Latest news with #FyreII
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Fyre Festival II ‘doesn't exist' says Mexican tourism board
Fyre Festival II is off to a rough start after a Mexican tourism board claimed the event doesn't actually exist. A top official with Isla Mujeres says his team did not know about the upcoming festival, which is selling packages ranging from $1,400 to over a million dollars. 'We have no knowledge of this event, nor contact with any person or company about it,' Edgar Gasca, Director General of Economic Development and Tourism of Isla Mujeres, told the Guardian on Feb. 27. 'For us, this is an event that does not exist.' Did Travis Scott give this WWE superstar a black eye? Gasca also told the outlet he reached out hotels that the festival listed as a part of their accommodations, and none of them have heard about the event. The luxury hotel, Impression Isla Mujeres, which is listed told the Guardian it hasn't been approached about this but they are investigating. Promoter Billy McFarland, who pleaded guilty to fraud after the first Fyre Festival ended in disaster claimed he's in full compliance with state and local government. Elton John joins Chappell Roan onstage for 'Pink Pony Club' However, in a post to Facebook, the City Hall of the Mexican island debunked that claim. 'Due to the information circulating in the media regarding the event 'Fyre Festival II' the General Directorate of Tourism of Isla Mujeres informs that no person or company has requested permits from this office of any other Municipal Government department for said event, ' the Ayuntamiento de Isla Mujeres said. The statement explained that any additional information about tourism-related events will be announced on their official social media channels. McFarland took to Instagram on Wednesday to clear the air following what the officials have been saying. 'First, Fyre II is real,' he explained. 'Second, we have incredible partners leading the festival. They're in charge of all the logistics, productions and operations. This includes an incredible production team in Mexico who does not F around. There is no way they would ever take on a fake festival.' He also said the festival does have accommodations as it was a 'huge point of emphasis' after issues over the first festival. 'One, our accommodations include contracts, the number of villas, yachts and hotels. This also includes two hotels who are contacted by the media and in response, gave misleading statements saying they never heard of Fyre and they aren't working with us,' he continued. 'After hearing this, I asked my team to terminate those contracts and to focus on the hotels and other partners who are eager to work with and support Fyre.' He also assured that the festival has various 'talent, artists, athletes and performers are on board and scheduled for Fyre.' McFarland also cleared the air that since his release, restitution has been paid and he's made it his mission to 'do more than legally required.''My partners and I have remained in communication with local and state governments to ensure full compliance and a successful event that benefits the local economy, shares the beauty of the Mexican Caribbean with the world and helps make right for all of the wrongs… Fyre II is moving forward, and we are moving forward with full integrity. From now on, updates will come directly from me,' he said. 'I look forward to continuing to work with my great partners to bring the vision of Fyre to life and to help make right for all the wrongs.' In 2018, McFarland was sentenced to six years in federal prison for fraud after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud for his role in defrauding Fyre Festival investors and ticket vendors of about $26 million. He was released early in May of 2022, according to Rolling Stone. He was held under house arrest until September 2022. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Sky News
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Fyre II: $1m tickets on sale for Fyre Festival II after fraudulent disaster
The second Fyre Festival has officially been announced, nearly 10 years since the first infamous event quickly turned into a disaster. The failed festival in 2017 hit headlines after charging guests up to $100,000 per head to travel to the island of Great Exuma in the Bahamas, but failing to deliver the white sands, luxury accommodation and first-class food that was promised. It even led to co-organiser Billy McFarland serving nearly four years of a six-year prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges relating to the festival and various fraud charges stemming from a separate ticket-selling scam. Plans for Fyre II have been on and off since 2023, but this is the furthest it has ever come, with the event set for 30 May to 2 June and 2,000 tickets officially having gone on sale earlier this week. Relaunching the festival, Mr McFarland told Sky News' US partner NBC News that Fyre II is "not about the past" but about "taking the vision, which is strong". Unlike the original festival, Fyre said in a statement that live event organiser Lostnights has signed up to handle the details, along with hotel, travel and ticketing companies also coming on board to help plan and organise the event. One thing that has not changed is ticket costs, with prices ranging from $1,400 (£1,100) to an eye watering $1.1m (£869,000). The website states that the top-tier ticket - named the Prometheus package - gets eight