Latest news with #FyreFestival2
Metro
2 days ago
- Business
- Metro
Fyre Festival launches tropical hotel this summer with $1,500 stays
It's not often that an event synonymous with disaster manages to revive itself continuously, but the Fyre Festival brand has consistently defied expectations. Yesterday, the infamous brand announced the Fyre Hotels experience, scheduled to take place from September 3 to September 10 at the Coral View Utila in Honduras, the Caribbean. According to a new website, the hotel experience stems from the initial 2013 incident that inspired Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarland's original festival: 'A software engineer and hobbyist pilot challenged Billy to leave NYC and to try and fly a small plane from NYC to a remote Caribbean island.' 'Along the way, Billy overshot, ran out of gas, and was saved by a landing strip on a remote island. The magic of the island created a legend that quickly spread back home. These trips grew from a single engine propeller plane with four crazy entrepreneurs to the talent lead and adventure infused trips that became FYRE Festival.' For those not in the know, FYRE Festival was a 2017 luxury music event in the Bahamas that disastrously collapsed. Marketed by influencers and co-founded by Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule, it promised lavish villas, gourmet food, and top artists – but delivered disaster tents, cold sandwiches, and chaos. Attendees were stranded, and the event quickly became a viral scandal, with McFarland later being convicted of fraud and sentenced to six years in prison. The festival sparked multiple lawsuits and became a symbol of social media deception, later chronicled in two popular documentaries. So is this new hotel scheme redemption or just another ruse for McFarland? At this point, it's hard to say for sure. Hotel packages range from $200 (£147) to $500 (£370) a day – making the entire trip cost around $1500 (£1,109) – with packages supposedly including boat excursions, guided snorkelling, beach fitness sessions, kayaking, beach volleyball, nightly entertainment, and beach bonfire parties. The island reached out to the brand specifically. The website states: 'They have tapped FYRE to bring global attention to this off-the-map gem, programming unforgettable experiences, and simply enjoying life at the edge of the reef.' While the original disastrous festival touted a luxury experience, this is intentionally more rustic: 'We're not chasing luxury. We're chasing stories. Our trip is about deep dives, street food, late night bonfires, and waking up to something unexpected. This location is the essence of beauty, energy, and potential for adventure.' The news of the hotel comes shortly after Fyre Festival 2 was officially canceled. It may not have existed at all. The festival was reportedly due to take place in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, from May 30 to June 2. However, the local Playa del Carmen government said there is 'no event of that name' expected to take place in the city, as per The Times. It remains unclear whether he was referring to the new hotel experience when he insisted it was 'all real' on social media. Still, given McFarland's track record, many are skeptical about the brand's new venture. More Trending But Heath Miller, former New York concert promoter and one-time vp and talent buyer at Webster Hall in New York, who reached an agreement with McFarland for the hotel pop-up, is optimistic. He told Billboard: 'This event isn't for an artist looking for a $100,000 fee. Honestly, for me, this is a promotional vehicle for my hotel and it plays into my grand plan — I'm working on writing a book on my music career, and the book was supposed to end last June [with a story about] Jack Antonoff in Asbury Park. But instead, I guess Fyre is going to be the final chapter of the book.' He went on to say that though Fyre Festival has a bad reputation as a brand, it's valuable in its ability to drum up publicity. He added: 'Billy has issues and one of his biggest flaws is that he tends to trust people more than he should,' before going on to explain that he has personally ensured all of the pop-up's permits and other paperwork are in order. Got a story? If you've got a celebrity story, video or pictures get in touch with the entertainment team by emailing us celebtips@ calling 020 3615 2145 or by visiting our Submit Stuff page – we'd love to hear from you. MORE: SXSW London: Five live performances, film showcases and talks you must see MORE: SXSW London: Everything you can expect from festival's inaugural week in the Capital MORE: British rockers step in for Kings Of Leon at upcoming festivals after 'freak accident'
New York Post
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Ex Fyre Fest designer says fraudster Billy McFarland, Anna Delvey, Luigi Mangione have one thing in common
