A Fyre Festival sequel, which was set to take place at Playa Del Carmen in Mexico, has hit a snag. The festival’s organizers announced Wednesday that the event would no longer be held at the location after its website momentarily posted a message claiming the festival had been postponed.
The festival’s promoter, Billy McFarland, told NBC News that the date of the event is dependent on finding a new location. In a statement to ticket holders, organizers claimed that the show would go on, but doubts have been raised about the fate of the entire festival.
The change in venue and the uncertainty surrounding the festival come after Playa Del Carmen officials disputed McFarland’s claim that they were hosting a second Fyre Fest. Government officials said there was no record or planning of any such event in the municipality.
McFarland, who pleaded guilty to wire fraud and other crimes tied to the first Fyre Fest fiasco in 2017, had posted documents on his social media accounts claiming that organizers had been working with local officials since March 5 to obtain permits for a Fyre Festival 2. However, one document shared by McFarland indicated that the event at the Martina Beach Club would have a maximum of 250 people during a 12-hour period.
Organizers shifted blame onto Playa Del Carmen officials in their statement to ticket holders Wednesday. They claimed that the government had taken money from them and issued permits, but then pretended it had never heard of them, which is “dishonest” and “theft.”
Playa Del Carmen officials could not be reached for comment.
The organizers have been under scrutiny since McFarland announced in September that he was attempting a comeback with another Fyre Fest at a “privately owned island off Mexico.” However, Isla Mujeres tourism officials disputed that they had granted any permits for such a festival.
Ticket packages were being sold for $1,400 for one person, not including accommodations or travel, to $1.1 million, which organizers said covered eight people for a “Prometheus God of Fyre” pass guaranteeing complimentary accommodations and private air charter. Soldout.com, which had partnered with ticket sales, told NBC News that it stands “firmly behind our 100% money-back guarantee.”
Festival organizers also told ticketholders Wednesday they would issue refunds given the change in location.
The original Fyre Fest in 2017 was promoted as a star-studded event with popular musical acts in a luxurious island setting. Attendees paid $1,000 to $12,000 apiece. However, the festival went viral for its canceled performers, meager food options, and accommodations of Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster tents.
In its wake, lawsuits were filed against McFarland, and the saga became the subject of Netflix and Hulu documentaries. In 2018, McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison after federal prosecutors said he lied to investors who lost more than $26 million. In 2021, some attendees were awarded money in a $2 million class-action settlement.
The next year, McFarland was released from prison early after having earned good time credit. However, while he still owes millions in restitution, McFarland has said the chance to hold another festival is about redemption.
“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,” he said in September. He added that he had hired a festival production company to “handle the stages and the bathrooms and all the stuff that I clearly don’t know how to do.”
The future of Fyre Festival 2 remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: it will not be held at Playa Del Carmen.
Source: NBC News
