April 13, 2023
Who Asked For This? Fyre Festival Founder Says Part Two Is “Finally Happening”
Second time’s a charm?
Disgraced festival curator Billy McFarland took to Twitter to announce Fyre Festival II is happening.
🔥 Fyre Festival II is finally happening.
Tell me why you should be invited.
— Billy McFarland (@pyrtbilly) April 10, 2023
Just in case you forgot, the first Frye Festival, described in a Netflix documentary as “the greatest party that never happened,” caused chaos on social media. Back in 2017, McFarland, along with rapper Ja Rule marketed and sold 5,000 tickets for a two-day luxurious music event on a private beach on the island of Great Exuma, Bahamas. Famous supermodels like Kendall Jenner and Emily Ratajkowski were set to appear at the expensive and over-the-top festivities.
As partygoers touched down, according to E! News, things went downhill.
The festival got the attention McFarland wanted but all for the wrong reasons. Festival-goers reported fights over food, robberies, “refugee camp” style conditions and difficulties getting flights back to the United States. Registrants paid thousands of dollars to come down and things went viral after picture of the food served made it to Twitter. After the recent announcement, one user wanted to remind him.
Fyre Festival 2 includes massive upgrades such as a juice box and mayonnaise with the sandwich this time. pic.twitter.com/uHEZRxnpNP
— Michael Riley (@magicmikeriley1) April 11, 2023
Following the failure, McFarland, 31, entered a guilty plea to charges of wire fraud and a forfeiture order of $26 million after, according to Business Insider, being accused of defrauding more than 100 investors. He was sentenced to six years in prison but was released earlier. Ja Rule was hit with $100 million class action but it was dismissed with the rapper saying he was “scammed.”
Knowing his announcement was going to be met with some scrutiny, McFarland made it clear that he knows he has some making up to do before any new plans can begin.
However, he has a plan.
“I spend half my time filming TV shows,” he tweeted last month. “The other half, I focus on what I’m really, really good at. I’m the best at coming up with wild creative, getting talent together, and delivering the moment.”