Billy McFarland, the infamous orchestrator behind the disastrous Fyre Festival in 2017, has announced plans to launch Fyre Festival II in 2025.
Despite his previous conviction for fraud related to the inaugural edition, McFarland was released from prison in 2022 and is now aiming to revive the festival, which he believes could become a major annual event in the industry.
In a recent interview with NBC News, McFarland shared that Fyre Festival II is scheduled to take place from April 25th to 28th, 2025, on a private island off the coast of Mexico. He claimed that the island already has some infrastructure, such as hotels and villas, which could help avoid the logistical nightmares of the past event.
“We have the chance to embrace this storm and really steer our ship into all the chaos that has happened, and if it’s done well, I think Fyre has a chance to be this annual festival that really takes over the festival industry,” McFarland said.
McFarland said the second edition aims to attract around 3,000 attendees, with ticket prices starting at $1,400. The most expensive packages, costing up to $1.1 million, include luxury amenities such as yachts, scuba diving, and inter-island travel. McFarland also revealed that he sold 100 pre-sale tickets last year for $499 each, despite the lack of details available at the time.
Interestingly, McFarland has not yet secured any artists for the festival and remains secretive about the production company involved. He mentioned that he has hired a firm to handle crucial aspects like stage setup and sanitation, areas he admitted to having mishandled during the first Fyre Festival.
Moreover, McFarland humorously (or perhaps seriously) suggested that expensive cheese sandwiches might be on the menu, referencing the infamous meal provided at the original Fyre Festival, which became a symbol of the event’s failure.
Love Live Music?
Get the latest Live Music news, features, updates and giveaways straight to your inbox Learn more
Despite the controversies and his criminal record, McFarland is optimistic about the potential success of Fyre Festival II. He believes that the notorious history of the festival might actually drive curiosity and attendance, with people eager to witness the outcome firsthand.
In the first episode of ‘The Music Network Podcast’, McFarland sat down with The Brag Media Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief Poppy Reid earlier this year to discussing his plans to make amends for the original Fyre Fest.
“Paying everybody back is the most important thing for me,” he insisted. “I think I violated the trust of people who supported me for four or five years.”
During the episode, McFarland also discussed the idea of a new Fyre Fest. “People want to escape reality for three days,” he said, adding that interest in the traditional festival – hundreds of thousands of people standing together staring at a stage – “has dwindled.”
