The first Fyre Fest, back in 2017, was a banner day for internet schadenfreude -- all these people, lured by images of white-sand beaches and supermodel influencers, being greeted with FEMA tents and the worst cheese sandwiches that anyone has ever seen. Billy McFarland, this time working without his original Fyre Fest co-founder Ja Rule, has been trying to launch a second Fyre Fest for years. It's a bit confusing when you consider that the first one never actually happened. This one seems like it probably won't happen either, but people seem to be figuring it out in advance this time.
Last fall, Billy McFarland said that the 2025 edition of Fyre Fest would happen April 25-28, on the eight-year anniversary of the first one. It's already been moved, and now it's supposedly happening from May 30 to June 2. Whereas the initial boondoggle went down in the Bahamas, this one's supposed to happen on Isla Mujeres, a Mexican island off the coast of Cancún. But there's a bit of a speedbump here: The island authorities are claiming that the festival is not real.
Edgar Gasca, a representative of the Isla Mujeres tourism directorate, tells The Guardian, "We have no knowledge of this event, nor contact with any person or company about it... For us, this is an event that does not exist."
Gasca claims that he's spoken with the minister of tourism for Quintana Roo, the Mexican state where the festival is supposedly happening, and to the hotels that the festival lists as accommodations on its website. None of them, he says, has had any contact with festival organizers. Gasca has lots of fun quotes about the whole situation: "I think they thought they would just announce it and see if it got traction, then ask for the permits halfway down the path. It’s a bit of a naive way to think." Maybe they just wanted to do it and be legends.
Here's more from Gasca: "This festival is not going to happen. There are red flags all over the place... If you go on their website and take the coordinates they provide, then put them in Google Maps, it takes you to the ocean -- between Cancún and Isla Mujeres."
But Billy McFarland insists that Fyre Festival 2 is real. In fact, he recently posted an Instagram statement with the all-caps headline "FYRE FESTIVAL 2 IS REAL."
The Fyre Fest website claims that there is a $25,000 ticket tier. Right now, though, the actual tickets that are on sale range from $1,400 to $12,500, so that's a bargain. No lineup has been announced, however, and potential ticket buyers should note these Terms of Service:
• "All Ticket sales are final. NO REFUNDS OR EXCHANGES."
• "We may cancel any event at any time in our sole discretion."
• "No refunds will be given for event date, time, location, or lineup changes or cancellations by artists."
• "NEITHER FYRE NOR ANY FYRE AFFILIATE WILL BE HELD LIABLE FOR ANY AMENITIES PROMISED."
UPDATE: McFarland responds to the latest round of press...