The former social media designer for Fyre Festival says social media is fueling the idolization of bad actors and scammers, specifically naming Fyre Festival creator Billy McFarland, notorious scam socialite Anna Delvey Sorokin and UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione as prime examples. Oren Aks spoke with Fox News Digital after Fyre Festival 2, a do-over version of the original Fyre Festival that failed in 2017, was postponed just weeks before it was scheduled to take place in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, between May 30 and June 2. Oren Aks, who was employed with Jerry Media when he did graphic design and social media strategy work for Fyre Festival in 2017, told Fox News Digital that, in the age of social media, the public makes icons out of con artists and criminals like Delvey and Mangione. McFarland is no exception, he said. 'We look at them like they're iconic, like, 'Oh what's she wearing to court?' And … at a certain point, you're just more obsessed with them as this narrative that you've built rather than who they actually are. … If you met Billy, you wouldn't be impressed,' Aks said. Aks added that the public, especially the American public, does not talk about the success stories of millionaire and billionaire business moguls in the same way the public discusses scammers and 'money grubbers,' particularly on social media. 5 Fyre Festival creator Billy McFarland cancelled his attempt to revive the failed music event. AP 'It used to be … this inspirational route you would take in your career to kind of move up a ladder or earn a living and buy a house or something. Now, we vilify those people, and we glorify the bad, the scammy, the evil, and we look at those people as heroes,' Aks said. 'Like style icons or freedom fighters or whatever other imaginary title you want to assign them. And I think … it's very worrying as a societal shift. … Why are we doing this?' Aks added that America has built up the idea 'that you have to fail big to win big, or you have try big to succeed.' 5 The original Fyre Festival made headlines in 2017 for its chaos and disorganization. AP 5 Mitch Purgason attended the first event and paid for a 2-bedroom villa but got a 1-bedroom tent with a soaking wet bed instead. 'And they're almost kind of like this never-ending train wreck. … It's what fuels the internet,' he said. 'That's why people care about this Luigi Mangione guy. In what universe are we living in that this is a relevant story to glorify these people as the image of success? And … there'll be a thousand more. And it's truly an American story.' Aks said he was excited about the Fyre Festival project in 2017 because he had a background working in the music industry and was passionate about music festivals. The event and McFarland promised attendees who paid thousands for tickets a luxurious music festival set in the Bahamas but delivered a glorified campsite on the island instead. 5 The former social media designer for Fyre Festival compared McFarland to Anna Delvey Sorokin and Luigi Mangione. AP There was 'writing on the wall' before the festival began that should have indicated the event would be a disaster, from credit cards bouncing to Fyre Festival's partners being left out of the loop on logistical planning, Aks said. He recalled the moment he knew things were going south. 'When we arrived, the point where it really hit me was actually … going over this hill and kind of descending into the valley where the beach area, where the festival was taking place, and seeing the tents and the actual media center stage area and … nothing was there,' he said. 'In my brain, the logistics didn't work out, but I just assumed that's just not my territory. I'm the graphic designer. I'm sure they've got like an architect or … someone dealing with that. But then I saw the FEMA or the U.N.-style tents, and that was the moment it all hit.' 5 Oren Aks said bad actors like McFarland, Sorokin and Mangione are being idolized for their actions. J Mayer/Shutterstock After the 2017 Fyre Festival's failure, it went viral on social media when Hulu and Netflix published documentaries about the failed beach bash, making the #fyrefraud hashtag and a photo of the strewn-together sandwiches served at the festival go viral at the time. The festival reached a settlement with 277 ticket holders in 2021, when it was ordered to pay each recipient an award of $7,220. Fyre Festival 2 has since been postponed, and McFarland announced this week he is selling the Fyre brand. 'We have decided 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,' McFarland wrote in a statement posted to Instagram Wednesday. McFarland said the Fyre brand 'deserves a team with the scale, experience, and infrastructure to realize its full potential.'
