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Wikipedia

Fyre Festival

January 01, 1970

This article is about the 2017 music festival. For the annual literary festival, see Frye Festival. For other uses, see Fyre (disambiguation).

Fyre Festival was a fraudulent luxury music festival organized by Billy McFarland, an American businessman whose enterprises have been characterized by fraud, and American rapper Ja Rule. It was created with the intent of promoting the company's Fyre app for booking music talent. The festival was scheduled to take place on April 28–30 and May 5–7, 2017, on the Bahamian island of Great Exuma.

Fyre Festival
Logo
DatesApril 28–30, May 5–7, 2017 and December 6, 2024 (proposed)
Location(s)Exuma, The Bahamas
Years active2017
Founded by
Attendance≈5,000

The event was promoted on Instagram by social media influencers, actors, reality TV stars and models including Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, Hailey Baldwin, and Emily Ratajkowski, many of whom did not initially disclose they had been paid to do so.[1] During the Fyre Festival's inaugural weekend, the event experienced problems related to security, food, accommodation, medical services, and artist relations, resulting in the festival being indefinitely postponed and eventually cancelled. Instead of the gourmet meals and luxury villas for which festival attendees had paid thousands of dollars, they received packaged sandwiches and were lodged in poorly furnished tents.[2]

In March 2018, McFarland pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud to defraud investors and ticket holders, and a second count to defraud a ticket vendor (while out on bail).[3] In October 2018, McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to forfeit US$26 million.[3] At least eight lawsuits were initiated against the organizers for defrauding ticket buyers, several seeking class action status, and one seeking more than $100 million in damages. Two documentaries about the events of the festival were released in 2019: Hulu's Fyre Fraud,[4] and Netflix's Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened.[5][6]

On April 9, 2023, Billy McFarland tweeted that there was to be a Fyre Festival II.[7]

Planning and organization edit

 
Billy McFarland and Ja Rule at the 2016 Web Summit
 
An aircraft featuring Fyre Festival branding, used to transport attendees to the festival.

The festival was organized by Billy McFarland and Ja Rule,[2] to promote the Fyre music booking app.[1] Ja Rule had come to know McFarland through regular visits to events McFarland hosted at his previous venture, Magnises. During a flight to the Bahamas, McFarland and Ja Rule's private plane touched down on a lightly populated island which they later discovered was Norman's Cay, the former private island of Carlos Lehder Rivas, a kingpin of the Medellín Cartel.[8] McFarland then leased the island from the current owners, with the owners giving the strict condition that McFarland make no reference to Pablo Escobar (leader of the Medellín Cartel) in any marketing materials.[9]

Promotional footage with hired supermodels was shot on Norman's Cay, and planning for the festival went ahead. On December 12, 2016, Kendall Jenner, Emily Ratajkowski, and other influencers paid by Fyre simultaneously posted to their Instagram feeds a video with a thumbnail consisting of an orange square and a logo made of stylized flames. The video showed Bella Hadid and other models represented by her agency running around a tropical beach. Text with the video promised "an immersive music festival ... two transformative weekends ... on the boundaries of the impossible". This was the beginning of the Fyre Festival's promotional campaign, during which McFarland himself claimed that the island had been owned by Pablo Escobar, a falsehood.[10] The owners cancelled their arrangement with McFarland soon after.[11]

When the event was kicked off of Norman's Cay, organizers only had four months before their inaugural festival on April 28–30. After several small islands that seemed like likely venues were turned down, and with only two months to go before the Fyre Festival, the Bahamian government gave McFarland a permit to use a site set aside for development at Roker Point (23°38′06″N 75°55′08″W / 23.6350°N 75.9188°W / 23.6350; -75.9188) on Great Exuma, just north of the Sandals Resort.[10] Material released on social media continued to promote the falsehood that the festival was being hosted on Pablo Escobar's private island, with maps of the site altered to make it appear as if Roker Point was an island unto itself.[9]

In reality, the festival was in a remote parking lot north of a Sandals Resort and a nearby marina where locals' boats were stored.[citation needed] Furthermore, Great Exuma was not a private or remote island. Instead, the festival was scheduled to take place in an abandoned resort development. McFarland never announced the change; he just simply renamed the island "Fyre Cay". With no infrastructure and no villas, the team had just under two months to turn Roker Point into Fyre Cay.

An investor, fashion executive Carola Jain, reportedly arranged for Fyre to receive a $4 million loan, most of which was used to rent luxurious offices in Manhattan's Tribeca neighborhood. With no experience staging an event of the proposed festival's scale, McFarland began approaching companies that did, and was reportedly taken aback when informed the event would cost at least $50 million to stage in the time available, as he had promised. Furthermore, the more experienced consultants told them that in addition to the cost, an event of this magnitude would have needed an extra year to plan. McFarland and his associates at Fyre believed it would cost far less, and continued with their plans under that assumption. The organizers tried to do things themselves where possible; McFarland supposedly learned how to rent the stage by doing a Google Search.[10]

In the days leading up to the festival, they cut expenses extensively, having learned that the luxury villas alone were going to cost $10 million, and targeted deposits for the bands, food, infrastructure, and staff.

Scheduled for two weekends in April and May 2017, the event sold day tickets at prices from US$500 to US$1,500, and VIP packages including airfare and luxury tent accommodation for US$12,000. Customers were promised accommodation in "modern, eco-friendly, geodesic domes"[12] and meals from celebrity chefs.[13] The final advertised lineup was for 33 artists, including Pusha T, Tyga, Desiigner, Blink-182, Major Lazer, Disclosure, Migos, Rae Sremmurd, Kaytranada, Lil Yachty, Matoma, Klingande, Skepta, Claptone, Le Youth, Tensnake, Blond:ish, and Lee Burridge.[14] In the days leading up to the festival, all of these acts pulled out. Additionally, organizers of the Fyre Festival planned their first event for April 28–30, the same weekend as the Exuma Regatta, a Bahamian sailing race series that utilized most of the island's hotels, vacation rentals and resources.

While the festival's promotional material kept claiming that the festival would be held on a remote private island that once belonged to drug trafficker Pablo Escobar, workers were busy preparing Roker Point for the festival, scattering sand over its rocks and improving a road to a nearby beach, where they built some cabanas and installed swing seats.[10]

On the mainland, 5,000 tickets had been sold, and an air service was hired to charter festival-goers from Miami. A medical-services company and caterer were also hired, but the caterer withdrew a few weeks before the festival.[10] With only two weeks to go, a new catering service with a $1 million total budget was hired, drastically reduced from the $6 million originally allocated to provide what was promised as "uniquely authentic island cuisine...local seafood, Bahamian-style sushi and even a pig roast".[9][2]

In March 2017, Fyre also hired a veteran event producer, Yaron Lavi, who saw that it was impossible to hold the sort of event McFarland and Ja Rule envisioned at the site. He assumed they would postpone the event to November as they had been discussing, as they were not ready. However, when Fyre told him they would stage the event in the spring anyway, Lavi told them to abandon plans for temporary villas and instead erect tents, the only accommodation that could be delivered in the time remaining. Lavi advised Fyre to make this clear to those who had already bought tickets, as otherwise it would be damaging to their brand. He says the company assured him that an email was being prepared, but he was not sure if it was sent.[10]

Comcast Ventures considered investing $25 million in the Fyre app, which McFarland apparently hoped would allow him to finance the festival, but declined days beforehand.[15] Reportedly, McFarland had valued Fyre Media at $90 million, but was unable to provide sufficient proof of that when Comcast requested it.[10]

Writing for New York magazine, one of the event organizers later noted that since at least mid-March there had been significant problems with the planning, and at one point it was suggested they reschedule the 2017 festival until 2018.[16]

These plans, however, were revoked at the last minute with the decision to go on with the event as planned. "Let's just do it and be legends, man," one of the organizers is reported to have said.[16]

After the Comcast deal fell through, McFarland obtained $3 million in temporary financing for Fyre through investor Ezra Birnbaum that required the company to repay at least US$500,000 of the loan within 16 days.[10]

Fyre informed ticket-holders that the event would be "cashless (and cardless)", with purchases at the festival to be paid for with an RFID "FyreBand" linked to their credit card[17][18] (despite warnings that such digital bracelets would be useless because of the poor Wi-Fi connection at the site[9]). In order to raise quick cash for the event, and with under two weeks to go before the inaugural event, attendees were encouraged to load their FyreBands with thousands of dollars in advance, according to one lawsuit.[19] McFarland, who signed the email, suggested that attendees deposit $300–500 for every day they planned to attend. About $2 million from festival goers was taken for these bracelets, 40% of which, according to a lawsuit later filed by Birnbaum, was used by McFarland to pay off the short-term loan.[10][20]

Festival events and attendee experiences edit

Early in the morning of April 27, heavy rain fell on Great Exuma, soaking the open tents and mattresses piled out in the open air for guest arrivals later that day.

