Billy McFarland, the mastermind behind the unsuccessful 2017 Fyre Festival, has revealed his plans to sell the Fyre brand. This decision comes after his unsuccessful attempt to organize Fyre Festival 2 in Mexico, scheduled from May 30 to June 2.
Following the disastrous Fyre Festival in the Bahamas, where attendees were left stranded in subpar conditions and investors were defrauded of millions, McFarland served time in prison. He promised a luxurious music event featuring A-list performers but delivered a chaotic and underwhelming experience, leaving many out of pocket.
“FYRE holds significant influence on the global stage,” McFarland expressed in a statement on Fyre Festival’s Instagram page. The brand has been at the center of media attention, documentaries, and countless discussions since 2017, establishing itself as one of the most infamous music festivals. While McFarland acknowledged the magnitude of the FYRE brand, he now acknowledges the need for external support given its monumental impact.
McFarland added that the Fyre brand “deserves a team with the scale, experience, and infrastructure to realize its full potential.”
Billy McFarland visits “Jesse Watters Primetime” at Fox News Studios on Aug. 25, 2023, in New York City. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)
After the 2017 Fyre Festival’s failure, it went viral on social media when Hulu and Netflix published documentaries about the failed beach bash, making the #fyrefraud hashtag go viral at the time.
The festival reached a settlement with 277 ticket holders in 2021, when it was ordered to pay each recipient an award of $7,220.