Fox News
27-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Ex Fyre Fest designer says fraudster Billy McFarland, Anna Delvey, Luigi Mangione have one thing in common
The former social media designer for Fyre Festival says social media is fueling the idolization of bad actors and scammers, specifically naming Fyre Festival creator Billy McFarland, notorious scam socialite Anna Delvey Sorokin and UnitedHealthcare CEO murder suspect Luigi Mangione as prime examples. Oren Aks spoke with Fox News Digital after Fyre Festival 2, a do-over version of the original Fyre Festival that failed in 2017, was postponed just weeks before it was scheduled to take place in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, between May 30 and June 2. Oren Aks, who was employed with Jerry Media when he did graphic design and social media strategy work for Fyre Festival in 2017, told Fox News Digital that, in the age of social media, the public makes icons out of con artists and criminals like Delvey and Mangione. McFarland is no exception, he said. "We look at them like they're iconic, like, 'Oh what's she wearing to court?' And … at a certain point, you're just more obsessed with them as this narrative that you've built rather than who they actually are. … If you met Billy, you wouldn't be impressed," Aks said. Aks added that the public, especially the American public, does not talk about the success stories of millionaire and billionaire business moguls in the same way the public discusses scammers and "money grubbers," particularly on social media. "We glorify the bad, the scammy, the evil, and we look at those people as heroes." "It used to be … this inspirational route you would take in your career to kind of move up a ladder or earn a living and buy a house or something. Now, we vilify those people, and we glorify the bad, the scammy, the evil, and we look at those people as heroes," Aks said. "Like style icons or freedom fighters or whatever other imaginary title you want to assign them. And I think … it's very worrying as a societal shift. … Why are we doing this?" Aks added that America has built up the idea "that you have to fail big to win big, or you have try big to succeed." "[I]t's a very worrying societal shift." "And they're almost kind of like this never-ending train wreck. … It's what fuels the internet," he said. "That's why people care about this Luigi Mangione guy. In what universe are we living in that this is a relevant story to glorify these people as the image of success? And … there'll be a thousand more. And it's truly an American story." Aks said he was excited about the Fyre Festival project in 2017 because he had a background working in the music industry and was passionate about music festivals. The event and McFarland promised attendees who paid thousands for tickets a luxurious music festival set in the Bahamas but delivered a glorified campsite on the island instead. There was "writing on the wall" before the festival began that should have indicated the event would be a disaster, from credit cards bouncing to Fyre Festival's partners being left out of the loop on logistical planning, Aks said. He recalled the moment he knew things were going south. "When we arrived, the point where it really hit me was actually … going over this hill and kind of descending into the valley where the beach area, where the festival was taking place, and seeing the tents and the actual media center stage area and … nothing was there," he said. "In my brain, the logistics didn't work out, but I just assumed that's just not my territory. I'm the graphic designer. I'm sure they've got like an architect or … someone dealing with that. But then I saw the FEMA or the U.N.-style tents, and that was the moment it all hit." After the 2017 Fyre Festival's failure, it went viral on social media when Hulu and Netflix published documentaries about the failed beach bash, making the #fyrefraud hashtag and a photo of the strewn-together sandwiches served at the festival go viral at the time. The festival reached a settlement with 277 ticket holders in 2021, when it was ordered to pay each recipient an award of $7,220. Fyre Festival 2 has since been postponed, and McFarland announced this week he is selling the Fyre brand. "We have decided 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," McFarland wrote in a statement posted to Instagram Wednesday. McFarland said the Fyre brand "deserves a team with the scale, experience, and infrastructure to realize its full potential."
