Fyre Festival 2 reportedly postponed: From multiple venue changes to a nonexistent music lineup, here's how we got here.
Fyre Festival 2 has been postponed and ticket holders are being offered refunds, multiple news outlets reported on Wednesday.
The festival, which was scheduled to take place in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico from May 30 to June 2, is Billy McFarland's second attempt at hosting a multi-day 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.
NBC News initially reported Wednesday that there was a notice on the event's ticket site saying, 'FYRE 2 Festival is postponed and will be rescheduled for a later date in the future. If you have purchased tickets already, you will receive an email once the new date is confirmed.' But the notice was subsequently removed from the site.
TMZ, which interviewed McFarland about Fyre Festival 2 in February, published an email that organizers reportedly sent out to ticket buyers, which says, 'FYRE Festival 2 will no longer take place in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.'
'We are vetting new locations and will announce our host destination soon,' the announcement reads. 'Our priorities remain unchanged: delivery an unforgettable, safe and transparent experience.'
McFarland reportedly confirmed the event's postponement to TMZ, saying that 'Permits cost hundreds of thousands of pesos. Many times that [is] spent on venues, hotels, etc. that [Playa del Carmen] directed us to book.' He told the outlet the organizers were working to secure a new location and date soon.
As of reporting, there is only a notice on the festival's ticket website saying tickets are 'currently not available' and lists all ticket options as 'sold out.'
McFarland's Fyre Festival 2 was scheduled to take place in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico from May 30 to June 2, with tickets prices starting at $1,400.
"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, 33, said in February. "After years of reflection and now thoughtful planning, the new team and I have amazing plans for FYRE 2.'
Yahoo News reached out to the Fyre Festival organizers and has not heard back as of reporting.
The first Fyre Festival was planned for two weekends in the Bahamas in late April and early May 2017. However, the first weekend was cut short after attendees arrived, due to major problems with food, logistics, security, accommodation and talent.
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 confirm the name of the island.
February 24, 2025: Fyre Festival 2 tickets go on sale, ranging from $1400 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 the Today Show. '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 officially 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 the 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 says, 'FYRE Festival 2 will no longer take place in Playa del Carmen, Mexico.'
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