Luxury accommodations at a tropical resort. World-class hospitality. “Boundary-pushing” excursions by day. Beachside musical performances by night. And exorbitant ticket prices to boot. All of that might sound familiar to anyone who followed the well-chronicled saga of the Fyre Festival, an ill-fated musical carnival that, in 2017, was such a spectacular failure that it spawned dueling documentaries on Netflix and Hulu. Billy McFarland, the festival’s organizer, wound up going to prison for nearly four years after he entered a guilty plea to charges that included wire fraud.
But Mr. McFarland, 33, a self-described tech entrepreneur, is back — and he is trying the whole thing over again. Mr. McFarland announced this week that Fyre Festival 2, replete with all the trappings listed above, is scheduled for May 30 to June 2 on Isla Mujeres, a Mexican island and vacation destination a few miles off the coast from Cancun. More specifically, the event will be staged at “Playa FYRE,” according to the festival’s website — though the GPS coordinates provided on the festival’s website appear to point to a landless spot to the west of Isla Mujeres.
Skepticism would not be out of place when it comes to a sequel of an event where everything seemed to go wrong, but people willing to roll the dice can get started immediately, as some tickets are already on sale. The festival is being advertised as “an electrifying celebration of music, arts, cuisine, comedy, fashion, gaming, sports and treasure hunting — all set in the stunning location of Isla Mujeres, Mexico.” But details are otherwise scant, and organizers were not immediately available for comment. No musical artists have been announced, though Mr. McFarland told NBC’s “Today” in an interview that the genres would include electronic, hip-hop, pop, and rock.
A total of 2,000 tickets are now available, ranging in price from $1,400 to $1.1 million. The $1.1 million ticket, which covers admission for eight attendees, is being billed as the “Prometheus” tier and will include round-trip airfare via “Fyre Air” from Miami to Cancun, a helicopter ride to Isla Mujeres, and the option of a four-stateroom yacht or a four-bedroom villa.
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