Latest news with #Fyre:TheGreatestPartyThatNeverHappened
USA Today
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Billy McFarland sells Fyre Festival brand on eBay for $245K. See what the buyer will get.
"Fyre Festival is just one chapter of my story, and I'm excited to move onto my next one," Billy McFarland said in a statement after the sale. Fyre Festival will soon be in different hands as the infamous music festival sold for $245,300 on eBay this week. Billy McFarland, the festival's founder and owner, launched a live eBay auction for the "iconic" brand, trademarks, intellectual property and social media assets on July 8. After 175 bids from 42 bidders, the festival sold for $245,300 on Tuesday, July 15. The winning bidder has not been announced. "Fyre Festival is just one chapter of my story, and I'm excited to move onto my next one," McFarland wrote in a social media statement on Tuesday. Who bought Fyre Festival? It is unclear who placed the winning bid for Fyre Festival, as eBay presents anonymous names during auctions for buyer safety. Fyre Festival has also not shared the name of the winning bidder. A Fyre Festival spokesperson did not provide additional information outside of McFarland's statement when contacted by USA TODAY on Wednesday, July 16. What did the auction include? According to the eBay listing, the sale included: What are people saying? Social media users didn't hesitate to share their thoughts on the eBay sale. "Is the next move where you get a job?" one Instagram user commented on McFarland's statement. "I'm confused by what he's even selling. Just the logo? They never did anything," another user wrote. Though some commenters were more positive. "Can't wait to see the new Fyre owner's vision for the brand!" a user wrote. What is Fyre Festival? Fyre Festival first gained traction in 2017. The two-week music and arts festival in the Bahamas, was promoted by influencers like Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber and ticketholders were promised performances from 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. In 2018, McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison for engaging in several fraudulent schemes related to the festival, including defrauding investors out of $26 million and more than $100,000 in fraudulent ticket-selling schemes. The festival inspired two documentaries, Netflix's "Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened" and Hulu's "Fyre Fraud." As part of his sentencing, McFarland agreed to pay $26 million in restitution to those who attended the first Fyre Festival in the Bahamas in 2017. The eBay listing states that a "portion of the proceeds" from the sale will be used for this. Upon his release, McFarland began to promote Fyre Festival 2, a second attempt at the festival. But problems quickly arose, as tickets starting at $1,400 promised luxury accommodations off the coast of Mexico, despite Mexican government officials claiming they weren't working with the festival at all. After a venue change – to an entirely different island – just weeks before the festival was to begin, McFarland called it off. "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," McFarland said in an April statement. As of July 16, McFarland claims Fyre Festival is working with "several Caribbean destinations" interested in hosting the festival. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Trainwreck: Poop Cruise' smells like an Emmy contender — but not until 2026
In 2013, the world was enraptured by the story of the Carnival Triumph luxury cruise ship, which stranded 4,000 passengers without power and plumbing in the Gulf of Mexico after an engine fire. Guests were initially instructed to "go No. 1" in the showers and "go No. 2" in red biohazard baggies, but after four days, the raw sewage had become so backed up that social media was dubbing it the "Poop Cruise." Now, Netflix's Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, from director James Ross, is chronicling every gory detail, from the tent cities to the squishing carpets. Warning: you will feel queasy when you get to the 'poop lasagna' scene. But will Emmy voters embrace the program next year? More from Gold Derby Cristin Milioti, Amanda Seyfried, Michelle Williams, and the best of our Emmy Limited Series/Movie Actress interviews Best Comedy Writing Emmy predictions: Why 'The Bear' could miss the cut Trainwreck is an anthology docuseries that revisits some of the most gross-out or bizarre news stories of yesteryear, told from the perspective of the people who were involved. The first installment was released in 2022 and explored the infamous Woodstock festival from 1999, and other stories include the boy in the balloon, the devastating Astroworld tragedy, and the cult of American Apparel. Since Trainwreck: Poop Cruise premiered on June 24, it will be eligible at the 2026 Emmys in the Documentary/Nonfiction categories. While a program about floating defecation may not seem like your typical Emmy fare, there is recent precedent for Television Academy members to reward projects that aren't, shall we say, sophisticated. Last year, nominated doc Quiet on Set gave viewers an icky feeling as it explored the titular Dark Side of Kids TV. Two years prior, We Need to Talk About Cosby received a bid for diving deep into Bill Cosby's criminal sexual misconduct allegations. Also in 2022, The Tinder Swindler was nominated for telling the vile true tale of an international catfish. Both Framing Britney Spears (2021) and Controlling Britney Spears (2022) received back-to-back bids for covering the pop star's personal troubles over her conservatorship. And then there's Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened (2019), which, like Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, recounted the story of paying customers being stranded in dire conditions. The Fyre Festival was a disastrous music fest in the Bahamas in 2017, which failed to deliver on its promise of an opulent experience. Remember those grotesque cheese sandwiches? Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened wound up being nominated for four Emmys: Best Documentary/Nonfiction Special, Best Directing, Best Sound Editing, and Best Sound Mixing. That's good news for Trainwreck: Poop Cruise, as it demonstrates that voters can overlook a cringey story as long as the documentary is told in a respectful manner. Poop Cruise survivors featured in the doc include father Larry and daughter Rebekah, newly married husband Devin, bachelorette partygoers Kalin, Ashley and Jayme, ship employees Jen, Abhi, and Hanna, plus CNN anchor Brooke Baldwin and maritime lawyer Frank Spagnoletti. Following the events of the 2013 disaster, survivors were not able to sue Carnival because they had signed away their rights when they bought their tickets. The company spent tens of millions of dollars salvaging and cleaning the Carnival Triumph. It still sails today under a new name, the Carnival Sunrise. We encourage future customers to bring their own buckets. Here's a look at what's coming up next in the Trainwreck docuseries: The Cult of American Apparel — July 1 The Real Project X — July 8 Balloon Boy — July 15 P.I. Moms — July 22 Storm Area 51 — July 29 Best of Gold Derby Cristin Milioti, Amanda Seyfried, Michelle Williams, and the best of our Emmy Limited Series/Movie Actress interviews Paul Giamatti, Stephen Graham, Cooper Koch, and the best of our Emmy Limited Series/Movie Actor interviews Lee Jung-jae, Adam Scott, Noah Wyle, and the best of our Emmy Drama Actor interviews Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
In this year's least surprising news, Fyre Festival 2 has been postponed
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. To absolutely no one's surprise at all, Fyre Festival 2, the upcoming Mexican festival promoted by convicted fraudster Billy McFarland, has reportedly been postponed for a second time. The festival – the sequel to the disastrous 2017 event that spawned two documentaries, Hulu's Fyre Fraud and Netflix's Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened – was originally scheduled to take place in 2023 According to ABC News, ticket holders daft enough to part with up to $25,000 for admission have now received an email reading, "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.' The news comes a week after the proposed host city, Playa del Carmen, denied all knowledge of the event in an official statement. The statement read: "Regarding the information that has begun to circulate about a supposed event called 'Fyre 2', the municipal government of Playa del Carmen informs that no event of that name will be held in our city. "After a responsible review of the situation, it is confirmed that there are no records, plans, or conditions that indicate the holding of such an event in the municipality. "This municipal government is acting responsibly and with commitment, always prioritising public order, safety, and social harmony. In response, McFarland posted, "Fyre 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. All media reports suggesting our team has not been working with the government of PDC are simply inaccurate and based on misinformation." Fyre 2 was scheduled to take place from 30 May to 2 June 2025, with tickets on sale for $1400 to $25,000. At the time of writing, tickets are still listed as available for purchase on the festival's website. The original Fyre Festival, scheduled to be held in the Bahamas in 2017, swiftly descended into chaos and ended with zero artists performing, panicked guests fighting over lodgings and food scraps, festival producer Andy King being encouraged to perform fellatio to obtain water and promoter McFarland sentenced to six years in jail after defrauding investors of $27.4 million.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Coachella 2025 draws Fyre Festival comparisons as concertgoers face 12 hour wait times
Coachella 2025 is underway, and long wait lines are causing chaos as campers and concertgoers descend on the California desert, drawing comparisons to the infamous Fyre Festival. While many Coachella festivalgoers who are camping outdoors are already on the grounds, car campers described massive traffic wait times — upwards of 12 hours — in entering festival grounds and arriving to a spot to set up. The desert music festival's first weekend kicks off Friday and goes to Sunday. One social media user took to TikTok saying that they're "starting to think it's Fyre Festival," the infamous 2017 music festival held in the Bahamas where festivalgoers experienced a host of logistical issues. Fyre Festival was the brainchild of businessman Billy McFarland, who was later convicted of fraud and became the subject of two popular documentaries in 2019: "Fyre Fraud" on Hulu and Netflix's "Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened." Coachella 2025: See first week's lineup, daily schedule, set times, how to watch livestream Other festivalgoers said it was a "disaster," with one TikTok showing a random person starting to direct traffic. Other Coachella car campers took to social media to explain their situation as one wrote that they were going to "run out of gas" if there wasn't a fix. 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. Is Fyre Festival 2 happening? 2 months out, lineup remains unseen, event changes location This year, McFarland is making a second attempt at the scandal-ridden 2017 festival as he mounts comeback from May 30 to June 2 in 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. But issues loom large as McFarland attempts a comeback with an unseen lineup and logistical shifts. And some on social media are proclaiming that perhaps Coachella's first weekend may have beaten him to the punch with the traffic concerns. Fans who are choosing not to brave the desert heart can watch Coachella performances on YouTube. The streams are scheduled to start on April 11 at 7 p.m. ET/ 4 p.m. PT. Fans will be able to watch multiple stages from their coach simultaneously, while a vertical live stream option featuring DJ sets will also be available. Some of music's biggest stars and acts are scheduled to grace the stages, including Lady Gaga, Vintage Culture, Travis Scott, Charli XCX, Post Malone and more. The first weekend's events will run from April 11 to 13. The official venue opens at 1 p.m. Friday through Sunday, with general parking opening at 11 a.m. Several sets are scheduled to begin at either 1 p.m. or during that hour. Contributing: Greta Cross, Taylor Ardery, USA TODAY; Paris Barazza, The Desert Sun This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Coachella draws Fyre Festival comparisons amid traffic issues
USA Today
25-02-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Billy McFarland talks plans for Fyre Festival 2: Music, 'Fight Pit,' redemption
Billy McFarland talks plans for Fyre Festival 2: Music, 'Fight Pit,' redemption "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," Billy McFarland told USA TODAY. 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 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@
