Fyre Festival 2 ticket sales, details announced in reboot of infamous event
Tickets went on sale Monday for Fyre Festival 2, nearly eight years after the infamous Bahamas festival that led to its founder being convicted of wire fraud.
The new event, which is scheduled to take place in Mexico from May 30 to June 2, is being advertised under the slogan "FYRE Festival 2 is real," with tickets starting at $1,400.
"I'm sure many people think I'm crazy for doing this again. But I feel I'd be crazy not to do it again," Billy McFarland, the convicted founder behind 2017's failed Fyre Festival, said in a statement on Monday. "After years of reflection and now thoughtful planning, the new team and I have amazing plans for FYRE 2."
During the initial Fyre Festival, which billed itself as a luxury experience, deluxe accommodations in the Bahamas did not exist, musical acts bailed and ticketholders were left stranded.
McFarland pleaded guilty to a $26 million wire fraud and served nearly four years in prison. Federal prosecutors in New York called him a "consummate con artist" whose propensity to commit crimes is "extraordinary."
Less than three years after McFarland left prison, his new festival promises "an electrifying celebration of music, arts, cuisine, comedy, fashion, gaming, sports, and treasure hunting -- all set in the stunning location of Isla Mujeres, Mexico."
"Experience unforgettable performances, immersive experiences, and an atmosphere that redefines creativity and culture," the festival's website states.
No musical acts have been announced yet.
SoldOut.com and FriendlySky are working with Fyre Festival 2 to provide ticket and hospitality packages, which range from $1,400 to $1.1 million.
McFarland thanked his partners "for the second chance."
With the initial festival in 2017, customers were led to expect extravagant accommodations and celebrity chef-cooked meals, with tickets ranging from $500 to $12,000. Instead, the first guests to arrive to the scheduled two-week experience received boxes with plain cheese sandwiches and lodging in the form of Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.N. disaster tents.
McFarland pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud in federal court in 2018 and admitted to using fake documents to attract investors, who put more than $26 million into his company, Fyre Media, the host of the Fyre Festival.
He served almost four years of a six-year sentence, including two stints in solitary confinement. He told "Good Morning America" in 2022 that he's had time to reflect on his wrongdoings while in prison.
"I was wrong. I messed up. And I was so driven by this desperate desire to prove people right. ... I think I was just so insecure that I thought the only way to prove myself to them was to succeed," he said. "That led me down just this terrible path of bad decisions."