people into the festival as well as the option to stay on a yacht, have a 24/7 private chauffeur, access to one of the stages as well as exclusive "additional experiences". "You will be on a boat, have the luxury yachts that we partner with who will be docked and parked outside the island," Mr McFarland told NBC's Today show. "But once again, Fyre is not just about this, like, luxury experience," he added. "It's about the adventure. So you'll be scuba diving with me. You'll be bouncing around to other islands and other countries on small planes." Mr McFarland has also promised performances from a number of artists across the electronic, hip hop, pop and rock genres. But no artists are yet to be announced to be taking part. "It's not just music. We might have a professional skateboarder do a demonstration. We might have an MMA champion teach you techniques in the morning," he said. 'There is a risk component to it' The disaster of the first Fyre festival became the focus of the Netflix series FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened in 2019. It portrayed stranded guests who were faced to battle for a limited number of tents, had issues with access to water, and instead of gourmet meals, were served limp cheese sandwiches in Styrofoam boxes, a photo of which went viral on social media at the time. When asked if there was a risk to buying a ticket to the second attempt at the festival, Mr McFarland told Today: "Until it's experienced, there is a risk component to it." "You're taking a risk because I made a lot of bad decisions and messed up the first festival," he said. "Since 2016, Fyre has been the most talked about music festival in the world. Obviously, a lot of that has been negative, but I think that most people, once they kind of get under the hood and study the plans and see the team behind Fyre II, they see the upside." He said if the festival is a success, he thinks it has the chance to be an annual event.
Sky News
26-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Sky News
Fyre II: Tickets go on sale for Fyre Festival after fraudulent disaster
The second Fyre Festival has officially been announced, nearly 10 years since the first infamous event quickly turned into a disaster. The failed festival in 2017 hit headlines after charging guests up to $100,000 per head to travel to the island of Great Exuma in the Bahamas, but failing to deliver the white sands, luxury accommodation and first-class food that was promised. It even led to co-organiser Billy McFarland serving nearly four years of a six-year prison sentence after he pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges relating to the festival and various fraud charges stemming from a separate ticket-selling scam. Plans for Fyre II have been on and off since 2023, but this is the furthest it has ever come, with the event set for 30 May to 2 June and 2,000 tickets officially having gone on sale earlier this week. Relaunching the festival, Mr McFarland told Sky News' US partner NBC News that Fyre II is "not about the past" but about "taking the vision, which is strong". Unlike the original festival, Fyre said in a statement that live event organiser Lostnights has signed up to handle the details, along with hotel, travel and ticketing companies also coming on board to help plan and organise the event. One thing that has not changed is ticket costs, with prices ranging from $1,400 (£1,100) to an eye watering $1.1m (£869,000). The website states that the top-tier ticket - named the Prometheus package - gets eight people into the festival as well as the option to stay on a yacht, have a 24/7 private chauffeur, access to one of the stages as well as exclusive "additional experiences". "You will be on a boat, have the luxury yachts that we partner with who will be docked and parked outside the island," Mr McFarland told NBC's Today show. "But once again, Fyre is not just about this, like, luxury experience," he added. "It's about the adventure. So you'll be scuba diving with me. You'll be bouncing around to other islands and other countries on small planes." Mr McFarland has also promised performances from a number of artists across the electronic, hip hop, pop and rock genres. But no artists are yet to be announced to be taking part. "It's not just music. We might have a professional skateboarder do a demonstration. We might have an MMA champion teach you techniques in the morning," he said. 'There is a risk component to it' The disaster of the first Fyre festival became the focus of the Netflix series FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened in 2019. It portrayed stranded guests who were faced to battle for a limited number of tents, had issues with access to water, and instead of gourmet meals, were served limp cheese sandwiches in Styrofoam boxes, a photo of which went viral on social media at the time. When asked if there was a risk to buying a ticket to the second attempt at the festival, Mr McFarland told Today: "Until it's experienced, there is a risk component to it." "You're taking a risk because I made a lot of bad decisions and messed up the first festival," he said. "Since 2016, Fyre has been the most talked about music festival in the world. Obviously, a lot of that has been negative, but I think that most people, once they kind of get under the hood and study the plans and see the team behind Fyre II, they see the upside." He said if the festival is a success, he thinks it has the chance to be an annual event.
