As fraudster Billy McFarland touts Fyre Festival 2.0 as his ‘redemption’ event, FEMAIL exposes HORRORS of his disastrous first attempt – and the tangled web of lies and desperation that led to world’s most infamous flop
- The original Fyre Festival was supposed to take place in the spring of 2017
- Guests were promised luxury but were stunned to find disastrous conditions
- The creator, Billy, 31, is now planning another event after spending years in jail
The Fyre Festival may go down as one of the biggest failures in history – promising its guests a weekend filled with luxury but ending in a disaster scenario that saw the attendees being stranded on an island with no running water, hardly any food, and a mattress in a tent as the only place for them to sleep.
But if at first you don’t succeed, try again right? That seems to be the outlook that Fyre Festival creator Billy McFarland is taking – as he recently announced that he’s planning another event for December 2024, despite still owing millions of dollars in damages from the first.
While it seems that no one would trust the fraudster with their money after what went down, the first round of 100 tickets – which cost $499 each – sold out within a day that they were released. And for their sake, we’re hoping that Billy, now 31, has learned from his mistakes.
The Fyre Festival was supposed to span across two weekends in the spring of 2017 on a beautiful private island in the Bahamas, and it promised a slew of show-stopping performances from a host of major artists like Bling 182 and Tyga.
Billy McFarland, now 31, has announced that he’s planning a second Fyre Festival – five years after the first ended in disaster
But the event was more than just a chance to listen to good music. It oozed luxury – with teasers showcasing stunning models and elite influencers partying together on white sandy beaches and frolicking in the crystal-clear ocean.
Its website enticed customers with descriptions of private jet rides to and from the island, lavish villas to stay in, celebrity chefs on hand to provide gourmet meals, and a chance to mingle with top stars.
It seemed as though almost anyone who was anyone was attending, which induced a serious case of FOMO – or ‘fear of missing out’ – among social media enthusiasts, and ultimately resulted in roughly 8,000 people forking over thousands of dollars on tickets.
But when the attendees began arriving on the island on the fateful day in 2017 – chaos quickly ensued, and what was advertised as a dream weekend with glitz and glamor became a nightmare.
Guests were forced to wait for hours on end in the heat and herded onto overcrowded planes. The glamorous abodes were nowhere to be found and they were told they’d have to sleep in disaster tens instead. And the delicious meals they had been promised were actually just slices of cheese on bread.
The rise and fall of the event was documented all across the internet – turning the debacle into one of the most talked about events of the year, and leaving many to wonder what went wrong.
While Billy initially insisted that bad weather was to blame for the mishaps – he claimed a massive storm came in the night before and left organizers rushing to fix a ton of damage – it was later revealed that the problems started much earlier and ran way deeper than some rain.
It was brought to light that Billy tried to cut costs by skimping out on vital necessities like food and bathrooms, didn’t listen to people who told him numerous times that the festival wasn’t going to work, and failed to pay tons of employees.
Only time will tell if history will repeat itself or if this time it will be a success – but in the meantime, take a look back at what went down the first time Billy tried to plan a music festival
It was clear that he was way in over his head, but rather than admitting defeat, Billy did whatever he could to try to make the festival happen – even if it meant taking advantage of workers and putting guests in danger – which ultimately landed him in prison.
Now, after four years behind bars, Billy is back and ready to take another stab at the music festival – this time insisting that things will be different because he has ‘incredible support.’
Only time will tell if history will repeat itself or if Fyre Festival II will be a success – but in the meantime, take a look back at everything that went down the first time he tried to plan a music festival.
From every mistake he made to first-hand accounts from attendees, here’s a complete recap of the disaster that was the Fyre Festival.
How it all began: Billy and Ja Rule came up with the idea after bonding over their love of ‘music’ and the ‘ocean’
Billy (seen in 2014) launched a credit card-based membership club called Magnises after dropping out of college, and it was through that endeavor that he met rapper Ja Rule
The two formed a strong friendship and – after bonding over their mutual love of ‘music’ and ‘the ocean’ – the idea for the Fyre Festival was born
Billy told Rolling Stone that he and Ja Rule would often jet back and forth from New York to the Bahamas together – and ‘immediately fell in love’ with the Greater Exuma area (seen)
Billy grew up in Millburn, New Jersey, and he had a knack for making money from a very young age.
By the time he was 13 he had already started his first business – a company aimed at helping web designers find clients.
After graduating from high school, he headed to Bucknell University but dropped out during his freshman year.
In 2013, he launched a credit card-based membership club called Magnises, and it was through that endeavor that he met rapper Ja Rule.