The first flights from Miami International Airport to Exuma International Airport, operated by Swift Air and Xtra Airways, landed at 6:20 a.m.[9] That afternoon, Blink-182 announced that it was withdrawing from the festival, stating in a Twitter post that: "We're not confident that we would have what we need to give you the quality of performances we always give our fans."[9]

Initial arrivals were taken to an "impromptu beach party" at a beachside restaurant, where they were plied with alcohol and kept waiting for around six hours while frantic preparations at the festival site continued.[9] McFarland had hired hundreds of local Bahamian workers to help build the site. Meanwhile, organizers had to renegotiate the guarantees they offered to the people who would be playing at the festival as costs spiraled out of control. Later arrivals were taken directly to the grounds by school bus where the true state of the festival's site became apparent: their accommodations were little more than scattered disaster relief tents with dirt floors, some with mattresses that were soaking wet as a result of the morning rain. The gourmet food accommodations were nothing more than inadequate and poor quality food (including cheese sandwiches served in foam containers).[21][22]

Festival-goers were dropped off at the production bungalow where McFarland and his team were based so they could be registered, but after hours of waiting in vain, people rushed to claim their own tents.[9] Although there were only about 500 people, there were not enough tents and beds for the guests, so they wound up stealing from others. Attendees were unable to leave the festival for the nearby Sandals resorts as it was peak season, with almost every hotel on Great Exuma already fully booked for the annual Exuma Regatta. Around nightfall, a group of local musicians took to the stage and played for a few hours, the only act to perform at the event. In the early morning, it was announced that the festival would be postponed and that the attendees would be returned to Miami as soon as possible.

Reports from the festival mentioned various other problems, such as the mishandling or theft of guests' baggage, no lighting to help people find their way around, an unfinished gravel lot, a lack of medical personnel or event staff, no cell phone or internet service, insufficient portable toilets, no running water and heavy-handed security.[23] These problems were exacerbated as the festival had been promoted as a cashless event, leaving many attendees without money for taxi fare or other expenses.

Many attendees were reportedly stranded, as flights to and from the island were cancelled after the Bahamian government issued an order that barred any planes from landing at the airport.[2][24]

The first flight back to Miami boarded at 1:30 a.m. on April 28, but was delayed for hours due to issues with the flight's manifest. It was cancelled after sunrise, and passengers were locked in the Exuma Airport terminal with no access to food, water, or air conditioning;[25] a passenger wrote on social media that at least one person in there passed out from the heat.[25]

The flight eventually left Exuma later that morning, and more charter flights to Miami departed from Exuma throughout the day. One attendee who was stuck in Miami reported that the pilot of their airplane had told them to get off so they could turn the plane around for immediate departure, as they were now serving as a rescue aircraft to get attendees off Great Exuma Island.[citation needed]

Involved parties edit

Organizers edit

In 2013, with US$3,100,000 (equivalent to about $4,050,000 in 2023) in venture capital and 25 employees, McFarland also founded a card company called Magnises[26] which promised members paying an annual $250 fee that they could "unlock their cities and take their lives to the next level", including "private members-only concerts, tastings with notable chefs, and exclusive art previews at top galleries". The Washington Post reported that "some of those benefits never materialized or were far from what was advertised".[27] "They send the same email for every problem, but it's like fill-in-the-blanks for what the problem is", a member reported to Business Insider.[28] Magnises reportedly became profitable in 2015.[28]

The Washington Post also reported that McFarland "has a history of overpromising" in his previous business ventures, and cited multiple examples, including McFarland selling VIP tickets to the musical Hamilton for $430 then cancelling at the last minute. In a complaint to the Better Business Bureau, one customer seeking a refund reported getting no response to multiple queries for over a month and a half.[27]

Celebrity and social media promoters edit

The event was promoted on Instagram by Kardashian family socialite Kendall Jenner (who was paid $250,000 and has since deleted the post), Bella Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski, Hailey Baldwin, Elsa Hosk, Chanel Iman, Lais Ribeiro, Shanina Shaik, Nadine Leopold, Rose Bertram, Hannah Ferguson, and other niche-actresses and media personalities.[1] Ratajkowski was reportedly the only actress or model to use the hashtag #ad,[29] but has also since deleted the post.[30] Only later was it reported that Jenner and the others had been paid to make the posts, something they were required under federal law to disclose. The Federal Trade Commission said #ad only worked at the beginning of paid posts, and that the hashtag alone was not a sufficient disclaimer.[30][31]

Hadid acknowledged participating in the promotion, and apologized.[32] Baldwin revealed that she donated her entire payment to charity after seeing the aftermath of the event.[33]

FuckJerry and Jerry Media were partially responsible for promotions and social media marketing.

Aftermath edit

Fyre Festival posted a statement on their website:

Fyre Festival set out to provide a once-in-a-lifetime musical experience on the Islands of the Exumas. Due to circumstances out of our control, the physical infrastructure was not in place on time and we are unable to fulfill on that vision safely and enjoyably for our guests. At this time, we are working tirelessly to get flights scheduled and get everyone off of Great Exuma and home safely as quickly as we can. We ask that guests currently on-island do not make their own arrangements to get to the airport as we are coordinating those plans. We are working to place everyone on complimentary charters back to Miami today; this process has commenced and the safety and comfort of our guests is our top priority. The festival is being postponed until we can further assess if and when we are able to create the high-quality experience we envisioned. We ask for everyone's patience and cooperation during this difficult time as we work as quickly and safely as we can to remedy this unforeseeable situation. We will continue to provide regular updates via email to our guests and via our official social media channels as they become available.[34]

Ja Rule posted a note on Twitter that said "I wanted this to be an amazing event it was NOT A SCAM as everyone is reporting; I don't know how everything went so left but I'm working to make it right by making sure everyone is refunded." He went on to say "I truly apologize as this is NOT MY FAULT... but I'm taking responsibility."[35] Many news organizations compared the chaos to William Golding's novel Lord of the Flies and Suzanne Collins's novel The Hunger Games.[36][37][38][39] The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism apologized on behalf of the nation, and denied having any responsibility for how the events unfolded.[40] The workers who constructed the site and the restaurant that provided meals for festival staff were never paid, leading to the restaurant owner appealing for assistance on the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe.[41]

Fyre Festival announced that it would offer all attendees a choice between a full refund or VIP tickets to the following year's festival (which was proposed, but never happened).[42][43]

Lawsuits edit

As a result of the festival, McFarland and Ja Rule were the subject of a $100 million lawsuit in the state of California, with Ja Rule later being dismissed from the lawsuit by the judge in July 2019.[44] It was filed on behalf of plaintiff Daniel Jung by entertainment lawyer Mark Geragos, who is seeking class action status for the lawsuit with more than 150 plaintiffs.[45] Per the filing, Jung's lawsuit alleges fraud, breach of contract (partly because of the decision by the organizers to make the festival cashless so that attendees didn't bring money for taxis), breach of covenant of good faith (partly due to the inadequate catering and the incident where attendees were locked in the airport) and negligent misrepresentation.[46] Ben Meiselas of Geragos's firm pledged to hold "all those who recklessly and blindly promoted the festival" accountable, which was interpreted as being directed at Jenner, Hadid, and other social media influencers.[47] A Geragos lawyer stated that Fyre Festival sent cease and desist letters to whistleblowers.[48]

