Is Fyre Festival 2 happening? 2 months out, lineup remains unseen, event changes location
Is Fyre Festival 2 happening? 2 months out, lineup remains unseen, event changes location
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
Fyre Festival 2, a second attempt at the infamous 2017 festival, is scheduled for May 30 to June 2, but an entertainment lineup has yet to be shared.
Just 70 days before the festival's first day, it was announced that the event would be held at Playa del Carmen, Mexico, rather than the initially-promoted Isla Mujeres, Mexico.
40 festival entertainers are supposed to be announced next week, but applications remain open for "excursion" hosts on the festival's website.
In just 60 days, a "take two" of the infamous Fyre Festival is supposed to kick off in Mexico, but an artist lineup has yet to be shared, entertainment applications remain open and an entirely new location has just been announced.
The second attempt at the scandal-ridden 2017 festival is scheduled for May 30 to June 2 at Playa del Carmen, Mexico, a recent change from the festival's initially-promoted location of Isla Mujeres, Mexico. The location announcement was shared on Fyre Festival's social media on March 21, just 70 days before the festival's first day.
Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarland told USA TODAY that festival entertainment would be announced in March. But now, fans can expect a list of 40 entertainers to be shared this upcoming week, Lostnights Head of Artists & Commercial Relations Manuel Reta said during a press conference in Playa del Carmen on Thursday. Lostnights, a festival production company, is helping produce Fyre Festival 2 this time.
McFarland attended Thursday's press conference virtually, as he remains under probation in the U.S. In 2018, McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison for engaging in several fraudulent schemes related to Fyre Festival. After his arrest, he acknowledged that he had defrauded investors out of $26 million and more than $100,000 in fraudulent ticket-selling schemes.
Why did Fyre Festival 2 change locations?
Last month, eyebrows began to rise when Isla Mujeres government officials and the management of a five-star hotel listed on the Fyre Festival's website claimed they weren't working with Fyre Festival 2 or even knew about it.
In response, McFarland shared that the festival had terminated contracts with two hotels that "gave misleading statements, saying they never heard of Fyre." McFarland didn't specify which hotels these were, but as of Friday, Impression Isla by Secrets, which claimed it was not affiliated with Fyre Festival, had been removed from the festival's website.
"We have been working on building Fyre in Mexico since September (2024)," McFarland told USA TODAY in a statement. "We were blindsided by comments made to the media, and we ultimately found the perfect home for Fyre Festival 2 in Playa del Carmen."
Fyre Festival opens applications for 'excursion' hosts
Despite supposed locked-down entertainers, as of Friday, a new Fyre Festival 2 website page allows folks to apply to host "curated excursions and experiences" for festival guests. The page indicates that the festival is looking for individuals who can lead activities like whale shark diving, cliff jumping, luxury catamaran sails or survivalist challenges.
"This is an exclusive, application-only opportunity for individuals with an engaged audience and a track record of delivering premium experiences," the website reads. "If selected, your experience will be an official part of the Fyre Festival itinerary, with dedicated marketing and media support."
The Fyre Festival website does not specify the pay or benefits for excursion hosts.
Festival prohibits refunds on $1.1 million tickets
Only 2,000 tickets are available for Fyre Festival 2, ranging between $1,400 for one person to $1.1 million for a group of eight. Ticket package details vary, but none are refundable.
"We may cancel any event at any time at our sole discretion. No refunds will be given for event date, time, location or lineup changes or cancellations by artists," the festival's terms of service states.
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 that the 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.
The entertainment fail resulted in two documentaries, including Netflix's Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened.
