There’s a school of thought that the best way to learn is through failure. Billy McFarland is doing just that… except possibly without the learning part. In fact, by all outward appearances it seems that he’s just doing the same thing all over again. In 2017, a then-25-year-old McFarland conned hapless rich millennials out of thousands to millions of dollars per ticket for Fyre Festival, a multi-day music fest that ended up having no adequate music, housing, food or plumbing. McFarland was convicted of fraud and served four years of a six year sentence, time he used to write a 50-page plan while in solitary on how to make the next scam festival better. And here we are: Fyre Festival II is allegedly really happening May 30 – June 2 on Mexico’s Isla Mujeres in the Caribbean sea. No musical acts have been confirmed, but there “might” be professional skateboarding or MMA lessons, and tickets are still steeply priced at $1,400 – $1.1 million a pop, depending on which accommodations you select (that hopefully materialize). McFarland announced the latest details on Monday:
“FYRE 2 is real. My dream is finally becoming a reality,” [McFarland] said during his appearance on the show. “FYRE 2 really isn’t about the past, and it’s not really about me. It’s about taking the vision, which is strong.”
While no performers have been announced for the festival, McFarland, 33, confirmed that the lineup will consist of “artists across electronic, hip hop, pop and rock.”
“However, it’s not just music. We might have a professional skateboarder do a demonstration. We might have an MMA champion teach you techniques in the morning,” he said.
Tickets went on sale on Feb. 24, ranging from $1,400 to $1.1 million. Find more ticket information here.
In September, McFarland told TODAY’s Savannah Sellers the festival was taking place from April 25-28 on “a private island off the coast of Mexico in the Caribbean.”
He also said he was planning on having “karate combat” available as entertainment at the festival.
As for the range in ticket prices, McFarland said that the most expensive tickets will be a luxurious experience. “You will be on a boat, have the luxury yachts that we partner with who will be docked and parked outside the island.”
“But once again, Fyre is not just about this, like, luxury experience. It’s about the adventure. So you’ll be scuba diving with me,” he said. “You’ll be bouncing around to other islands and other countries on small planes.”
McFarland also confirmed that cheese sandwiches — which took the internet by storm after the first festival — will be on the menu.
“We will have cheese sandwiches,” McFarland said. “They’re going to be super expensive, too. We’re going to make them, like, really good. That’ll be the highest-priced food item, I think.”
Well I for one am looking forward to another documentary! The first fiasco famously led to two great docs — FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened on Netflix, and Fyre Fraud on Hulu. Once again, McFarland sounds like he’s promising A LOT, with virtually (actually?) no guarantees. And yet, people are buying tickets… I will say, hyping up the (rumored) additions of MMA and karate lessons is a curious choice. Like he sat in solitary and thought, “What’s the ONE thing that was missing last time when people were hopping mad about having no food, lodgings, toilets, or performances? I know! Expert instruction on combat!” Also, when he says the cheese sandwiches will be the most expensive food, I get the concept of rebranding a flop into a signature (think: Jessica Simpson + Chicken of the Sea). But do you mean to tell me all that money for tix doesn’t include food?! Looking at the different ticket options on their site, they talk about access to experiences and chauffeur services and getting discounted rates at local hotels or staying on yachts, but there’s a serious lack of food discussion! And super nerd alert: it irked me no end that the website flits between “Fyre II” and “Fyre 2.” Pick a style and commit!!
And at the end of the day, this is still only the second most alarming repeat event of 2025.
Photos via Instagram and YouTube/The Today Show
That phrase ‘a fool and his money are easily parted’ comes to mind. I have no sympathy for the people who are willingly getting conned by him again.
Suckers are born everyday which is so true.
Hopefully he doesn’t bankrupt local businesses and not pay his employees again.
100%
@Bumblebee I think you made a typo it should be… He will bankrupt local businesses and not pay his employees again.
The worst part is, a lot of the people buying these tickets are likely doing so with the full expectation that it will be another shitshow. They actually WANT it to go poorly, because their lives are so charmed that it’s a novelty and they’ll have something to talk about. Wantonly blowing thousands, even millions, of dollars LARPing Lord of the Flies will genuinely be the most interesting thing about these people.
That’s what I thought as well: people expect and WANT this to fail. I swear some people buy tickets in hope it ends up in a disaster and they can go live on TikTok, IG etc. to profit and have material for weeks to talk about. This is an investment for people.
Anyone who gives him money deserves to lose it.
I’ll be curious to see who actually goes along with this.
This! I have no sympathy for anyone stupid enough to buy tickets.
He’s a sleeze! “Hey look at me! I’m wearing glasses so of course you can trust me!”
I am shocked that Trump hasn’t hired this guy yet.
At least this time he’s doing it in a heavily touristed area with infrastructure to house and feed the attendees. The thing is he’s still charging the same prices as last time for essentially just a concert pass (with no acts announced) – no hotel or food included. I see this more likely being either a “Willy’s Chocolate Experience” if he can’t get enough entertainment to sign on and it’s just like Cancun’s finest troubadours for 3 days, or a non-event if they get hit with a tropical storm since June is hurricane season in the Caribbean.
Fyre Festival: 2 – “This time no one will feel sorry for you”
LOL
Billy is like Elizabeth Holmes, full of great ideas and no execution that can bring it to market for a reasonable price. That is not prohibitive to the average person. If anyone coughs up 1.1 million for a ticket. It’s a trust fund baby with no sense or financial oversight. Or someone trying to wash some money.
If whatever he wanted to do would work for in the entertainment market. Companies would have done it years ago. They don’t because it’s too expensive and has no ROI. Or it’s done on a much smaller scale. Billy is a bigger is better person.
Just go to a regular musical festival and be happy. My guess it gets canceled, and ‘refunds’ will never appear. It will just put Billy right back where he was in prison again. The man never learns his lesson.
We really are living in a Wheel of Shit time loop, aren’t we?