American Military News
26-04-2025
- Entertainment
- American Military News
Fyre Festival 2 flames out as Billy McFarland puts brand up for sale: ‘I need to step back'
When promoter and convicted fraudster Billy McFarland sought to revive his infamous Fyre Festival this year, he wanted to do it 'with honesty, transparency, relentless effort, and creativity.' Now, Fyre Festival 2 is indefinitely postponed, and McFarland seeks to distance himself from the event, putting the Fyre brand up for sale. 'This brand is bigger than any one person and bigger than what I'm able to lead on my own,' McFarland said Wednesday in a statement shared to the Fyre Festival website and Instagram page. 'It's a movement. And it deserves a team with the scale, experience, and infrastructure to realize its potential,' McFarland said. 'We have decided the best way to accomplish our goals is to sell the FYRE Festival brand … to an operator that can fully realize its vision.' McFarland announced his decision to step away from Fyre two months after declaring in February that 'Fyre Festival 2 is real' and was set to come to Isla Mujeres in the Mexican Caribbean from May 30 to June 2. At the time, he said he saw the Mexico event as a 'second chance.' The first iteration of McFarland's Fyre Festival in 2017 advertised two weekends of a luxury music event on a private island in Exuma, the Bahamas. Attendees, some who shelled out more than $10,000 for tickets, were instead met with canceled shows, plain cheese sandwiches and flimsy tents that struggled to withstand stormy conditions at the botched event, founded by McFarland and rapper Ja Rule. The fiasco quickly went viral and in the following years inspired documentaries from both Hulu and Netflix. A year after the first Fyre Festival, McFarland pleaded guilty in 2018 to defrauding investors of $26 million in the failed event and over $100,000 in a fraudulent ticket-selling scheme. Dubbed a 'serial fraudster' by a New York judge, McFarland was sentenced to six years in federal prison. He was released early and placed under house arrest in 2022. Fyre Festival 2 (not to be confused with the other Fyre Festival 2 that was announced and quickly scrapped in 2023) touted four ticket tiers ranging from $1,400 to $1.1 million. The website for the fest also featured vague promises of 'an electrifying celebration of music, arts, cuisine, comedy, fashion, gaming, sports and treasure hunting.' Fyre Festival 2 boasted 'unforgettable performances, immersive experiences,' but an artist lineup was never revealed. Pages detailing ticket sales and accommodation have since been scrubbed from the website. The Instagram post announcing the return of the festival has also been deleted. The road to Fyre Festival 2 seemed turbulent even before McFarland announced his search for a buyer. A week after the promoter confidently unveiled his plans for Fyre Festival 2, the tourism board of Isla Mujeres said it had 'no knowledge of this event.' A spokesperson for the tourism board told the Guardian in early March, 'For us, this is an event that does not exist.' Not long after, McFarland disputed those claims in a since-deleted Instagram video, reassuring followers that the event's team did have accommodations in place for festival goers and 'we have talent.' The Fyre Festival team, in a statement to ticket holders reviewed by The Times, said it was 'blindsided' by Isla Mujeres officials' claims and instead opted to host the event at Mexico's Playa del Carmen. In late March, McFarland shared videos from a beachside press conference about the event featuring himself and a panel of Fyre Festival partners and organizers. On April 2, Playa del Carmen government officials issued a statement in Spanish on Instagram with a familiar message. 'After a thorough review, there is no record or planning of any such event in the municipality,' the statement said, according to NBC News. In its notice to ticket holders last week, the Fyre team claimed it had paid for the necessary permits to move forward with the event at Playa del Carmen and accused the local government of theft. 'Due to this, we have decided to move FYRE Festival 2 elsewhere.' The third location has yet to be revealed — just like the new dates and artist lineup. McFarland referenced the planning challenges on Wednesday and claimed Fyre has since received interest from 'several Caribbean destinations eager to host.' However, he said, '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.' In his notice, McFarland attempted to appeal to potential buyers with arbitrary claims that supposedly stemmed from Fyre Festival's reputation: 'one of the most powerful attention engines in the world' and 'one of the world's most talked-about music festivals.' Earlier this week, Deadline reported that the festival will get another life as a streaming service after documentarian Shawn Rech acquired some Fyre IP. This week, the event's website transformed into a site focused on selling the brand instead of tickets. Metrics touting the brand's supposed online and social media clout now stand in place of vibrant slides detailing the perks of each ticket tier. The website also features a form where potential buyers can name their price. 'Giving control of the brand to a new group is the most responsible way to follow through on what we set out to do: build a global entertainment brand, host a safe and legendary event, and continue to pay restitution to those who are owed from the first festival,' McFarland said. He concluded his letter: 'The next chapter of FYRE will be bigger, better, and built to last without me at the helm.' Where Fyre Festival 2 goes from here remains to be seen. A silver lining to these latest developments, however, is that McFarland announced his intentions to step away before faithful festival goers descended on a yet-to-be-determined destination for a host of vaguely vibey activities and a possible tropical nightmare with a side of sad cheese sandwiches. ___ © 2025 Los Angeles Times. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
