Billy McFarland is back, and so is Fyre Festival—this time with a sequel. Fyre Festival 2 is set to take place in Isla Mujeres, Mexico, from May 30 to June 2, with tickets now on sale for prices ranging from $1,400 to a staggering $1.1 million. Yet, there’s a catch—no artists have been announced, and even McFarland himself admitted on the Today show that he’s unsure whether he can legally leave the country to attend.
For those who remember the infamous 2017 disaster, this news might be surprising. The original Fyre Festival was hyped as a high-end music event in the Bahamas, fueled by a viral marketing campaign featuring influencers and celebrities. However, when attendees arrived, they were met with chaos—FEMA tents instead of luxury villas, meager cheese sandwiches in place of gourmet meals, and a complete lack of basic amenities. What was meant to be a promotional tool for Fyre Media, McFarland’s “Uber for the performing arts,” turned into one of the most notorious flops of the influencer era.
McFarland ultimately served time in prison for fraud, but despite his past, people may still be willing to take the gamble. The power of marketing—and the allure of being part of an exclusive cultural moment—could be enough to convince buyers to roll the dice once again, even if it means getting burned twice.
