All the details on Fyre Festival's return: New Dates, new island, same infamy?
Eight years after the disastrous Fyre Festival left its mark on pop culture, founder Billy McFarland is back with plans for a second instalment
On September 9, Billy McFarland, founder of the infamous Fyre Festival, shared new details about the event’s sequel, set for April 2025. Speaking on Today, Billy revealed plans for the revival of the festival, stating that it will take place on a private island in the Caribbean, located off the coast of Mexico.
“We have a private island off the coast of Mexico in the Caribbean, and we have an incredible production company who’s handling everything from soup to nuts,” he said, although he didn’t disclose the exact location of the island. He also mentioned that the goal is to host the event at a venue with existing infrastructure for lodging and dining, and plans are underway to further develop the island for festival use.
As for the entertainment lineup, he admitted that while no acts have been secured, this year’s festival will offer more than just music, mentioning they are in discussions to hold live martial arts matches. “It’s not going to be just music — for example, karate combat. We’re in talks with them to set up a pit to have, like, live fights at Fyre Festival II,” he said.
You would think that people would be hesitant to re-book tickets after what happened at the festival in 2017 but despite the scandalous history of the original Fyre Festival, Billy claims to have already sold 100 tickets at $500 each. Other ticket packages will range from $1,400 up to $1.1 million, with the higher-tier experiences including luxury yachts, private scuba diving excursions, and island-hopping by private plane.
{{/usCountry}}You would think that people would be hesitant to re-book tickets after what happened at the festival in 2017 but despite the scandalous history of the original Fyre Festival, Billy claims to have already sold 100 tickets at $500 each. Other ticket packages will range from $1,400 up to $1.1 million, with the higher-tier experiences including luxury yachts, private scuba diving excursions, and island-hopping by private plane.
{{/usCountry}}Billy emphasised that while luxury will be part of the festival, the focus is on adventure: “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. It’s about the adventure. So you’ll be scubadiving with me. You’ll be bouncing around to other islands and other countries on small planes.”
What happened last time?
{{/usCountry}}Billy emphasised that while luxury will be part of the festival, the focus is on adventure: “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. It’s about the adventure. So you’ll be scubadiving with me. You’ll be bouncing around to other islands and other countries on small planes.”
What happened last time?
{{/usCountry}}Billy served four years in prison following his conviction on wire fraud charges for the disastrous 2017 debut of the Fyre Festival event. The original Fyre Festival promised a lavish experience in the Bahamas, complete with high-profile performances from Blink-182 and Migos. However, it quickly turned into a disaster when attendees arrived to find disorganized conditions, inadequate food, and no concerts. The event became notorious, inspiring two documentaries — Netflix’s FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened and Hulu’s Fyre Fraud.
Leaning into that infamy, Billy joked about one of the most memorable moments from the first festival: the now-famous cheese sandwich served in a styrofoam container. “We will have cheese sandwiches,” he said. “They’re going to be super expensive, too. We’re going to make them, like, really good. That’ll be the highest-priced food item, I think.”
Andy King, one of the investors in the first festival issued a dubious warning saying, “Proceed with caution.” Mr King had lost $1m in the original debacle and remarked that Billy is “known for the biggest failure in pop culture and wants to flip the script, but I'm not sure he's going about it the right way.”
With Fyre Festival II, Billy hopes to attract 3,000 attendees and transform the event into an annual experience that could redefine the festival landscape. “I think there’s a large number of people who want to go to Fyre II because they’re unsure of the outcome, and they would like to have a front-row seat no matter what happens,” he said. “Thankfully, we have good partners who will make sure they’re safe and obviously make sure things work out.” Only time will tell whether Billy can truly deliver on his ambitious promises.