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. 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
USA Today
28 minutes ago
- USA Today
Jamie Foxx cries in BET Awards speech about health, credits daughters for recovery
Jamie Foxx cries in BET Awards speech about health, credits daughters for recovery Show Caption Hide Caption Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz talk returning to 'Back in Action' set Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz tell USA TODAY what it was like to return to shooting 'Back in Action' after pausing for Foxx's health scare. Two years out from his stroke and subsequent coma, Jamie Foxx emotionally thanked his sister and daughters for getting him through the dark period. Daughters Corinne Foxx, 31, and Anelise Bishop, 16, — like their dad — were in tears as they were seated in the 2025 BET Awards crowd. Anelise's chin trembled as she looked up at her dad on stage, who accepted one of the night's Ultimate Icon Awards. "When I saw that in memoriam, I was like, 'Man, that could've been me.' But I don't know why I went through what I went through, but I know that my second chance, I'm not going to turn it down," said Foxx, 57. He went on to thank sister Deidre Dixon, a Hollywood hair and makeup artist, because she "made sure that she took care of her brother" in spring 2023. Then he shouted out his eldest daughter, who was the one sharing updates on his health at the time. "My beautiful daughter, Corinne, I cannot say enough about you," Foxx said. "You've always taken a backseat to everything. But when you needed to drive it, you drove. And you made sure I was here. And at a certain point, I'm going to stop crying, but I'm not going to stop yet." Jamie Foxx speaks out: Actor reveals his mysterious illness in Netflix special Jamie Foxx daughters sob during speech as he reveals how Anelise helped recovery with guitar Foxx's lengthy speech also included a story about how his younger daughter helped with his recovery in the hospital. "Anelise Estelle Foxx, my baby with the big hair. She hides under that hair because she's got something special. You're so beautiful, man," Foxx said. "When I was fighting for my life in there, I've got to say this. They said, 'We're going to lose him because his vitals are bad.' And I didn't want my 14 year old to see me like that. But Anelise overheard the conversation and she snuck into my hospital room with her guitar and said, 'I know what my Daddy needs,'" he continued. Foxx recounted, "And as she played the guitar, my vitals (improved). And I realized God was in her guitar. The nurses ran in and said, 'What did they give him?' My daughter said, 'Shh, I've got him.'" Jamie Foxx's health struggles Foxx explained in his 2024 Netflix special that he'd experienced "a bad headache" on April 11, 2023. Moments after he'd asked for an aspirin, he lost consciousness — and now doesn't remember the ensuing 20 days. During this comatose period, Foxx was taken to a doctor, who administered a cortisone shot and sent him home. Then a follow-up appointment with a doctor revealed Foxx had experienced a stroke caused by a brain bleed. The exact cause of the stroke was not determined. Jamie Foxx on medical emergency: 'I was gone for 20 days' Speaking to a group outside of a hotel in Phoenix, actor Jamie Foxx revealed more details about a medical emergency he experienced last year. Jamie Foxx, Stevie Wonder joke about blindness With Foxx's speech lasting around 10 minutes, music legend and award presenter Stevie Wonder wandered back to Foxx, who was standing center stage, to gently encourage him to start wrapping it up. After Foxx noted he'd almost elbowed Wonder behind him, he started walking around the microphone with the trophy outstretched (which was not how Wonder was moving on stage). "How did he know?" Foxx said. Wonder joked earlier in the night that he watched and edited the tribute package for Foxx and had ribbed Foxx for trying to connect with him as a blind artist when he portrayed Ray Charles in the Oscar-winning movie "Ray." Contributing: Edward Segarra, USA TODAY
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Watch a star-studded 'Hamilton' performance at the 2025 Tony Awards
Broadway's biggest stars got to be, once again, in the room where it happened. To mark the 10th anniversary of the breakout production, nearly 30 members of the original "Hamilton" cast reunited on the Tony's stage Sunday night to perform some of the show's biggest hits. Creator Lin-Manuel Miranda was joined by Leslie Odom Jr., Jonathan Groff, Daveed Diggs and others for a medley of songs that drew raucous cheers from the crowd at Radio City Music Hall on June 8. With numbers like "My Shot," "The Schuyler Sisters" and "The Room Where It Happens," the ensemble invoked the historical tension of a colonial America with soaring melodies and witty rhymes, reminding the audience why "Hamilton" became a smash in the first place. Jonathan Groff opens up about death, Bobby Darin and why he's done with birthday wishes A lively, hip-hop-infused take on early American history, "Hamilton" has become a cultural phenomenon, catapulting both Odom and Miranda from Broadway performers to bona fide Hollywood stars. Premiering at Broadway's Richard Rodgers Theatre in August 2015 to widespread critical acclaim, it went on to win a whopping 11 Tony Awards, including