The two formed a strong friendship and – after bonding over their mutual love of ‘music’ and ‘the ocean’ – the idea for the Fyre Festival was born.
As for the location of the event, Billy explained to Rolling Stone that he and Ja Rule would often jet back and forth from New York to the Bahamas together.
He explained that they accidentally stumbled upon the Greater Exuma area after they ran out of gas and were forced to land on one of the islands during one of their trips – and they ‘immediately fell in love’ with it.
To get some buzz going around the festival, the two paid a slew of influencers and models – like Bella Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski, Alessandra Ambrosio, and Hailey Bieber – to visit the island in December 2016.
To get some buzz going around the festival, the two paid a slew of influencers and models to visit the island in December 2016
The ladies all shared tons of content from the trip – and the plan worked. Suddenly, it seemed as though everyone was talking about the event and trying to get their hands on tickets
Kendall Jenner, who did not join them on the getaway, also posted a paid promotion for the festival to her Instagram account
Teaser videos showed bikini-clad stars frolicking in crystal-clear turquoise waters, soaking up the sun on the white sandy beaches, riding on jet skis, and partying together
The ads promoted private jet rides to and from the island, luxury villas to stay in, and a weekend of partying amongst the world’s top social media stars and musicians
It was planned for the spring of 2017 across two weekends – April 28-30 and May 5-7 – and was set to feature a slew of performers like Blink-182 (seen), Pusha T, Tyga, Major Lazer, and Migos
The ladies all shared tons of content from the trip – and the plan worked. Kendall Jenner, who did not join them on the getaway, also posted a paid promotion for the festival to her Instagram account.
Suddenly, it seemed as though everyone was talking about the event and trying to get their hands on tickets, which ranged in price from $500 to a whopping $12,000.
The event was initially described as an ‘immersive music festival’ that offered the ‘best in food, art, music, and adventure.’
Teaser videos showed bikini-clad stars frolicking in bright turquoise waters, soaking up the sun on the white sandy beaches, riding on jet skis, and partying together.
It was planned for the spring of 2017 across two weekends – April 28-30 and May 5-7 – and was set to feature a whole host of performers like Blink-182, Pusha T, Tyga, Major Lazer, Disclosure, Migos, and Lil Yachty.
The ads promoted private jet rides to and from the island, luxury villas to stay in, and a weekend of partying amongst the world’s top social media stars and musicians.
They promised guests would stay in ‘modern, eco-friendly, geodesic domes’ and eat food cooked by celebrity chefs – but when guests started to arrive on the island, what they experienced was completely different than what was advertised.
Expectation vs. reality: Attendees were shocked to find mattresses in tents instead of luxury villas and cheese sandwiches rather than gourmet meals
Even before the festival officially kicked off on April 28, things started to go amiss. One day before, news hit the web that Blink 182 had pulled out of the festival
And when guests started to arrive on the island, what they experienced was completely different than what was advertised
Even before the festival officially kicked off on April 28, things started to go awry.
Weeks before, the Wall Street Journal reported that ‘organizers missed a series of deadlines’ and failed to ‘make advance payments to performers.’
Even their journeys to the island were bad as people described waiting for hours on end in the airport and getting onto overcrowded planes
‘Last week, some artists still hadn’t been paid what they were owed based on the terms of their contracts,’ people familiar with the matter told the outlet at the time.
In addition, guests who had forked over tens of thousands of dollars said they had yet to receive ‘logistical details’ about where they’d be staying or how they’d be getting there.
Then, one day before it was set to begin, news hit the web that Blink 182 had pulled out of the festival.
The band wrote in a statement shared to Twitter, ‘Regrettably, and after much careful and difficult consideration, we want to let you know that we won’t be performing at Fyre Fest in the Bahamas this weekend and next weekend.
‘We’re not confident that we would have what we need to give you the quality of performances we always give fans.’
When attendees began their journeys to the island things only got worse. Twitter was quickly flooded with posts that described people waiting for hours on end in the airport and getting onto overcrowded planes.
Upon arrival, one guest said it was ‘mass chaos,’ claiming that there was ‘no organization’ and ‘no one knew where to go’
Despite being promised glamorous places to stay, they discovered they would have to sleep on bare, soggy mattresses in disaster tents
The ‘gourmet’ food was actually two slices of cheese on wheat bread with a measly salad on the side
There was also no running water on the island and the ‘concierge’ desk was empty and workers were no where to be found when guests needed help
One person said it was ‘mass chaos,’ claiming that there was ‘no organization’ and ‘no one knew where to go.’
Despite being promised glamorous places to stay, guests discovered upon arrival that they would have to sleep on bare, soggy mattresses in disaster tents.
