Billy McFarland at Fox News Studios on August 25, 2023 in New York City.
Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images
The first Fyre Festival is one of the most well-chronicled sagas of the past decade, a luxury weekend of music and good times with beautiful people (and Blink-182) that ended up being more akin to Survivor for influencers. The fallout led to two documentaries, one prison sentence, and the name Fyre Festival becoming shorthand for any event that over promises and under delivers. The idea that there could ever be a follow-up event seemed fanciful at best, but organizer Billy McFarland never dropped the idea of a Fyre Festival 2. In an age of unnecessary sequels, surely this one tops them all.
McFarland, though, disagrees. He has said on Instagram that many people would think he is “crazy for doing this again” but is selling tickets to a second Fyre Festival and swears this time it will be different. Many others disagree. Here is what you need to know about Fyre Festival 2.
Is Fyre Festival 2 actually real?
According to McFarland, yes it is. In 2023 he tested the waters of credulity by listing a batch of 100 presale tickets for $499 and, amazingly, sold them all. In September 2024 McFarland spoke with NBC News about Fyre Fest 2, saying, “We have the chance to embrace this storm and really steer our ship into all the chaos that has happened, and if it’s done well, I think Fyre has a chance to be this annual festival that really takes over the festival industry.”
In early February McFarland appeared on TV to confirm that things had progressed further. “Fyre 2 is real,” he told the Today show. “My dream is finally becoming a reality.”
A website was launched advertising an event taking place on May 30 – June 2, 2025. Ticket holders are promised the chance to “defy the impossible alongside some of the most fascinating people in the world. Then, come together at night to celebrate.”
How much are tickets?
Tickets were made available for a minimum $1,400 to a staggering $1.1m. The “Prometheus” tier price covers admission for eight guests and supposedly will include a round-trip airfare via “Fyre Air” from Miami to Cancun, a helicopter ride to Isla Mujeres, and the a choice between a four-stateroom yacht or a four-bedroom villa. More standard tickets give holders access to diving with whale sharks and mixology sessions among other treats.
Where will the festival be happening?
The three-day event is supposed to take place on Isla Mujeres, a tropical island off Cancún, Mexico. However, that’s not what the island’s tourism directorate says. “We have no knowledge of this event, nor contact with any person or company about it,” Edgar Gasca of Isla Mujeres, told the Guardian. “For us, this is an event that does not exist.”
“This festival is not going to happen,” Gasca added. “There are red flags all over the place.”
Gasca added that he had talked to officials at the hotels Fyre listed as accommodation for guests on its website, and that none of them had heard about the festival.
The local government subsequently put out a public denial, saying that no permit had been requested for the event. The organisers of Fyre sent the Guardian a follow-up statement claiming that they were in negotiations with the local authorities and that the festival will take place as advertised.
Who will be performing?
At the time of writing the only confirmed artist due to perform at Fyre Festival 2 is Antonio Brown, the former NFL wide receiver who raps under the name AB. “I’ll be performing at Fyre Fest part 2 in Mexico on May 30. Be there or be square,” Brown said in a video shared on March 6. He added, “Make sure you put that shit on,” referencing his 2022 song of the same name.
On March 8, McFarland teased the potential bookings of 42 Dugg and Kaash Paige, posting screengrabs of FaceTime messages with both artists from the Fyre Festival Instagram.
What has Billy McFarland said about Fyre Festival 2?
McFarland appears to be both leaning into the reputation of Fyre Festival and putting distance between the events of 2017 and the present. He has said that people buying tickets for Fyre Festival 2 knew they were “taking the risk,” for example.
In the aftermath of the original Fyre Festival, McFarland ended up going to prison for just under four years after he entered a guilty plea to charges that included defrauding investors and customers out of millions of dollars.
In 2025, McFarland is working with Lostnights, a Mexico-based events organizer and producers behind the festival. McFarland has said this time out it “really isn’t about the past, and it’s not really about me. It’s about taking the vision, which is strong.”
McFarland does need the festival to be a success, though. He still owes nearly $26 million to the people he defrauded, with Today reporting that a portion of the revenue from Fyre Festival 2 will go to them.
