kohan as Maggie Sullivan Chad Michael Murray as Cal Jones Scott Patterson as Sully Sullivan Andrea Menard as Edna Cranebear Tom Jackson as Frank Cranebear Lindura as Sydney Shandon Reid Price as Rob Shandon Dakota Taylor as Rafe Vadas Amalia Williamson as Lola Gunderson Cindy Sampson as Jane Kate Vernon as Helen Culver Marcus Rosner as Liam Davies Sullivan's Crossing Season 4 Potential Plot That Season 3 finale on June 22, 2025, had jaws on the floor. Liam Davies rolling into town, calling himself Maggie's husband? Total plot twist! Season 4's gotta unpack that mess and more. Here's what's probably cooking based on the finale and the show's knack for romance and heart: Maggie and Cal: Love on the Rocks? Maggie and Cal were finally getting their groove on in Season 3, with Maggie settling into Timberlake and planning her own clinic. Then Liam drops the 'husband' bomb. Is it legit, or is there some wild backstory? Season 4's bound to dig into Maggie's past, maybe flashing back to what went down with Liam. This could put her and Cal's romance through the wringer. Fans on X are already freaking out about whether these two can survive another hurdle. Their chemistry's too good to fizzle, but it's gonna be a bumpy ride. Sully's Big Adventure Sully shocked everybody by deciding to head to Ireland with Helen. Season 4 might follow him across the pond, showing how he's handling this new chapter. Will he come back to the campground, or is Maggie taking over for good? His journey's gonna tug at the heartstrings, especially after all he's been through with Maggie. Edna and Frank's Healing Vibes Edna's brain surgery was a nail-biter, and Maggie pulled it off like a champ. Now, Edna and Frank's story will probably focus on soaking up life and leaning on each other. Their scenes always bring the warm fuzzies, balancing out the heavier drama. More Timberlake Drama The rest of the crew's got plenty going on. Sydney and Rafe's relationship is a hot mess—will they make it to the altar, or crash and burn? Lola and Jacob's flirty vibes could turn into something more. Rob and Jane might be headed for wedding bells, too. The campground itself could face trouble, maybe money issues or some shady new character stirring the pot. And Maggie's clinic? That's a whole new adventure, mixing her doctor skills with small-town life. Ahmedabad Plane Crash