A second class action lawsuit against Fyre Media, McFarland, Ja Rule, and the event promoters identified as "Does 1–100" was filed in Los Angeles by personal injury lawyer John Girardi on behalf of three attendees.[49] The plaintiff alleges that they deceived patrons into attending the festival by paying more than 400 social media personalities and celebrities to promote it. The parties were accused of breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, and fraud,[50] but the suit was later dismissed.[51] A Bloomberg reporter filed a FOIA request to the FTC regarding their Instagram knowledge, after the second class action lawsuit.[49]

A third lawsuit was filed in New York federal court against Ja Rule, McFarland, Fyre Media, and chief marketing officer Grant Margolin. Plaintiffs Matthew Herlihy and Anthony Lauriello accused the festival organizers of "false representations, material omissions... negligence, fraud, and violations of consumer protection statutes."[52] "Upon the arrival of guests to the island of Great Exuma for the first weekend, the island was lacking basic amenities, was covered in dirt, and guests had to sleep in tents with wet blankets," the suit claims. "There were no communal showers or bathrooms as promised; instead there were porta potties (only about one for every 200 yards) that were knocked down and only three showers although there were hundreds of people arriving." This lawsuit was dismissed in November 2019 with leave to replead with respect to particular allegations against Ja Rule.[53]

On May 4, another lawsuit was filed by National Event Services (NES), which provided medical services for the festival and claimed to have suffered $250,000 in damages, alleging breach of contract, fraud, and negligence by the organizers. The suit alleged that Fyre "failed and/or refused" to buy cancellation insurance and "failed to secure a contract with a medical evacuation helicopter or plane." NES employees reported that the local medical clinic was closed and the accommodation was "uninhabitable" with "bug infestation, bloodstained mattresses, and no air conditioning."

Also in May, festival attendee Andrew Petrozziello filed a lawsuit in New Jersey federal court alleging that the organizers violated the state's consumer fraud act and committed breach of contract.[54]

A sixth lawsuit, filed in Florida federal court as a class action suit, alleged violations that include fraud, negligence, and breach of contract. The plaintiffs, Kenneth and Emily Reel, accused the organizers of sending cease and desist letters to people who criticized the festival on social media.[55]

A seventh lawsuit was filed in Manhattan federal court as a class action suit on behalf of Sean Daly and Edward Ivey. In addition to the infractions mentioned in the other lawsuits, this suit alleges unjust enrichment and violation of New York state business law, claiming that the organizers continued to offer VIP upgrades and opportunities to deposit money into the "Fyre Band" payment system after the festival had been canceled.[56]

An eighth lawsuit was filed in Suffolk County Superior Court in Boston on behalf of ticketing vendor Tablelist. The company is alleging that the festival organizers and financial backers committed breach of contract and fraudulently deceived Tablelist and ticket purchasers. Tablelist is seeking $3.5 million to refund customers, as well as damages resulting from loss of business after being forced to lay off 40% of their workforce to focus on the litigation.[57]

On July 3, 2018, two North Carolina attendees, Seth Crossno and Mark Thompson, were awarded $5 million in damages. The judgment was granted against Billy McFarland in absentia after he failed to respond to the court proceedings. Ja Rule was initially named as a co-defendant, but was later removed from the suit after an undisclosed private agreement with the two attendees' attorney.[58]

Ja Rule said in January 2019 that he had also been defrauded by McFarland;[59] in November 2019, he was dismissed from a class action lawsuit filed by festival attendees, the judge determining that it had not been proven his promotion of the festival on social media had directly led to the plaintiffs' attending.[60]

Criminal investigation edit

On May 21, 2017, The New York Times reported McFarland and his associates were under an active federal criminal investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for mail fraud, wire fraud, and securities fraud. The case was overseen by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York.[20] On June 30, 2017, McFarland was arrested and charged with one count of wire fraud.[61]

In March 2018, McFarland pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in what the U.S. Justice Department called a scheme to defraud investors, as well as a second count of wire fraud related to a scheme to defraud a ticket vendor. In October 2018, McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to forfeit US$26 million.[3][62][63]

On July 24, 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that McFarland, two companies he founded, a former senior executive, and a former contractor agreed to settle charges arising out of an extensive, multi-year offering fraud that raised at least $27.4 million from over 100 investors. McFarland admitted to the SEC's allegations against him, agreed to a permanent director-and-officer bar, and agreed to disgorgement of $27.4 million. Grant H. Margolin, Daniel Simon, Fyre Media, and Magnises, Inc. agreed to the settlement without admitting or denying the charges. Margolin has agreed to a seven-year director-and-officer bar and must pay a $35,000 penalty, and Simon has agreed to a three-year director-and-officer bar and must pay over $15,000 in disgorgement and penalty. The settlements are subject to court approval.[64]

Compensation edit

Like other Bahamian suppliers, the caterer who worked on the event was not paid; in 2019 a crowdfunding appeal raised over $200,000 to compensate her.[65][66] In August 2020, the United States Marshals Service auctioned Fyre Festival-branded merchandise that McFarland had kept for future sale, with the proceeds to go to victims.[66]

Films edit

In 2019, two documentary films were released that covered the Fyre Festival and McFarland.

Fyre Fraud, directed by Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason, premiered on Hulu on January 14, 2019. On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 79% approval rating with an average rating of 6.41 out of 10, based on 28 reviews.[67] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 66 out of 100, based on 12 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[68] The documentary was the subject of some controversy after it was revealed that the filmmakers had paid McFarland to be interviewed for their film. [69]

Fyre, directed by Chris Smith, was released by Netflix on January 18, 2019. Like Fyre Fraud, the film received positive reviews. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds a 90% rating with an average rating of 7.54 out of 10, based on 73 reviews.[70] On Metacritic, the film holds a score of 76 out of 100, based on 26 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[71] FuckJerry and Jerry Media helped produce the film, which neglected to acknowledge their involvement and participation in the festival's marketing.[72]

In popular culture edit

In a 2017 tweet, Seth Rogen stated that The Lonely Island comedy trio were planning a movie about a failed music festival.[73] In 2019, Jorma Taccone confirmed that the parody film was still in process.[74]

In 2018, American punk band Alkaline Trio – whose singer and guitarist Matt Skiba also played in Blink-182 at the time, who were among the first acts to cancel their planned performance at the festival – released the song "Goodbye Fire Island", which was inspired by Blink-182's involvement with the festival.[75]

In 2019, Ryan Reynolds featured Andy King, an event producer for Fyre Festival, and his quote from the Fyre documentary directed by Chris Smith, in an advertisement for his gin brand.[a][76]

In 2019, HBO's Silicon Valley depicted RussFest, a music event in the desert with similarities to the real-life Fyre Festival.[77][78] A 2016 Silicon Valley episode from season 3 depicts a lavish Hawaiian-themed party on Alcatraz by a newly formed company that goes bankrupt.[79][80]

In 2019, the American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling (AEW) established an annual event called Fyter Fest. The name, slogan, and logo are a parody of the Fyre Festival.[81]

In 2023, the American comedy film Good Burger 2 has a poster in Dexter Reed's old office promoting The Flame Festival, a music festival on a Caribbean island, which is a reference to the real-life Fyre Festival.

Proposed Fyre Festival II edit

On April 9, 2023, Billy McFarland tweeted that there was to be a Fyre Festival II[82] and claimed to have already secured funding for the event.[83] The first 100 tickets were put on sale at $499, with prices later to increase.[84] The festival's website said that the event was "targeted for the end of 2024 in the Caribbean", and that the first batch of tickets had sold out within a day.[85] On February 29, 2024, McFarland posted on Instagram that Fyre Fest 2 was being scheduled for February 2025 at the Coral View Beach Resort, on the Honduran island of Utila.[86] On April 23, 2024, McFarland posted on his instagram story[87] and on X[88] an update with the following 4 Locations being picked: Belize, Cuba, Dominican Republic or Honduras (Utila).[89]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ In the documentary, King says, "Can you ever really go too far for your company? I don't think so."

