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Fyre Festival 2: McFarland Responds to Host City’s Denial
The founder of the infamous Fyre Festival, Billy McFarland, is contesting recent assertions from Mexican officials regarding his attempts to revive Fyre Fest 2, a project following the disastrous original event that took place in 2017.
On April 2, the city council of Playa del Carmen, a popular seaside destination in the Yucatan Peninsula, utilized social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to announce that there would be no Fyre Fest 2 in their locality. In a swift response, McFarland labeled these media reports as “inaccurate” and claimed they stemmed from “misinformation.”
The controversy erupted following a statement posted by Playa del Carmen City Hall on April 2, which, upon translation, declared that no event named Fyre Fest 2 was planned for the region. The statement emphasized, “After a thorough review, there is no record or planning of any such event in the municipality.”
In retaliation, McFarland took to Instagram, asserting that his team had been in direct communication with municipal officials since March 5, 2025, to facilitate a successful festival. He shared various documents on the festival’s Instagram account, which he claims demonstrate his collaboration with the city officials in obtaining the necessary permits for the event, which he frames as a chance for personal redemption after the chaotic original Fyre Festival.
The original Fyre Festival promised attendees a luxurious musical getaway at Great Exuma island in the Bahamas, but upon arrival, participants were met with inadequate accommodations and scarce resources. McFarland ultimately served four years in prison for his role in defrauding investors tied to the failed event. Upon his release in 2022, he aimed to orchestrate a follow-up to both restore his reputation and repay the $26 million in restitution he owes to his victims.
Among the documents released by McFarland on Friday was an email purportedly from a municipal government address, which he referred to as an “official invitation letter” intended for recruiting artists. The email indicated, “We are actively working with Fyre Festival 2 organizers to ensure a successful event from May 30 – June 2, 2025.” It further claimed that the event organizers had secured quality venues and accommodations.
To bolster his claims, McFarland included copies of what he alleges are festival authorization permits and an environmental impact assessment. However, the veracity of these documents and the future of Fyre Fest 2 remain uncertain, especially since McFarland previously announced plans to host the event on Isla Mujeres, another tourist hotspot. Earlier this year, local tourism officials stated to several media outlets that they had no record of the festival being planned.
Pricing for tickets to Fyre Fest 2 has been set, starting at $1,400 for a four-day pass, exclusive of airfare and hotel accommodations. Premium tickets can reach as high as $25,000 for artist passes, with an extravagant package priced at $1 million for eight individuals, reportedly including access to luxury villas, a private marina with high-end yachts, and a private jet service to and from Cancun.
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