Fyre Festival founder says the brand is now for sale, second festival canceled: ‘I can't risk a repeat.' Here's how we got here.
Fyre Festival creator Billy McFarland announced on Wednesday that he and his team are selling the festival's brand after facing 'challenges' while trying to produce Fyre Festival 2.
The festival, which was scheduled to take place in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico, from May 30 to June 2, was McFarland's second attempt at hosting a multiday music festival after the disastrous Fyre Festival he co-planned with rapper Ja Rule in 2017, which resulted in him pleading guilty to wire fraud and being sentenced to six years in federal prison.
In a post on Instagram, McFarland explained that planning Fyre Festival 2 was about 'finishing what I started and making things right.' But, he wrote that he and his team realized 'the best way to accomplish our goals is to sell the FYRE Festival brand, including its trademarks, IP, digital assets, media reach and cultural capital — to an operator that can fully realize its vision.'
'Giving control of the brand to a new group is the most responsible way to follow through on what we set out to do,' McFarland continued. 'We will pick the new group based on their ability to execute the vision.'
Anyone interested in the brand can visit its website to see a list of assets that will be included in the purchase, including email and text contact lists, and screenshot attachments showing Fyre Festival's social media reach and website traffic.
Interested buyers can fill out a form at the bottom of the page.
This news comes one week after it was first reported that Fyre Festival 2 had been postponed. At that time, Fyre Festival organizers told ticket buyers they were 'vetting new locations and will announce our host destination soon,' according to an email obtained by TMZ.
In May 2017, McFarland and Ja Rule were sued for $100 million in a class-action lawsuit on behalf of the attendees. The following month, McFarland was arrested and charged with wire fraud in Manhattan federal court for his involvement in organizing the Fyre Festival. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years in federal prison in October 2018.
McFarland was relocated to a halfway house in March 2022 after serving less than four years and was no longer under house arrest as of September 2022. Two years later, he confirmed his plans to try and host another festival
Here's what's happened since then.
September 2024: McFarland confirms on the Today show that Fyre Festival 2 will take place from April 25 to April 28, 2025.
'We have a private island off the coast of Mexico in the Caribbean, and we have an incredible production company who's handling everything from soup to nuts,' he said. He did not state the name of the island.
February 24, 2025: Fyre Festival 2 tickets go on sale, ranging in cost from $1,400 to $1.1 million. The site advertises that the second Fyre Festival will take place on Isla Mujeres, a tropical island off of Cancún, Mexico. No artists are announced as taking part in the event.
'Fyre 2 is real,' McFarland says during another appearance on Today. 'My dream is finally becoming a reality.'
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Fyre Festival 2 tickets go on sale as Billy McFarland attempts to come back from 2017 disaster: 'My dream is finally becoming a reality'
February 27: Edgar Gasca, a representative from the tourism directorate of Isla Mujeres, tells the Guardian when asked about Fyre Festival 2, 'For us, this is an event that does not exist.'
March 21: McFarland announces on Instagram that the festival will now take place 'in the heart of the Riviera Maya.'
March 27: Fyre Festival hosts a press conference at Martina Beach Club in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. During the press conference, McFarland announces the event will be held in Playa del Carmen from May 30 to June 2.
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Fyre Festival 2 is still on, Billy McFarland says. How he plans to lock down lodging and musical artists.
March 30: McFarland posts a video on Instagram labeled an 'Important FYRE Festival Update.' In it, he claims there will be 1,800 attendees and that a lineup will soon be released.
'We'll have DJs, rappers, reggae artists, pop stars, but also athletes, divers, models, pilots and creators who will lead the experiences for our guests,' McFarland says. 'We'll have dozens of artists in a private party-like setting.'
April 2: Playa del Carmen City Hall posts on X: 'There will be no event called 'Fyre 2' in Playa del Carmen.'
April 4: McFarland writes on X that he has been 'working directly with the government of Playa del Carmen (PDC) and their officials since March 5, 2025 to ensure a safe and successful event.'
April 16: NBC News reports that an alert was temporarily posted on the Fyre Festival 2 ticket site, saying the event had been postponed and attendees would be getting emails confirming a new date.
ABC News reports the festival is postponed, citing an unnamed ticket holder who says they received an email saying, "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."
McFarland reportedly confirmed the postponement to TMZ, blaming the cost of permits and saying that he and the organizers were already looking for new locations and dates for ticket buyers. TMZ published the alleged email organizers sent out to ticket buyers, which states, 'FYRE Festival 2 will no longer take place in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.'
April 23: McFarland posts an announcement on Instagram that he is selling Fyre Festival branding to anyone interested. He says, 'For FYRE Festival 2 to succeed, it's clear that I need to step back and allow a new team to move forward independently, bringing the vision to life on this incredible island.'
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