References edit

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  3. ^ a b c "Where are Fyre Festival's Billy McFarland and Ja Rule now?". Evening Standard. April 29, 2019. from the original on June 5, 2019. Retrieved June 5, 2019.
  4. ^ "Hulu Debuts Fyre Festival Doc Days Before Rival Netflix Project". The Hollywood Reporter. January 14, 2019. from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2019.
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  6. ^ Cohn, Warren H. (February 25, 2019). "How Social Media Led To The Rise And Fall Of The Fyre Festival". Forbes. from the original on February 25, 2019. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
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  8. ^ "Norman's Cay: Playground for Drug Smugglers". PBS/Frontline. from the original on October 19, 2000. Retrieved February 4, 2019. For four years it was a drug smuggling hub and tropical hideaway for Medellin cartel kingpin Carlos Lehder and associates.
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  20. ^ a b Coscarelli, Joe; Ryzik, Melena; Sisario, Ben (May 21, 2017). "Criminal investigation of Fyre". New York Times. from the original on February 16, 2019.
  21. ^ Ohlheiser, Abby (April 28, 2017). "The complete disaster of Fyre Festival played out on social media for all to see; 'NOT MY FAULT' says organizer Ja Rule". Washington Post. from the original on February 17, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
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  23. ^ Rankin, Seija (April 28, 2017). "No Food, No Water, No Luxury Tents: The $12,000-Per-Ticket Disaster That Was the Short-Lived Fyre Festival". eonline.com. from the original on February 20, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2017.
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External links edit