best musical. A filmed version of the show starring the original cast debuted on Disney+ in 2020. Set with a multi-racial cast, and heavily influenced by rap and hip-hop, the show reimagines the making of America, weaving in the very people its founding document was penned to leave out. Cole Escola makes Tony Awards history as first nonbinary best leading actor in a play Who won the Tonys? One musical certainly had a standout night. "Maybe Happy Ending," Will Aronson and Hue Park's musical on two "helperbots" and their journey of friendship, love and adventure, swept the awards with six wins, which included prizes for best musical, best original score, best book of a musical and best scenic design of a musical. See the full list of winners here. Miranda's revived Tonys performance comes as the production opted to remove shows at the Kennedy Center in the wake of a conservative rebrand under President Donald Trump. "Political disagreement and debate are vital expressions of democracy. These basic concepts of freedom are at the very heart of 'Hamilton,'" show producer Jeffrey Seller wrote in a statement in March. "However, some institutions are sacred and should be protected from politics. The Kennedy Center is one such institution." In February, Trump announced a massive overhaul at the Kennedy Center that included the termination of multiple board of trustees members and Chairman David Rubenstein. Installing himself as the new chairman, Trump cited the center's decision to host drag show performances at its venue as the reason for the changes in a Truth Social post earlier this year. Contributing: Savannah Kuchar, Swapna Venugopal Ramaswamy, Joey Garrison, USA TODAY This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'Hamilton' Tony Awards 2025 performance reunites cast
USA Today
2 hours ago
- USA Today
Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni's $400M countersuit against Blake Lively
Judge dismisses Justin Baldoni's $400M countersuit against Blake Lively Show Caption Hide Caption Blake Lively's team slams Baldoni's over Taylor Swift subpoena Blake Lively's team has condemned Justin Baldoni's team's decision to subpoena Taylor Swift, calling it a blatant attempt to exploit Lively's friendship for tabloid attention. unbranded - Entertainment Justin Baldoni's $400 million countersuit against his "It Ends with Us" costar Blake Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and The New York Times has been dismissed by a judge. The "It Ends with Us" director first sued Lively, Reynolds and the Times after the actress went public with claims Baldoni sexually harassed her and helped orchestrate a smear campaign against her. The lawsuit was filed in response to Lively's sexual harassment and retaliation lawsuit in late 2024. Judge Lewis Liman granted a June 9 motion for dismissal from Lively's legal team because Baldoni's claims of civil extortion, defamation and false light did not hold up legally. However, the judge is allowing Baldoni's team another chance to address specific claims by filing a second amended complaint – for breach of implied covenant and tortious interference with contract – by June 23. Reynolds, Lively and publicist Leslie Sloane's request for Baldoni to cover their attorneys' fees was denied without prejudice, meaning their request could also be refiled. USA TODAY has reached out to Baldoni's reps for comment. "Today's opinion is a total victory and a complete vindication for Blake Lively, along with those that Justin Baldoni and the Wayfarer Parties dragged into their retaliatory lawsuit, including Ryan Reynolds, Leslie Sloane and The New York Times," Lively's lawyers said in a Monday, June 9, statement to USA TODAY. "As we have said from day one, this '$400 million' lawsuit was a sham, and the Court saw right through it," the statement continued. "We look forward to the next round, which is seeking attorneys' fees, treble damages and punitive damages against Baldoni, Sarowitz, Nathan, and the other Wayfarer Parties who perpetrated this abusive litigation." In a filing reviewed by USA TODAY, the judge noted that Baldoni's complaint focused on two main claims. First, he alleged Lively threatened to refuse to promote "It Ends with Us" and attack him publicly if he didn't agree to give her control over the movie. The complaint argued this amounted to civil extortion. But Liman said the complaint did not adequately allege that Lively's "threats were wrongful extortion rather than legally permissible hard bargaining or renegotiation of working conditions." The judge also determined that Baldoni and his fellow plaintiffs failed to show that they were damaged by some of Lively's allegedly "extortionate acts." Secondly, Baldoni's complaint alleged that Lively, Reynolds, Sloane and the Times "spread a false narrative that Baldoni committed sexual misconduct towards" Lively and engaged in a smear campaign against her. But the judge said the complaint did not allege that Lively "is responsible for any statements" other than those made in a California Civil Rights Department complaint, which are privileged. As for statements made by Reynolds, Sloane and the Times, the judge said the complaint did not allege that these parties "would have seriously doubted these statements were true based on the information available to them," which is required for them to be liable for defamation.
