Everything
Back in 2017, Fyre Festival was slated to be the biggest and most luxurious music festival to have ever been established… until it wasn’t. We all know how this story goes, thanks to the exclusive Netflix documentary, FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, which detailed the extent of Fyre Festival’s derailing at the hands of co-founder and con-artist Billy McFarland.
McFarland spent four of his six year sentence in a US prison for his part in the demise of the doomed festival, after being charged with two counts of wire fraud, of which he pleaded guilty to.
But McFarland’s story (and vision for Fyre Festival) doesn’t end here, folks.
On April 9, the 31 year old announced via Twitter that he’s planning on putting together another Fyre event in the near future, and he’s already seeking out eager volunteers to make an appearance on the guest list.
“🔥 Fyre Festival II is finally happening,” he tweeted on the weekend. “Tell me why you should be invited.”
🔥 Fyre Festival II is finally happening.
Tell me why you should be invited.
— Billy McFarland (@pyrtbilly) April 10, 2023
You’d think that after the global embarrassment of running Fyre Festival into the ground and then going to prison as a result, you’d walk away from the limelight and ensure you’re making amends for all of your wrong-doing (50,000 patrons were left out of pocket and stranded on the remote island in The Bahamas back in 2017. But no, McFarland is making a comeback. And wants you to come along for the ride.
Obviously, not everybody is thrilled with the news…
it's in the best interest of those I owe for me to be working. people aren't getting paid back if i sit on the couch and watch tv.
and because i served my time.
— Billy McFarland (@pyrtbilly) April 11, 2023
But McFarland is imitating a comeback, and planning to right his wrongs in the process. We’re just not sure the idea of Fyre Festival 2.0 is the right way to go about doing so…
“I was one of the most Googled people in the world. What’s next will be the biggest comeback of all time,” McFarland tweeted earlier this month. “My plan: get some wins under my belt; rebuild trust, and build an audience so I can build the next media empire.”
Of course, this new plan will need to ensure that he’s able to pay back the money he owes people – close to US$26 million, a fine he was given alongside his jail time.
Last year, McFarland spoke to the ABC for an exclusive interview, where he apologised for his actions that led to the collapse of Fyre Festival.
“I was wrong. So I messed up and I was so driven by this desperate desire to prove people right. I had these early investors, backers, employees — and I think I was just so insecure that I thought the only way to prove myself to them was to succeed. That led me down just this terrible path of bad decisions,” he said.
“…it’s all terrible. I just really should have canceled everything and just stopped lying.”
—