January 01, 1970
fyre, festival, this, article, about, 2017, music, festival, annual, literary, festival, frye, festival, other, uses, fyre, disambiguation, fraudulent, luxury, music, festival, organized, billy, mcfarland, american, businessman, whose, enterprises, have, been,. This article is about the 2017 music festival For the annual literary festival see Frye Festival For other uses see Fyre disambiguation Fyre Festival was a fraudulent luxury music festival organized by Billy McFarland an American businessman whose enterprises have been characterized by fraud and American rapper Ja Rule It was created with the intent of promoting the company s Fyre app for booking music talent The festival was scheduled to take place on April 28 30 and May 5 7 2017 on the Bahamian island of Great Exuma Fyre FestivalLogoDatesApril 28 30 May 5 7 2017 and December 6 2024 proposed Location s Exuma The BahamasYears active2017Founded byBilly McFarlandJa Rule 1 Attendance 5 000 The event was promoted on Instagram by social media influencers actors reality TV stars and models including Kendall Jenner Bella Hadid Hailey Baldwin and Emily Ratajkowski many of whom did not initially disclose they had been paid to do so 1 During the Fyre Festival s inaugural weekend the event experienced problems related to security food accommodation medical services and artist relations resulting in the festival being indefinitely postponed and eventually cancelled Instead of the gourmet meals and luxury villas for which festival attendees had paid thousands of dollars they received packaged sandwiches and were lodged in poorly furnished tents 2 In March 2018 McFarland pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud to defraud investors and ticket holders and a second count to defraud a ticket vendor while out on bail 3 In October 2018 McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to forfeit US 26 million 3 At least eight lawsuits were initiated against the organizers for defrauding ticket buyers several seeking class action status and one seeking more than 100 million in damages Two documentaries about the events of the festival were released in 2019 Hulu s Fyre Fraud 4 and Netflix s Fyre The Greatest Party That Never Happened 5 6 On April 9 2023 Billy McFarland tweeted that there was to be a Fyre Festival II 7 Contents 1 Planning and organization 2 Festival events and attendee experiences 3 Involved parties 3 1 Organizers 3 2 Celebrity and social media promoters 4 Aftermath 4 1 Lawsuits 4 2 Criminal investigation 4 3 Compensation 5 Films 6 In popular culture 7 Proposed Fyre Festival II 8 See also 9 Notes 10 References 11 External linksPlanning and organization edit nbsp Billy McFarland and Ja Rule at the 2016 Web Summit nbsp An aircraft featuring Fyre Festival branding used to transport attendees to the festival The festival was organized by Billy McFarland and Ja Rule 2 to promote the Fyre music booking app 1 Ja Rule had come to know McFarland through regular visits to events McFarland hosted at his previous venture Magnises During a flight to the Bahamas McFarland and Ja Rule s private plane touched down on a lightly populated island which they later discovered was Norman s Cay the former private island of Carlos Lehder Rivas a kingpin of the Medellin Cartel 8 McFarland then leased the island from the current owners with the owners giving the strict condition that McFarland make no reference to Pablo Escobar leader of the Medellin Cartel in any marketing materials 9 Promotional footage with hired supermodels was shot on Norman s Cay and planning for the festival went ahead On December 12 2016 Kendall Jenner Emily Ratajkowski and other influencers paid by Fyre simultaneously posted to their Instagram feeds a video with a thumbnail consisting of an orange square and a logo made of stylized flames The video showed Bella Hadid and other models represented by her agency running around a tropical beach Text with the video promised an immersive music festival two transformative weekends on the boundaries of the impossible This was the beginning of the Fyre Festival s promotional campaign during which McFarland himself claimed that the island had been owned by Pablo Escobar a falsehood 10 The owners cancelled their arrangement with McFarland soon after 11 When the event was kicked off of Norman s Cay organizers only had four months before their inaugural festival on April 28 30 After several small islands that seemed like likely venues were turned down and with only two months to go before the Fyre Festival the Bahamian government gave McFarland a permit to use a site set aside for development at Roker Point 23 38 06 N 75 55 08 W 23 6350 N 75 9188 W 23 6350 75 9188 on Great Exuma just north of the Sandals Resort 10 Material released on social media continued to promote the falsehood that the festival was being hosted on Pablo Escobar s private island with maps of the site altered to make it appear as if Roker Point was an island unto itself 9 In reality the festival was in a remote parking lot north of a Sandals Resort and a nearby marina where locals boats were stored citation needed Furthermore Great Exuma was not a private or remote island Instead the festival was scheduled to take place in an abandoned resort development McFarland never announced the change he just simply renamed the island Fyre Cay With no infrastructure and no villas the team had just under two months to turn Roker Point into Fyre Cay An investor fashion executive Carola Jain reportedly arranged for Fyre to receive a 4 million loan most of which was used to rent luxurious offices in Manhattan s Tribeca neighborhood With no experience staging an event of the proposed festival s scale McFarland began approaching companies that did and was reportedly taken aback when informed the event would cost at least 50 million to stage in the time available as he had promised Furthermore the more experienced consultants told them that in addition to the cost an event of this magnitude would have needed an extra year to plan McFarland and his associates at Fyre believed it would cost far less and continued with their plans under that assumption The organizers tried to do things themselves where possible McFarland supposedly learned how to rent the stage by doing a Google Search 10 In the days leading up to the festival they cut expenses extensively having learned that the luxury villas alone were going to cost 10 million and targeted deposits for the bands food infrastructure and staff Scheduled for two weekends in April and May 2017 the event sold day tickets at prices from US 500 to US 1 500 and VIP packages including airfare and luxury tent accommodation for US 12 000 Customers were promised accommodation in modern eco friendly geodesic domes 12 and meals from celebrity chefs 13 The final advertised lineup was for 33 artists including Pusha T Tyga Desiigner Blink 182 Major Lazer Disclosure Migos Rae Sremmurd Kaytranada Lil Yachty Matoma Klingande Skepta Claptone Le Youth Tensnake Blond ish and Lee Burridge 14 In the days leading up to the festival all of these acts pulled out Additionally organizers of the Fyre Festival planned their first event for April 28 30 the same weekend as the Exuma Regatta a Bahamian sailing race series that utilized most of the island s hotels vacation rentals and resources While the festival s promotional material kept claiming that the festival would be held on a remote private island that once belonged to drug trafficker Pablo Escobar workers were busy preparing Roker Point for the festival scattering sand over its rocks and improving a road to a nearby beach where they built some cabanas and installed swing seats 10 On the mainland 5 000 tickets had been sold and an air service was hired to charter festival goers from Miami A medical services company and caterer were also hired but the caterer withdrew a few weeks before the festival 10 With only two weeks to go a new catering service with a 1 million total budget was hired drastically reduced from the 6 million originally allocated to provide what was promised as uniquely authentic island cuisine local seafood Bahamian style sushi and even a pig roast 9 2 In March 2017 Fyre also hired a veteran event producer Yaron Lavi who saw that it was impossible to hold the sort of event McFarland and Ja Rule envisioned at the site He assumed they would postpone the event to November as they had been discussing as they were not ready However when Fyre told him they would stage the event in the spring anyway Lavi told them to abandon plans for temporary villas and instead erect tents the only accommodation that could be delivered in the time remaining Lavi advised Fyre to make this clear to those who had already bought tickets as otherwise it would be damaging to their brand He says the company assured him that an email was being prepared but he was not sure if it was sent 10 Comcast Ventures considered investing 25 million in the Fyre app which McFarland apparently hoped would allow him to finance the festival but declined days beforehand 15 Reportedly McFarland had valued Fyre Media at 90 million but was unable to provide sufficient proof of that when Comcast requested it 10 Writing for New York magazine one of the event organizers later noted that since at least mid March there had been significant problems with the planning and at one point it was suggested they reschedule the 2017 festival until 2018 16 These plans however were revoked at the last minute with the decision to go on with the event as planned Let s just do it and be legends man one of the organizers is reported to have said 16 After the Comcast deal fell through McFarland obtained 3 million in temporary financing for Fyre through investor Ezra Birnbaum that required the company to repay at least US 500 000 of the loan within 16 days 10 Fyre informed ticket holders that the event would be cashless and cardless with purchases at the festival to be paid for with an RFID FyreBand linked to their credit card 17 18 despite warnings that such digital bracelets would be useless because of the poor Wi Fi connection at the site 9 In order to raise quick cash for the event and with under two weeks to go before the inaugural event attendees were encouraged to load their FyreBands with thousands of dollars in advance according to one lawsuit 19 McFarland who signed the email suggested that attendees deposit 300 500 for every day they planned to attend About 2 million from festival goers was taken for these bracelets 40 of which according to a lawsuit later filed by Birnbaum was used by McFarland to pay off the short term loan 10 20 Festival events and attendee experiences editEarly in the morning of April 27 heavy rain fell on Great Exuma soaking the open tents and mattresses piled out in the open air for guest arrivals later that day The first flights from Miami International Airport to Exuma International Airport operated