Billy McFarland promised paradise and luxury on Mexico’s Isla Mujeres but now faces fresh doubts about the legitimacy of his planned Fyre Festival 2 after local tourism officials declared ignorance of the event.
“We have no knowledge of this event, nor contact with any person or company about it,” Edgar Gasca, representing Isla Mujeres’ tourism directorate, bluntly told The Guardian. “For us, this is an event that does not exist.”
McFarland, the infamous entrepreneur behind the original catastrophic Fyre Festival, had confidently announced the sequel would take place from May 30 to June 2, 2025, on the idyllic Isla Mujeres near Cancún.
He touted extravagant packages ranging from the relatively modest “Fyre Ignite” at $1,400 to the jaw-dropping “Prometheus God of Fyre” experience priced at $1.1 million.
Marketing materials promised “world-class accommodations,” boundary-breaking adventures, exclusive beach-side concerts, skateboarding demos and MMA training sessions, all in a dreamy Mexican setting.
Yet Gasca’s statement casts serious doubt on McFarland’s ambitious comeback attempt.
It echoes the disastrous 2017 event in the Bahamas that left festival-goers stranded with soggy cheese sandwiches, disaster-relief tents instead of luxury villas and not a single note from advertised headliners Blink-182 and Migos.
That fiasco left investors in financial ruin, losing a combined $26 million, while McFarland landed in prison for wire fraud.
Initially sentenced to six years, he served roughly four years behind bars before his early release in March 2022. The debacle also spawned multiple documentaries dissecting every detail of the disaster and nearly tanked the reputation of rapper Ja Rule, McFarland’s high-profile partner at the time.
Despite the skepticism, McFarland insists he’s learned from past mistakes and expressed confidence in the sequel before the Mexican officials’ statement, which has people thinking he is running another scam.
“I’m sure many people think I’m crazy for doing this again. But I feel I’d be crazy not to do it again. After years of reflection and now thoughtful planning, the new team and I have amazing plans for FYRE 2,” McFarland said last week. “The adventure seekers who trust the vision and take the leap will help make history. Thank you to my partners for the second chance.”
Without a confirmed lineup or even local awareness, the sequel risks repeating the original’s chaotic legacy.