L/A
“My dream is finally becoming a reality,” Billy McFarland, the founder of the controversial festival, told TODAY.
By Francesca Gariano and Drew Weisholtz
It's take two for the Fyre Festival.
"FYRE 2 is real. My dream is finally becoming a reality," Billy McFarland, the founder of the controversial festival, told TODAY in an interview that aired Feb. 24.
Unlike the original iteration of the festival, McFarland will not handle details, with a festival operator signing on to do that, while hotel, travel and ticketing companies were also brought on.
"FYRE 2 really isn’t about the past, and it’s not really about me. It’s about taking the vision, which is strong," McFarland said.
No artists have been announced as taking part in the event yet.
"We’re going to have artists across electronic, hip hop, pop and rock," McFarland said. "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."
So, does he expect top-notch, A-listers to perform?
"I really hope so, and I expect so from our conversations," McFarland said.
McFarland confirmed during an interview with NBC News’ Savannah Sellers in September 2024 that Fyre Festival was coming back for round two in 2025.
The original Fyre Festival was rife with controversy. The festival was billed as a luxury music experience but the actual event included no concert and poor conditions. In 2018, McFarland pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges related to the event and was sentenced to a combined six years in prison, NBC News reported.
While the first festival gained infamy, McFarland said the second one also comes with "risk."
"I think it’s always a risk. You’re taking a risk because I made a lot of bad decisions and messed up the first festival. Until it’s experienced, there is a risk component to it," he said.
McFarland told Sellers in September that he and organizers have “the chance to embrace the storm” when it comes to pitching to artists for the new event.
“Since 2016 Fyre has been the most talked about music festival in the world,” he explained. “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... And if it’s done well, I think Fyre has a chance to be this annual festival that really takes over the festival industry.”
Here’s what McFarland has said so far about Fyre Festival 2.
When is Fyre Festival 2?
Eight years after the original Fyre Festival in 2017, Fyre Festival 2 is was bumped back a month and is now slated to run from May 30 to June 2.
"We just needed the extra month to give our partners time to get everything ready," McFarland said.
Where will Fyre Festival 2 be held?
While the original festival was based on the island Great Exuma in the Bahamas, McFarland said that the new festival would take place in Isla Mujeres.
McFarland said that an “incredible production company” is in place and will be “handling everything from soup to nuts.”
In his 2024 interview, he didn’t confirm the name of the island but said that the festival would use existing infrastructure for eateries, lodging and restrooms.
All logistics would be handled by the production company, with McFarland adding, “But we are developing and building out the private island for the actual festival festivities.”
How to get Fyre Fest II tickets
A total of 2,000 tickets will go on sale beginning Feb. 24. They range in price from $1,400 to $1.1 million. McFarland says customers can get yacht accommodations and access to artists who will be performing.
Ticket information can be found on a dedicated Fyre Fest 2 website here.
McFarland previously shared that he had already sold 100 tickets at $500 each. He also said that other packages would be on sale, ranging in price from $1,400 to $1.1 million.
For that million dollar price package, McFarland said, “You will be on a boat, have the luxury yachts that we partner with who will be docked and parked outside the island.”
“But once again, Fyre is not just about this, like, luxury experience,” he said. “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.”
What happened at the original Fyre Fest?
While Fyre Festival was marketed as a luxury, “once-in-a-lifetime musical experience” on a private island, what attendees got was a far cry from what they had been promised.
NBC News reported that festival goers, with some paying $250,000 for premium tickets, were met with less-than-ideal circumstances, including boxed meals such as the infamous cheese sandwiches, inadequate security and low-grade sleeping tents.
Many of the headlining acts, including Blink-182, canceled their appearances at the festival before the weekend even kicked off.
Fyre Festival was ultimately postponed due to “unforeseen and extenuating circumstances,” with McFarland telling Rolling Stone, “We were a little naïve in thinking for the first time we could do this ourselves.”
In March 2018, McFarland pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges tied to the festival, NBC News reported. Months later in July, he pleaded guilty to several fraud charges from a separate incident after he made $150,000 in fake ticket sales to different events. McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison on fraud charges in October 2018.
A minimum of $500,000 from the festival will go toward the $26 million in restitution McFarland still owes. He and all his partners have also committed to 10 percent of total profits going toward that, as well. They also expect to sell out within a day, based on interest they have seen on their site.
McFarland was released from prison in May 2022, more than two years before the end of his sentence, after earning good time credit, his lawyer, Jason Russo, told NBC News at the time.