by Swift Air and Xtra Airways landed at 6 20 a m 9 That afternoon Blink 182 announced that it was withdrawing from the festival stating in a Twitter post that We re not confident that we would have what we need to give you the quality of performances we always give our fans 9 Initial arrivals were taken to an impromptu beach party at a beachside restaurant where they were plied with alcohol and kept waiting for around six hours while frantic preparations at the festival site continued 9 McFarland had hired hundreds of local Bahamian workers to help build the site Meanwhile organizers had to renegotiate the guarantees they offered to the people who would be playing at the festival as costs spiraled out of control Later arrivals were taken directly to the grounds by school bus where the true state of the festival s site became apparent their accommodations were little more than scattered disaster relief tents with dirt floors some with mattresses that were soaking wet as a result of the morning rain The gourmet food accommodations were nothing more than inadequate and poor quality food including cheese sandwiches served in foam containers 21 22 Festival goers were dropped off at the production bungalow where McFarland and his team were based so they could be registered but after hours of waiting in vain people rushed to claim their own tents 9 Although there were only about 500 people there were not enough tents and beds for the guests so they wound up stealing from others Attendees were unable to leave the festival for the nearby Sandals resorts as it was peak season with almost every hotel on Great Exuma already fully booked for the annual Exuma Regatta Around nightfall a group of local musicians took to the stage and played for a few hours the only act to perform at the event In the early morning it was announced that the festival would be postponed and that the attendees would be returned to Miami as soon as possible Reports from the festival mentioned various other problems such as the mishandling or theft of guests baggage no lighting to help people find their way around an unfinished gravel lot a lack of medical personnel or event staff no cell phone or internet service insufficient portable toilets no running water and heavy handed security 23 These problems were exacerbated as the festival had been promoted as a cashless event leaving many attendees without money for taxi fare or other expenses Many attendees were reportedly stranded as flights to and from the island were cancelled after the Bahamian government issued an order that barred any planes from landing at the airport 2 24 The first flight back to Miami boarded at 1 30 a m on April 28 but was delayed for hours due to issues with the flight s manifest It was cancelled after sunrise and passengers were locked in the Exuma Airport terminal with no access to food water or air conditioning 25 a passenger wrote on social media that at least one person in there passed out from the heat 25 The flight eventually left Exuma later that morning and more charter flights to Miami departed from Exuma throughout the day One attendee who was stuck in Miami reported that the pilot of their airplane had told them to get off so they could turn the plane around for immediate departure as they were now serving as a rescue aircraft to get attendees off Great Exuma Island citation needed Involved parties editOrganizers edit In 2013 with US 3 100 000 equivalent to about 4 050 000 in 2023 in venture capital and 25 employees McFarland also founded a card company called Magnises 26 which promised members paying an annual 250 fee that they could unlock their cities and take their lives to the next level including private members only concerts tastings with notable chefs and exclusive art previews at top galleries The Washington Post reported that some of those benefits never materialized or were far from what was advertised 27 They send the same email for every problem but it s like fill in the blanks for what the problem is a member reported to Business Insider 28 Magnises reportedly became profitable in 2015 28 The Washington Post also reported that McFarland has a history of overpromising in his previous business ventures and cited multiple examples including McFarland selling VIP tickets to the musical Hamilton for 430 then cancelling at the last minute In a complaint to the Better Business Bureau one customer seeking a refund reported getting no response to multiple queries for over a month and a half 27 Celebrity and social media promoters edit The event was promoted on Instagram by Kardashian family socialite Kendall Jenner who was paid 250 000 and has since deleted the post Bella Hadid Emily Ratajkowski Hailey Baldwin Elsa Hosk Chanel Iman Lais Ribeiro Shanina Shaik Nadine Leopold Rose Bertram Hannah Ferguson and other niche actresses and media personalities 1 Ratajkowski was reportedly the only actress or model to use the hashtag ad 29 but has also since deleted the post 30 Only later was it reported that Jenner and the others had been paid to make the posts something they were required under federal law to disclose The Federal Trade Commission said ad only worked at the beginning of paid posts and that the hashtag alone was not a sufficient disclaimer 30 31 Hadid acknowledged participating in the promotion and apologized 32 Baldwin revealed that she donated her entire payment to charity after seeing the aftermath of the event 33 FuckJerry and Jerry Media were partially responsible for promotions and social media marketing Aftermath editFyre Festival posted a statement on their website Fyre Festival set out to provide a once in a lifetime musical experience on the Islands of the Exumas Due to circumstances out of our control the physical infrastructure was not in place on time and we are unable to fulfill on that vision safely and enjoyably for our guests At this time we are working tirelessly to get flights scheduled and get everyone off of Great Exuma and home safely as quickly as we can We ask that guests currently on island do not make their own arrangements to get to the airport as we are coordinating those plans We are working to place everyone on complimentary charters back to Miami today this process has commenced and the safety and comfort of our guests is our top priority The festival is being postponed until we can further assess if and when we are able to create the high quality experience we envisioned We ask for everyone s patience and cooperation during this difficult time as we work as quickly and safely as we can to remedy this unforeseeable situation We will continue to provide regular updates via email to our guests and via our official social media channels as they become available 34 Ja Rule posted a note on Twitter that said I wanted this to be an amazing event it was NOT A SCAM as everyone is reporting I don t know how everything went so left but I m working to make it right by making sure everyone is refunded He went on to say I truly apologize as this is NOT MY FAULT but I m taking responsibility 35 Many news organizations compared the chaos to William Golding s novel Lord of the Flies and Suzanne Collins s novel The Hunger Games 36 37 38 39 The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism apologized on behalf of the nation and denied having any responsibility for how the events unfolded 40 The workers who constructed the site and the restaurant that provided meals for festival staff were never paid leading to the restaurant owner appealing for assistance on the crowdfunding platform GoFundMe 41 Fyre Festival announced that it would offer all attendees a choice between a full refund or VIP tickets to the following year s festival which was proposed but never happened 42 43 Lawsuits edit As a result of the festival McFarland and Ja Rule were the subject of a 100 million lawsuit in the state of California with Ja Rule later being dismissed from the lawsuit by the judge in July 2019 44 It was filed on behalf of plaintiff Daniel Jung by entertainment lawyer Mark Geragos who is seeking class action status for the lawsuit with more than 150 plaintiffs 45 Per the filing Jung s lawsuit alleges fraud breach of contract partly because of the decision by the organizers to make the festival cashless so that attendees didn t bring money for taxis breach of covenant of good faith partly due to the inadequate catering and the incident where attendees were locked in the airport and negligent misrepresentation 46 Ben Meiselas of Geragos s firm pledged to hold all those who recklessly and blindly promoted the festival accountable which was interpreted as being directed at Jenner Hadid and other social media influencers 47 A Geragos lawyer stated that Fyre Festival sent cease and desist letters to whistleblowers 48 A second class action lawsuit against Fyre Media McFarland Ja Rule and the event promoters identified as Does 1 100 was filed in Los Angeles by personal injury lawyer John Girardi on behalf of three attendees 49 The plaintiff alleges that they deceived patrons into attending the festival by paying more than 400 social media personalities and celebrities to promote it The parties were accused of breach of contract negligent misrepresentation and fraud 50 but the suit was later dismissed 51 A Bloomberg reporter filed a FOIA request to the FTC regarding their Instagram knowledge after the second class action lawsuit 49 A third lawsuit was filed in New York federal court against Ja Rule McFarland Fyre Media and chief marketing officer Grant Margolin Plaintiffs Matthew Herlihy and Anthony Lauriello accused the festival organizers of false representations material omissions negligence fraud and violations of consumer protection statutes 52 Upon the arrival of guests to the island of Great Exuma for the first weekend the island was lacking basic amenities was covered in dirt and guests had to sleep in tents with wet blankets the suit claims There were no communal showers or bathrooms as promised instead there were porta potties only about one for every 200 yards that were knocked down and only three showers although there were hundreds of people arriving This lawsuit was dismissed in November 2019 with leave to replead with respect to particular allegations against Ja Rule 53 On May 4 another lawsuit was filed by National Event Services NES which provided medical services for the festival and claimed to have suffered 250 000 in damages alleging breach of contract fraud and negligence by the organizers The suit alleged that Fyre failed and or refused to buy cancellation insurance and failed to secure a contract with a medical evacuation helicopter or plane NES employees reported that the local medical clinic was closed and the accommodation was uninhabitable with bug infestation bloodstained mattresses and no air conditioning Also in May festival attendee Andrew Petrozziello filed a lawsuit in New Jersey federal court