Latest news with #FyreFraud
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@
Express Tribune
16-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
Billy McFarland sells Fyre Festival brand on eBay for over $245,000
Billy McFarland, the controversial figure behind the infamous 2017 Fyre Festival, has officially sold the rights to the event's brand on eBay for US$245,300. As reported by NY Daily News, the auction included intellectual property, trademarks, and social media accounts tied to the Fyre name, and drew 175 bids before concluding on Tuesday afternoon. McFarland, who previously served four years in prison for wire fraud related to the original Fyre Festival, had attempted to relaunch the event multiple times without success. One such attempt was a promoted May 2025 revival in Isla Mujeres, Mexico. The promotional campaign included a website, named producers and partners, and ticket packages priced between US$1,400 and US$1.1 million. However, the event quietly faded without any follow-through. In a livestream during the eBay auction, McFarland appeared disappointed with the final result, commenting, 'Damn. This sucks, it's so low,' when bids surpassed US$240,000. According to Rolling Stone, the sale will barely make a dent in his outstanding US$26 million restitution order tied to his criminal conviction. Following the original Fyre Festival disaster—which was chronicled in the Netflix documentary The Greatest Party That Never Happened and Hulu's Fyre Fraud—McFarland insisted there was still public interest in the brand. In a 2024 interview with The Music Network podcast, he said, 'The idea of Fyre 2 is still there. People want to escape reality for three days.' In a more recent Instagram statement, McFarland announced his decision to step away, writing: 'This brand is bigger than any one person. It's clear that I need to step back and allow a new team to move forward independently.' The identity of the buyer remains unknown.
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
