Fyre Festival fraudster announces major career move amid second act controversy

Billy McFarland, creator of the failed 2017 Fyre Festival euphony event, connected Wednesday announced that helium is selling the Fyre marque aft attempting to signifier Fyre Festival 2 successful Mexico betwixt May 30 and June 2.

McFarland spent respective years successful situation aft failing to present what helium promised would beryllium a luxury euphony festival with big-name acts successful the Bahamas, yet defrauding 80 investors retired of $24 cardinal and scamming lawsuit ticketholders and unit retired of thousands of dollars erstwhile they showed up to a glorified campsite with nary entertainment.

"FYRE is 1 of the astir almighty attraction engines successful the world," McFarland wrote successful a Wednesday connection posted to Fyre Festival's Instagram. "Since 2017, FYRE has dominated headlines, documentaries, and conversations arsenic 1 of the astir talked-about euphony festivals. We knew FYRE was big, but we didn't recognize conscionable however monolithic the question would become. That question brought america here: to a constituent wherever we cognize it's clip to telephone for assistance."

McFarland added that the Fyre marque "deserves a squad with the scale, experience, and infrastructure to recognize its afloat potential."

FYRE FESTIVAL 2: FRAUDSTER'S MEXICO MUSIC EVENT RAISES RED FLAGS ABOUT SOCIAL MEDIA FADS, FORMER DESIGNER WARNS

Oren Aks, who worked connected the archetypal Fyre Festival, said it "hit him" that the lawsuit was a nonaccomplishment successful 2017 erstwhile helium arrived successful the Bahamas and saw rows of FEMA-style tents alternatively of the luxury villas guests were promised. (Stephanie Farr)

"We person decided the champion mode to execute our goals is to merchantability the FYRE Festival brand, including its trademarks, IP, integer assets, media reach, and taste superior – to an relation that tin afloat recognize its vision," McFarland wrote.

The announcement comes conscionable weeks earlier Fyre Festival 2 was acceptable to instrumentality spot successful Mexico – archetypal successful Isla Mujeres and past Playa del Carmen – pursuing what appeared to beryllium miscommunication betwixt the respective metropolis governments and Fyre organizers. 

FYRE FESTIVAL 2 ‘POSTPONED’ AFTER MEXICO PLANS DERAILED, TICKET VENDOR ISSUES REFUNDS

Fyre Fest laminitis Billy McFarland was successful the process of readying a comeback with Fyre Festival 2, which was primitively scheduled to instrumentality spot successful Mexico. (iStock)

The festival has since been postponed, though Fyre organizers ne'er announced the postponement connected their website oregon societal media. Rather, Fyre's partners confirmed to Fox News Digital and different outlets that the lawsuit had been paused and tickets refunded.

Earlier this month, Fyre Festival organizers fired backmost astatine Playa del Carmen's connection saying the Mexican city's authorities had nary cognition of the event.

FYRE FEST FRAUDSTER'S REDO LOOKS LIKE ‘NEW DISASTER’ FOR TROPICAL MUSIC BASH: EXPERT

Fyre Festival attendees de-board a tiny level that reads "Fyre Festival" connected its broadside successful the Bahamas successful 2017. (Stephanie Farr)

"FYRE has been moving straight with the authorities of Playa del Carmen (PDC) and their officials since March 5, 2025, to guarantee a harmless and palmy event," organizers said.

"All media reports suggesting our squad has not been moving with the authorities of PDC are simply inaccurate and based connected misinformation," the connection read. "FYRE has operated arsenic a bully spouse with PDC authorities and has followed the due processes and procedures to lawfully big an event."

FYRE FESTIVAL ORGANIZERS PROMISE ‘SUCCESSFUL’ MEXICO EVENT AFTER OFFICIALS' CONCERNING ADVISORY

The archetypal Fyre Festival successful 2017 was a nonaccomplishment that landed Billy McFarland down bars. (Stephanie Farr)

McFarland besides posted a video of a property league helium and his squad held successful Playa del Carmen connected March 28, which included authorities representatives from the area. 

But Playa del Carmen posted its ain connection to societal media, saying "[i]n effect to rumors astir a expected lawsuit called ‘Fyre 2,’ we pass you that nary lawsuit of that sanction volition beryllium held successful Playa del Carmen."

FYRE FEST FRAUDSTER'S REDO LOOKS LIKE ‘NEW DISASTER’ FOR TROPICAL MUSIC BASH: EXPERT

A photograph of the sandwiches that were served astatine Fyre Festival successful 2017. (Stephanie Farr)

It was the 2nd connection from a authorities entity denying the festival's beingness since March. The lawsuit was primitively scheduled to instrumentality spot successful Isla Mujeres, Mexico, betwixt those dates, but it precocious moved to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, aft Isla Mujeres said Fyre Festival organizers had not requested permits successful the fashionable abrogation town.

Tickets for Fyre Festival 2 started astatine $1,400 per idiosyncratic for wide admittance and went up from there. The astir costly tickets were selling for much than $1 cardinal and offered backstage aerial and yacht travel, luxury villa accommodations and festival entree implicit 4 days to 8 people.

FYRE FEST FRAUDSTER SELLING TICKETS FOR NEW PARTY BUT LOCALS CLAIM IT DOESN'T EXIST

Billy McFarland visits "Jesse Watters Primetime" astatine Fox News Studios connected Aug. 25, 2023, successful New York City. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)

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After the 2017 Fyre Festival's failure, it went viral connected societal media erstwhile Hulu and Netflix published documentaries astir the failed formation bash, making the #fyrefraud hashtag spell viral astatine the time.

The festival reached a colony with 277 summons holders successful 2021, erstwhile it was ordered to wage each recipient an grant of $7,220.