alleging that the organizers violated the state s consumer fraud act and committed breach of contract 54 A sixth lawsuit filed in Florida federal court as a class action suit alleged violations that include fraud negligence and breach of contract The plaintiffs Kenneth and Emily Reel accused the organizers of sending cease and desist letters to people who criticized the festival on social media 55 A seventh lawsuit was filed in Manhattan federal court as a class action suit on behalf of Sean Daly and Edward Ivey In addition to the infractions mentioned in the other lawsuits this suit alleges unjust enrichment and violation of New York state business law claiming that the organizers continued to offer VIP upgrades and opportunities to deposit money into the Fyre Band payment system after the festival had been canceled 56 An eighth lawsuit was filed in Suffolk County Superior Court in Boston on behalf of ticketing vendor Tablelist The company is alleging that the festival organizers and financial backers committed breach of contract and fraudulently deceived Tablelist and ticket purchasers Tablelist is seeking 3 5 million to refund customers as well as damages resulting from loss of business after being forced to lay off 40 of their workforce to focus on the litigation 57 On July 3 2018 two North Carolina attendees Seth Crossno and Mark Thompson were awarded 5 million in damages The judgment was granted against Billy McFarland in absentia after he failed to respond to the court proceedings Ja Rule was initially named as a co defendant but was later removed from the suit after an undisclosed private agreement with the two attendees attorney 58 Ja Rule said in January 2019 that he had also been defrauded by McFarland 59 in November 2019 he was dismissed from a class action lawsuit filed by festival attendees the judge determining that it had not been proven his promotion of the festival on social media had directly led to the plaintiffs attending 60 Criminal investigation edit On May 21 2017 The New York Times reported McFarland and his associates were under an active federal criminal investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for mail fraud wire fraud and securities fraud The case was overseen by the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York 20 On June 30 2017 McFarland was arrested and charged with one count of wire fraud 61 In March 2018 McFarland pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud in what the U S Justice Department called a scheme to defraud investors as well as a second count of wire fraud related to a scheme to defraud a ticket vendor In October 2018 McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to forfeit US 26 million 3 62 63 On July 24 2018 the Securities and Exchange Commission SEC announced that McFarland two companies he founded a former senior executive and a former contractor agreed to settle charges arising out of an extensive multi year offering fraud that raised at least 27 4 million from over 100 investors McFarland admitted to the SEC s allegations against him agreed to a permanent director and officer bar and agreed to disgorgement of 27 4 million Grant H Margolin Daniel Simon Fyre Media and Magnises Inc agreed to the settlement without admitting or denying the charges Margolin has agreed to a seven year director and officer bar and must pay a 35 000 penalty and Simon has agreed to a three year director and officer bar and must pay over 15 000 in disgorgement and penalty The settlements are subject to court approval 64 Compensation edit Like other Bahamian suppliers the caterer who worked on the event was not paid in 2019 a crowdfunding appeal raised over 200 000 to compensate her 65 66 In August 2020 the United States Marshals Service auctioned Fyre Festival branded merchandise that McFarland had kept for future sale with the proceeds to go to victims 66 Films editIn 2019 two documentary films were released that covered the Fyre Festival and McFarland Fyre Fraud directed by Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason premiered on Hulu on January 14 2019 On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 79 approval rating with an average rating of 6 41 out of 10 based on 28 reviews 67 Metacritic which uses a weighted average assigned the film a score of 66 out of 100 based on 12 critic reviews indicating generally favorable reviews 68 The documentary was the subject of some controversy after it was revealed that the filmmakers had paid McFarland to be interviewed for their film 69 Fyre directed by Chris Smith was released by Netflix on January 18 2019 Like Fyre Fraud the film received positive reviews On Rotten Tomatoes the film holds a 90 rating with an average rating of 7 54 out of 10 based on 73 reviews 70 On Metacritic the film holds a score of 76 out of 100 based on 26 critic reviews indicating generally favorable reviews 71 FuckJerry and Jerry Media helped produce the film which neglected to acknowledge their involvement and participation in the festival s marketing 72 In popular culture editThis article contains a list of miscellaneous information Please relocate any relevant information into other sections or articles February 2021 In a 2017 tweet Seth Rogen stated that The Lonely Island comedy trio were planning a movie about a failed music festival 73 In 2019 Jorma Taccone confirmed that the parody film was still in process 74 This article needs to be updated Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information February 2024 In 2018 American punk band Alkaline Trio whose singer and guitarist Matt Skiba also played in Blink 182 at the time who were among the first acts to cancel their planned performance at the festival released the song Goodbye Fire Island which was inspired by Blink 182 s involvement with the festival 75 In 2019 Ryan Reynolds featured Andy King an event producer for Fyre Festival and his quote from the Fyre documentary directed by Chris Smith in an advertisement for his gin brand a 76 In 2019 HBO s Silicon Valley depicted RussFest a music event in the desert with similarities to the real life Fyre Festival 77 78 A 2016 Silicon Valley episode from season 3 depicts a lavish Hawaiian themed party on Alcatraz by a newly formed company that goes bankrupt 79 80 In 2019 the American professional wrestling promotion All Elite Wrestling AEW established an annual event called Fyter Fest The name slogan and logo are a parody of the Fyre Festival 81 In 2023 the American comedy film Good Burger 2 has a poster in Dexter Reed s old office promoting The Flame Festival a music festival on a Caribbean island which is a reference to the real life Fyre Festival Proposed Fyre Festival II editOn April 9 2023 Billy McFarland tweeted that there was to be a Fyre Festival II 82 and claimed to have already secured funding for the event 83 The first 100 tickets were put on sale at 499 with prices later to increase 84 The festival s website said that the event was targeted for the end of 2024 in the Caribbean and that the first batch of tickets had sold out within a day 85 On February 29 2024 McFarland posted on Instagram that Fyre Fest 2 was being scheduled for February 2025 at the Coral View Beach Resort on the Honduran island of Utila 86 On April 23 2024 McFarland posted on his instagram story 87 and on X 88 an update with the following 4 Locations being picked Belize Cuba Dominican Republic or Honduras Utila 89 See also editList of music festivals DashCon TanaCon Willy s Chocolate Experience Woodstock 1999 a 30th anniversary of the original Woodstock festival in 1969 marred by riots and sexual assaults Woodstock 50 a planned 2019 50th anniversary of the Woodstock festival cancelled due to unstable financing 2021 Astroworld Festival a festival in Houston Texas that caused ten deaths and injuries due to crowd crushes Notes edit In the documentary King says Can you ever really go too far for your company I don t think so References edit a b c d Bluestone Gabrielle April 29 2017 Fyre Festival s 25 year old organizer This is the worst day of my life Vice Archived from the original on May 1 2017 a b c d Coscarelli Joe Ryzik Melena April 28 2017 Fyre Festival a Luxury Music Weekend Crumbles in the Bahamas New York Times Archived from the original on February 20 2019 a b c Where are Fyre Festival s Billy McFarland and Ja Rule now Evening Standard April 29 2019 Archived from the original on June 5 2019 Retrieved June 5 2019 Hulu Debuts Fyre Festival Doc Days Before Rival Netflix Project The Hollywood Reporter January 14 2019 Archived from the original on February 3 2019 Retrieved January 14 2019 Locklear Mallory January 10 2019 Netflix s Fyre shows how fraud built and doomed Fyre Festival Engadget Archived from the original on February 10 2019 Cohn Warren H February 25 2019 How Social Media Led To The Rise And Fall Of The Fyre Festival Forbes Archived from the original on February 25 2019 Retrieved February 25 2019 Singh Surej April 11 2023 Fyre Festival II is finally happening says Billy McFarland NME Retrieved May 7 2024 Norman s Cay Playground for Drug Smugglers PBS Frontline Archived from the original on October 19 2000 Retrieved February 4 2019 For four years it was a drug smuggling hub and tropical hideaway for Medellin cartel kingpin Carlos Lehder and associates a b c d e f g h Watch FYRE The Greatest Party That Never Happened Netflix Video 1h 37 2019 Archived from the original on August 6 2019 Retrieved August 24 2023 a b c d e f g h i Burrough Bryan June 2017 Fyre Festival Anatomy of a Millennial Marketing Fiasco Waiting To Happen Vanity Fair Archived from the original on February 23 2019 Retrieved August 9 2017 Aswad Jem Trakin Roy January 18 2019 Fyre Festival Documentaries The 10 Most Outrageous Moments Variety Archived from the original on February 3 2019 Retrieved February 1 2019 Wamsley Laurel April 27 2017 Paradise Lost Luxury Music Festival Turns Out To Be Half Built Scene Of Chaos NPR Archived from the original on February 15 2019 Retrieved April 28 2017 Spence Shay April 28 2017 Literally Bread Cheese and Salad How Fyre Festival Goers Were Duped After Promise of Celeb Chef Meals People Archived from the original on January 23 2019 Retrieved April 29 2017 Case Jen April 6 2017 Fyre Festival in Bahamas Releases Final Lineup EDMLife com Archived from the original on February 9 2019 Retrieved February 7 2019 Mosendz Polly May 4 2017 Comcast Rejected Funding Days Before Doomed Fyre Festival Bloomberg Archived from the original on January 22 2019 Retrieved May 5 2017 a b Gordon Chloe April 28 2017 I Worked at Fyre Festival It Was Always Going to Be a Disaster The Cut Archived from the original on January 23 2019 Retrieved February 5 2019 The FyreBand Your Key to the Festival promotional article Medium April 24 2017 Archived from the original on August 24 2023 Retrieved August 24 2023 Tanzon Corre Jennevie January 25 2019 Fyre Festival and the Power of Digital Marketing