USA Today
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Billy McFarland says he's selling Fyre brand, including 'Caribbean festival location'
Billy McFarland says he's selling Fyre brand, including 'Caribbean festival location' "It deserves a team with the scale, experience and infrastructure to realize its potential," founder Billy McFarland said about Fyre Festival in a statement. Show Caption Hide Caption Pitchfork Music Festival Will Not Return To Chicago In 2025 After 19 years, the Pitchfork Music Festival has announced it will not return to Chicago in 2025. unbranded - Entertainment Fyre Festival − the brand behind the 2017 scandal-ridden music festival and the so-far failed second attempt − is for sale. Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarland announced on Wednesday, April 23 that he is selling the festival's brand, including intellectual property, trademarks, social media accounts, email, text lists and documentary coverage, according to information on the festival's website. The Fyre site formerly promoted a music, arts and culture festival, Fyre Festival 2, to occur May 30 through June 2 in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. As of Wednesday, the website boasted the festival's for-sale brand asset package and a digital auction form for those interested in putting in an offer. "This brand is bigger than any one person and bigger than what I'm able to lead on my own. It's a movement. And it deserves a team with the scale, experience and infrastructure to realize its potential," McFarland wrote in a statement on the site and also shared on social media. The Fyre Festival team did not immediately respond when contacted by USA TODAY for comment on Thursday. It is unclear if the festival is still on track to begin May 30. Organizers most recently announced they were looking for a new location for the festival, just weeks before it's schedule start time, leading many to assume it was canceled or postponed. What is Fyre Festival 2? Previously described as an "electrifying celebration of music, arts, cuisine, comedy, fashion, gaming, sports and treasure hunting," Fyre Festival 2 boasted tickets that ranged between $1,400 for one person to $1.1 million for a group of eight. In 2018, McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison for engaging in several fraudulent schemes related to the first Fyre Festival. After his arrest, the festival's organizer acknowledged that he had defrauded investors out of $26 million and more than $100,000 in fraudulent ticket-selling schemes. As part of his sentencing, McFarland agreed to pay $26 million in restitution to victims of the first Fyre Festival. Fyre Festival 2 co-founder Mike Falb previously told USA TODAY that $500,000 of the proceeds from the festival and an additional 10% of all profits would be put toward the restitution. As part of a potential sale of the brand, McFarland said in his statement that he would continue to pay restitution. What's for sale? The Fyre Festival website lists the following as part of the brand asset package: Brand name Intellectual property Trademarks Content, including photos, videos and graphics Domains Email and text lists Marketing materials Social media accounts Caribbean festival location Media and documentary coverage Artist support Team "Documentary coverage" appears to be in reference to two documentaries that were released after the first Fyre Festival − Netflix's "Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened" and Hulu's "Fyre Fraud." The revamped website also boasts online impressions and traffic, claiming that over the past 60 days, more than 422,000 unique visitors from 190 countries had visited the Fyre Festival website. The website suggests that interested parties fill out an online form to make an offer and share their plans for the brand. What's happening with Fyre Festival 2? Not unlike the inaugural Fyre Festival in 2017, this year's event has faced several roadblocks. In mid-April, just weeks before the festival's kickoff, event organizers announced they were seeking a new location for the festival, as the two previous ones hadn't worked in their favor. Initially, the festival was promoted to be held on Isla Mujeres, Mexico, a small island right off the coast of Cancún. But Isla Mujeres officials and a hotel that the festival claimed to work with said they were unaware of the event. After the festival announced it would be held in Playa del Carmen, again, government officials there said they weren't familiar with it. In response, Fyre Festival took to social media to share screenshots of emails and permits, but details were askew from what had been promoted. McFarland claimed 2,000 tickets were available for the festival, but shared permits indicated that only space for 250 people had been obtained. "When a government takes your money, issues permits, promotes the event and then pretends it's never heard of you, that's not just dishonest − it's theft. Due to this, we have decided to move Fyre Festival 2 elsewhere," a note sent to ticketholders in mid-April claimed. 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. Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at gcross@
