Fyre Festival creator Billy McFarland announced Wednesday that he and his team faced “challenges” while trying to make Fyre Festival 2, selling the festival’s brand after facing “challenges.”
The festival was scheduled to be held in Playa del Carmen, Mexico from May 30 to June 2, McFarland’s second attempt to host a multi-day festival after a joint plan with rapper JA Rule in 2017, leading to his conviction of Wire Draud and convicted of Wire fraud for six years.
McFarland explained in an Instagram post that planning Fyre Festival 2 is about “done what I started and make things right.” But, he wrote, he and his team realized that “the best way to achieve our goals is to sell the Fyre Festival brand, including its trademarks, IP, digital assets, media coverage and cultural capital – to operators that can fully realize their vision.”
“Pirate the brand into a new group is following the most responsible way we intend to do,” McFarlane continues. “We will choose the new group based on their ability to execute their vision.”
Anyone interested in the brand can visit its website to see a list of assets that will be included in the purchase, including an email and text contact list, as well as a screenshot attachment that shows Fyre Festival’s social media coverage and website traffic.
Interested buyers can fill out the form at the bottom of the page.
The news comes a week after the first time Fyre Festival 2 was reported to have been postponed. According to an email received by TMZ, at the time, Fair Festival organizers told ticket buyers that they were “reviewing new locations and will soon announce our host destination.”
Katie Mather/Yahoo News
In May 2017, McFarland and JA Rule were sued for $100 million in a class action lawsuit on behalf of attendees. The next month, McFarlane was arrested for participating in organizing Fair Day and was charged with wire fraud in federal court in Manhattan. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to six years in federal prison in October 2018.
McFarland was moved to a midway home in March 2022 after less than four years of service, and as of September 2022, he was no longer arrested. Two years later, he confirmed his plan to try to host another festival
This is what has happened since then.
September 2024: McFarland confirms today It indicates that Fyre Festival 2 will be held from April 25 to April 28, 2025.
“We have a private island off the coast of Mexico in the Caribbean, and we have an incredible production company that is dealing with everything from soup to nuts,” he said. He did not name the island.
February 24, 2025: Fyre Festival 2 tickets are on sale, ranging from $1,400 to $1.1 million. The website promotes the second Fyre Festival to be held on the tropical island of Isla Mujeres in Cancun, Mexico. No artists announced to attend the event.
“Fyre 2 is real,” McFarland said on another appearance today. “My dream finally became a reality.”
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Fyre Festival 2 tickets start selling
February 27: “For us, this is an event that does not exist,” Edgar Gasca, a representative of the Isla Mujeres Tourism Bureau, told the Guardian when asked about Fyre Festival 2.
March 21: McFarland announced on Instagram that the festival will be held “in the heart of Riviera Maya.”
March 27: Fyre Festival held a press conference at Martina Beach Club in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. At a press conference, McFarlane announced that the event will be held at Playa del Carmen from May 30 to June 2.
Read more from Yahoo Entertainment: Billy McFarland said Fyre Festival 2 is still ongoing. He plans on how to lock in accommodation and music artists.
March 30: McFarland posted a video on Instagram labeled “Important Fyre Festival Update.” Among them, he claims there will be 1,800 attendees and the lineup will be released soon.
“We will have DJs, rappers, reggae artists, pop singers, and athletes, divers, models, pilots and creators who will bring experience to our guests,” McFarlane said. “We will have dozens of artists in an environment similar to a private party.”
April 2: Playa del Carmen City Hall post on X: “There will not be an event called ‘Fyre 2’ in Playa del Carmen.”
April 4: McFarland wrote on X: “Since March 5, 2025, he has been working with Playa del Carmen (PDC) and its officials’ government to ensure safe and successful activities.”
April 16: NBC News reported that an alert was temporarily posted on the Fyre Festival 2 ticketing website, saying the event had been postponed and attendees will receive emails confirming the new appointment.
The festival was postponed, citing an unnamed ticket holder who said they received an email saying: “The event has been postponed and a new date will be announced. We have issued you a refund. Once a new date has been announced, you can repurchase your timeline at that time.”
McFarland reportedly confirmed TMZ’s delay, accusing the cost of the license and said he and the organizers were already looking for new locations and dates for ticket buyers. TMZ posted alleged email organizers who were sent to ticket buyers, noting that “Fyre Festival 2 will no longer be held in Playa del Carmen in Mexico.”
April 23: McFarland posted an Instagram announcement saying he is selling the Fyre Festival brand to those interested. “To be successful, to be successful, I need to take a step back and let the new team move forward independently and bring the vision to life on this incredible island,” he said.