Archived from the original on January 31 2019 Retrieved January 31 2019 Varghese Sanjana January 19 2019 Netflix s Fyre is the brutal story of everyone s favourite festival scam WIRED Archived from the original on August 24 2023 Retrieved August 24 2023 a b Coscarelli Joe Ryzik Melena Sisario Ben May 21 2017 Criminal investigation of Fyre New York Times Archived from the original on February 16 2019 Ohlheiser Abby April 28 2017 The complete disaster of Fyre Festival played out on social media for all to see NOT MY FAULT says organizer Ja Rule Washington Post Archived from the original on February 17 2019 Retrieved April 29 2017 Lapowsky Issie April 28 2017 The Fyre Festival The Fiasco We All Should Have Seen Coming Wired Archived from the original on May 26 2019 Retrieved April 29 2017 Rankin Seija April 28 2017 No Food No Water No Luxury Tents The 12 000 Per Ticket Disaster That Was the Short Lived Fyre Festival eonline com Archived from the original on February 20 2019 Retrieved April 29 2017 Chapple Jon April 28 2017 Like a refugee camp Chaos at Fyre Festival IQ Magazine Archived from the original on May 26 2019 a b Hooton Christopher April 28 2017 Fyre Festival Attendees locked in airport with no food or water The Independent Archived from the original on February 12 2019 Retrieved April 29 2017 How a Black Card for Millennials Went Down in Flames Fortune August 20 2017 Archived from the original on January 21 2019 Retrieved January 20 2019 a b Wang Amy B April 29 2017 The founder of the disastrous Fyre Festival has a history of overpromising elite access The Washington Post Archived from the original on March 29 2019 Retrieved May 1 2017 a b Stone Madeline January 24 2017 Members of a private club for elite millennials want their money back Business Insider Archived from the original on March 30 2019 Retrieved May 1 2017 Megan Cerullo April 28 2017 A complete s t show Vice Archived from the original on May 1 2017 Retrieved May 1 2017 Rich millennials paid thousands for Ja Rule s Fyre Fest and are now stranded on an island in disaster relief tents a b Plaugic Lizzie April 28 2017 Ja Rule s music festival disaster is a good reminder not to trust Instagram sponcon The Verge Archived from the original on April 30 2017 Retrieved May 1 2017 Frier Sarah August 5 2016 FTC to Crack Down on Paid Celebrity Posts That Aren t Clear Ads Bloomberg Archived from the original on April 23 2017 Retrieved May 1 2017 Stefansky Emma April 30 2017 Bella Hadid Apologized for the Fyre Festival Kind Of Vanity Fair Archived from the original on July 6 2017 Delgado Sara February 8 2019 Hailey Bieber Donated Her Fyre Festival Promotion Money To Charity British Vogue Archived from the original on February 9 2019 Retrieved February 8 2019 Jenkins Aric April 28 2017 Fyre Festival chaos in Exuma Archived from the original on November 7 2017 Retrieved November 4 2017 Fyre Festival When a 12 000 luxury festival in paradise turns into chaos CNN April 28 2017 Archived from the original on January 23 2019 Retrieved April 29 2017 O Connor Roisin April 28 2017 A luxury festival backed by celebrities descends into chaos as one guest calls it Rich Kids of Instagram meets Lord of the Flies The Independent Archived from the original on April 29 2017 Retrieved April 29 2017 Wanshel Elyse April 28 2017 Fyre Festival Which Cost Thousands Per Ticket Devolves Into Giant Mess Huffington Post Archived from the original on April 28 2017 Retrieved April 29 2017 White Adam Krol Charlotte Rich kids of Instagram meets Hunger Games Guests at luxury Fyre Festival where tickets cost 12 000 mugged stranded and hungry The Daily Telegraph Archived from the original on April 28 2017 Retrieved April 29 2017 Deerwester Jayme Fyre Festival From rich kid party to national joke in one day USA Today Archived from the original on April 29 2017 Retrieved April 29 2017 Luxury Fyre Festival is cancelled with ticket holders still stranded in Bahamas BBC News April 28 2017 Archived from the original on April 29 2017 Retrieved April 29 2017 Halliday Josh January 20 2019 Online fund for unpaid Fyre festival staff raises tens of thousands The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Archived from the original on July 8 2019 Retrieved July 8 2019 Moore Sam May 2 2017 Fyre Festival offers ticketholders choice between full refund or VIP tickets to next year s festival BBC News NME Archived from the original on June 8 2017 Retrieved May 3 2017 FYRE Festival FAQ Archived from fyrefestival com as of May 17 2017 Archived from the original on May 17 2017 Retrieved March 1 2019 In re Fyre Festival Litig 399 F Supp 3d 203 S D N Y 2019 Court Opinion www bloomberglaw com Archived from the original on September 13 2020 Retrieved July 6 2020 Pearce Sheldon Monroe Jazz May 1 2017 Fyre Festival Hit With 100 Million Lawsuit Pitchfork Conde Nast Archived from the original on May 26 2019 Retrieved May 1 2017 Parisi Paula May 1 2017 Mark Geragos Files 100 Million Suit Against Fyre Festival Variety Archived from the original on November 20 2018 Retrieved May 3 2017 Chapple Jon Lawyers seeking big wins over Fyre Festival woes IQ Magazine Archived from the original on May 26 2019 Retrieved May 3 2017 Meiselas Ben meiselasb May 2 2017 On April 28 2017 as Fyre attendees tried to warn others Fyre lawyers were sending cease and desist letters to whistleblowers fyrefraud Tweet Retrieved May 3 2017 via Twitter a b Mosendz Polly polly May 3 2017 Interesting The second Fyre Festival lawsuit zings influencers who were paid to hype the event but didn t disclose it per FTC standards Tweet Retrieved May 3 2017 via Twitter Cullins Ashley May 2 2017 Fyre Festival Debacle Sparks Another Class Action Lawsuit The Hollywood Reporter Archived from the original on May 3 2017 Retrieved May 3 2017 CHELSEA CHINERY ET AL VS FYRE MEDIA INC ET AL UniCourt Archived from the original on July 6 2020 Retrieved July 5 2020 Hogan Marc May 4 2017 Fyre Festival Hit With Third Lawsuit Pitchfork Conde Nast Archived from the original on May 26 2019 Retrieved May 5 2017 Herlihy et al v Fyre Media Inc et al Justia Dockets amp Filings Archived from the original on July 6 2020 Retrieved July 6 2020 Kreps Daniel May 5 2017 Fyre Festival Organizers Hit With Two More Lawsuits Rolling Stone Archived from the original on June 12 2018 Retrieved May 5 2017 Hogan Marc May 8 2017 Fyre Threatened to Sue Twitter Critics for Potentially Inciting Riots Sixth Lawsuit Claims Pitchfork Conde Nast Archived from the original on March 10 2019 Retrieved May 8 2017 Hogan Marc May 10 2017 Fyre Sold VIP Passes After Festival Was Canceled Seventh Lawsuit Claims Pitchfork Conde Nast Archived from the original on May 26 2019 Retrieved May 10 2017 Blistein Jon May 16 2017 Ticket Vendor Tablelist Sues Fyre Festival Organizers for 3 5 Million Rolling Stone Archived from the original on December 6 2017 Retrieved May 17 2017 Aswad Jem July 3 2018 Two Fyre Festival Attendees Awarded 5 Million in Damages Variety Archived from the original on December 14 2018 Retrieved July 4 2018 Fyre Festival Ja Rule says he was scammed by Billy McFarland too BBC News January 21 2019 Archived from the original on September 13 2020 Retrieved August 3 2020 Wheeler Andre November 19 2019 Ja Rule cleared of wrongdoing over Fyre festival disaster The Guardian Archived from the original on August 2 2020 Retrieved August 3 2020 Manhattan U S Attorney Announces Charges Against Individual For Defrauding Investors In Digital Media Company justice gov June 30 2017 Archived from the original on May 14 2019 Retrieved July 1 2017 William McFarland Pleads Guilty In Manhattan Federal Court To Defrauding Investors And A Ticket Vendor Of Over 26 Million justice gov March 6 2018 Archived from the original on January 4 2019 Retrieved March 7 2018 Moynihan Colin March 6 2018 Organizer of Failed Fyre Festival Pleads Guilty to Fraud The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Archived from the original on January 30 2019 Retrieved March 7 2018 SEC Charges Failed Fyre Festival Founder and Others With 27 4 Million Offering Fraud sec gov Archived from the original on March 23 2019 Retrieved July 28 2018 Fyre Festival Fund for unpaid caterer hits 60k BBC News January 20 2019 Archived from the original on September 13 2020 Retrieved 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Seth Rogen and The Lonely Island are working on a spoof film of Fyre Festival and it might even feature Andy King Insider Retrieved January 19 2020 Exposito Suzy August 9 2018 Alkaline Trio on How Depression Trump Era Mayhem Fueled Their New LP Rolling Stone Archived from the original on January 27 2020 Retrieved February 6 2020 Kreps Daniel June 5 2019 Ryan Reynolds Redeems Fyre Festival Meme King Rolling Stone Archived from the original on July 16 2019 Retrieved January 19 2020 SFGATE Dan Gentile December 2 2019 HBO Silicon Valley RussFest is Burning Man meets Fyre Fest plus a hologram SFGATE Archived from the original on January 23 2021 Retrieved December 27 2020 SFGATE Dan Gentile November 25 2019 HBO s Silicon Valley launches spoof Fyre Fest website Chron Archived from the original on August 1 2021 Retrieved December 27 2020 Hall Jacob May 30 2016 Everyone on Silicon Valley Tries to Get Laid Esquire Archived from the original on April 22 2021 Retrieved December 27 2020 HBO May 31 2016 Newly formed incubator Bachmanity had a launch party and it was absolute insanity Mashable Archived from the original on May 8 2021 Retrieved December 27 2020 Fyter Fest CEO Gaming April 11 2019 Archived from the original on June 20 2019 Retrieved April 11 2019 Anna Lazarus Caplan April 13 2023 Billy McFarland Announces Fyre Festival II Is Finally Happening Following His Prison Release People Archived from the original on May 2 2023 Retrieved May 2 2023 Fyre Festival II is finally happening Tell me why you should be invited Dunworth Liberty May 17 2023 Billy McFarland has secured funding for Fyre Fest 2 0 and a Broadway musical NME Archived from the original on July 1 2023 Retrieved July 1 2023 Tickets on sale for reboot of Fyre the fraudulent luxury festival that flopped The Guardian PA Media August 22 2023 Archived from the original on August 22 2023 Retrieved August 22 2023 Lenthang Marlene August 23 2023 Infamous fiasco Fyre Festival relaunches and is already sold out NBC News Archived from the original on August 24 2023 https twitter com i status 1783059810314789134 Instagram www instagram com Retrieved April 24 2024 a href Template Cite web html title Template Cite web cite web a Check url value help https x com pyrtbilly status 1782805034662502558 fyre hosted at ImgBB ImgBB Retrieved April 24 2024 External links editOfficial website at the Internet Archive Portals nbsp Caribbean nbsp Pop music nbsp Rock music Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Fyre Festival amp oldid 1222729544, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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