“My dream is finally becoming a reality,” Billy McFarland, the founder of the controversial festival, told TODAY.
By Francesca Gariano and Drew Weisholtz
It's take two for the Fyre Festival.
"FYRE 2 is real. My dream is finally becoming a reality," Billy McFarland, the founder of the controversial festival, told TODAY in an interview that aired Feb. 24.
Unlike the original iteration of the festival, McFarland will not handle details, with a festival operator signing on to do that, while hotel, travel and ticketing companies were also brought on.
"FYRE 2 really isn’t about the past, and it’s not really about me. It’s about taking the vision, which is strong," McFarland said.
No artists have been announced as taking part in the event yet.
"We’re going to have artists across electronic, hip hop, pop and rock," McFarland said. "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."
So, does he expect top-notch, A-listers to perform?
"I really hope so, and I expect so from our conversations," McFarland said.
McFarland confirmed during an interview with NBC News’ Savannah Sellers in September 2024 that Fyre Festival was coming back for round two in 2025.
The original Fyre Festival was rife with controversy. The festival was billed as a luxury music experience but the actual event included no concert and poor conditions. In 2018, McFarland pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges related to the event and was sentenced to a combined six years in prison, NBC News reported.
While the first festival gained infamy, McFarland said the second one also comes with "risk."
"I think it’s always a risk. You’re taking a risk because I made a lot of bad decisions and messed up the first festival. Until it’s experienced, there is a risk component to it," he said.
McFarland told Sellers in September that he and organizers have “the chance to embrace the storm” when it comes to pitching to artists for the new event.
“Since 2016 Fyre has been the most talked about music festival in the world,” he explained. “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... And if it’s done well, I think Fyre has a chance to be this annual festival that really takes over the festival industry.”
Here’s what McFarland has said so far about Fyre Festival 2.
When is Fyre Festival 2?
Eight years after the original Fyre Festival in 2017, Fyre Festival 2 is was bumped back a month and is now slated to run from May 30 to June 2.
"We just needed the extra month to give our partners time to get everything ready," McFarland said.
Where will Fyre Festival 2 be held?
While the original festival was based on the island Great Exuma in the Bahamas, McFarland said that the new festival would take place in Isla Mujeres.
McFarland said that an “incredible production company” is in place and will be “handling everything from soup to nuts.”
In his 2024 interview, he didn’t confirm the name of the island but said that the festival would use existing infrastructure for eateries, lodging and restrooms.
All logistics would be handled by the production company, with McFarland adding, “But we are developing and building out the private island for the actual festival festivities.”
How to get Fyre Fest II tickets
A total of 2,000 tickets will go on sale beginning Feb. 24. They range in price from $1,400 to $1.1 million. McFarland says customers can get yacht accommodations and access to artists who will be performing.
Ticket information can be found on a dedicated Fyre Fest 2 website here.
McFarland previously shared that he had already sold 100 tickets at $500 each. He also said that other packages would be on sale, ranging in price from $1,400 to $1.1 million.
For that million dollar price package, McFarland said, “You will be on a boat, have the luxury yachts that we partner with who will be docked and parked outside the island.”
“But once again, Fyre is not just about this, like, luxury experience,” he said. “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.”
What happened at the original Fyre Fest?
While Fyre Festival was marketed as a luxury, “once-in-a-lifetime musical experience” on a private island, what attendees got was a far cry from what they had been promised.
NBC News reported that festival goers, with some paying $250,000 for premium tickets, were met with less-than-ideal circumstances, including boxed meals such as the infamous cheese sandwiches, inadequate security and low-grade sleeping tents.
Many of the headlining acts, including Blink-182, canceled their appearances at the festival before the weekend even kicked off.
Fyre Festival was ultimately postponed due to “unforeseen and extenuating circumstances,” with McFarland telling Rolling Stone, “We were a little naïve in thinking for the first time we could do this ourselves.”
In March 2018, McFarland pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges tied to the festival, NBC News reported. Months later in July, he pleaded guilty to several fraud charges from a separate incident after he made $150,000 in fake ticket sales to different events. McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison on fraud charges in October 2018.
A minimum of $500,000 from the festival will go toward the $26 million in restitution McFarland still owes. He and all his partners have also committed to 10 percent of total profits going toward that, as well. They also expect to sell out within a day, based on interest they have seen on their site.
McFarland was released from prison in May 2022, more than two years before the end of his sentence, after earning good time credit, his lawyer, Jason Russo, told NBC News at the time.