The Independent
24-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Second time lucky? Everything we know about Fyre Festival 2, from sky-high prices to lineup
Convicted fraudster Billy McFarland is seeking to make his comeback with the forthcoming Fyre Festival 2, which he believes has the chance to 'take over the festival industry.' McFarland, 33, who served a four-year jail sentence after pleading guilty to charges of wire fraud related to the disastrous 2017 Fyre Festival, is officially giving it another go this summer. ' FYRE 2 is real. My dream is finally becoming a reality,' he told Today in a new interview. 'FYRE 2 really isn't about the past, and it's not really about me. It's about taking the vision, which is strong.' The original Fyre Festival, which took place in The Bahamas, was advertised as the 'cultural experience of the decade' and promised attendees the chance to rub shoulders with celebrities while staying in luxury accommodations. However, upon arrival, concertgoers — who had paid between $1,000 and $12,000 to attend — were met with 'total disorganization and chaos,' court filings described. Instead of luxury accommodation, there were disaster relief tents and sodden mattresses, cheese sandwiches served in Styrofoam containers and no big headliners. 'Since 2016 Fyre has been the most talked about music festival in the world. Obviously, a lot of that has been negative,' McFarland acknowledged in a 2024 interview with NBC News' Savannah Sellers, 'but I think that most people, once they kind of get under the hood and study the plans and see the team behind Fyre II, they see the upside... And if it's done well, I think Fyre has a chance to be this annual festival that really takes over the festival industry.' No longer will McFarland be responsible for handling the details of the festival, as those duties have been passed on to a festival operator. Ticketing, hotel accommodations, and travel will also be dealt with by other companies. When and where will Fyre Festival 2 be held? Fyre Festival 2 has been delayed a month and will now run from May 30 to June 2. The new festival will take place in Mexico's Isla Mujeres in the Caribbean Sea. Located just off the coast of Cancún, the island is known for its turquoise waters, white-sand beaches like Playa Norte, and vibrant coral reefs. Which artists will headline the event? While McFarland has yet to announce a lineup of artists, he told Today: 'We're going to have artists across electronic, hip hop, pop and rock. However, it's not just music. We might have a professional skateboarder do a demonstration. We might have an MMA champion teach you techniques in the morning.' Asked if he expected A-list performers to sign on, he said: 'I really hope so, and I expect so from our conversations.' Limited tickets are now on sale on the Fyre website, with prices ranging from $1,400 to $1.1 million. The lowest-tier tickets will grant one person access to the four-day event. However, accommodation is not included. The million-dollar-plus option will give eight people an ultra-luxury experience with flights and accommodation included, plus the option to stay in either a yacht or a villa provided by Fyre. McFarland, who was ordered to pay back the $26 million he took from his investors, was released early from prison in 2022. Following his release, he spoke with Good Morning America, sharing that his time spent behind bars allowed him to reflect on his wrongdoings. 'I was wrong. I messed up. And I was so driven by this desperate desire to prove people right. ... I think I was just so insecure that I thought the only way to prove myself to them was to succeed,' he said. 'That led me down just this terrible path of bad decisions.'