The ‘gourmet’ food was actually two slices of cheese on wheat bread with a measly salad on the side.
There was also no running water on the island, the ‘concierge’ desk was empty and workers were no where to be found when guests needed help.
People quickly started to realize that they were not going to be treated to glitz and glamor – but when they tried to flee the island to return home, getting on a flight back was nearly impossible.
Some social media users claimed they stood in the airport for ages and had no access to food or water while they waited.
People quickly started to realize that they were not going to be treated to glitz and glamor
Guests made sure to share their nightmare experiences on social media, which quickly turned the festival into one of the most talked about events on the web
On April 28, the day the festival was supposed to kick off, the event was officially canceled amid disarray on the island and a firestorm of backlash online
Right away, Ja Rule took to Twitter to slam accusations that it was a ‘scam,’ but what would later be revealed would tell a different story
Guests made sure to share their nightmare experiences on social media, which quickly turned the debacle into one of the most talked about events on the web.
On April 28, the day the festival was supposed to kick off, the event was officially canceled amid disarray on the island and a firestorm of backlash online.
‘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,’ a statement read.
‘The festival is being postponed until we can further assess if and when we are able to create the high-quality experience we envisioned.’
Right away, Ja Rule took to Twitter to slam accusations that it was a ‘scam,’ but what would later be revealed would tell a different story.
‘We are working right now on getting everyone of the island SAFE that is my immediate concern,’ he wrote on Twitter.
‘I will make a statement soon I’m heartbroken at this moment. My partners and 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…
‘I truly apologize as this is NOT MY FAULT… but I’m taking responsibility. I’m deeply sorry to everyone who was inconvenienced by this.’
What REALLY went wrong? A slew of problems plagued the festival from the start – like a lack of infrastructure and attempts to cut costs
So what went wrong? Well, Billy told Rolling Stone that ‘a bad storm’ came in the morning of the festival that ‘took down half the tents and busted their water pipes’
But their problems started long before that. Forbes reported that organizers didn’t start preparing until eight weeks before. Workers are seen getting ready for the festival
So what went wrong? Well, Billy told Rolling Stone that ‘a bad storm’ came in the morning of the festival that ‘took down half the tents and busted their water pipes.’
‘We were on a rush job to fix everything and guests were arriving and that caused check-in to be delayed,’ he explained.
‘We were overwhelmed and just didn’t have the foresight to solve all these problems.’
But it turns out, their problems started long before that and ran way deeper than just bad weather.
In a Hulu documentary about the event, called FYRE FRAUD, a local construction worker who lives on the island, named Delroy Jackson, revealed that he told Ja Rule very early on that having a festival on the island would simply not be possible.
‘[Ja Rule] pulled me aside like, “Yo, Delroy. Just be straight up dawg. Is this festival gonna happen. What’d you think?”‘ Delroy recalled in the doc.
‘All I did was scratch my head. I was just like, “Ja, it’s really not gonna happen.”‘
It was revealed that they had to switch the location of the event just months before it was set to begin due to Bahama laws, which delayed planning and forced them to practically start from scratch.
Forbes reported that event organizers didn’t actually start preparing until eight weeks before, while it usually takes around 12 months to pull off a music festival of that magnitude.
The outlet also noted that the island they settled on had ‘zero infrastructure’ which meant ‘everything needed to be brought to the island, from portable toilets to basic supplies like water.’
Billy (seen with Ja Rule) allegedly tried to cut costs by skimping out on vital things like food and bathrooms – and instead, spent investor’s money on things like alcohol
Event producer Andy King (seen) said the Bahamian government was holding all of the bottled water that they had shipped to the island until they paid $175,000 that they owed in taxes
He alleged that Billy told him he’d have to ‘suck’ the customs officer’s ‘d**k’ to get the water, which he was ‘fully prepared’ to do. Thankfully, he didn’t have to
Finances also played a big part in the festival’s downfall. Experts told the outlet that to create a successful event like Fyre Festival it would likely cost around $38 million – which Billy did not have.
Billy allegedly tried to cut costs by skimping out on vital things like food and bathrooms – and instead, spent investor’s money on items such as alcohol.
Leaked emails showed that Fyre Festival organizers were told to cut the amount of toilets that they were building on the island in half.
It was also revealed in the documentary that Billy decided to fire the catering company that they had previously hired for $6 million just weeks before the festival was set to start in an attempt to save money.
He then told event producer Andy King that he had to find someone new to provide food for thousands of guests, but told him not to spend more than $1 million. In comparison, the budget for liquor was $2 million.
Andy also claimed that he learned just days prior to the festival that the Bahamian government was holding all of the bottled water that they had shipped to the island hostage until they forked over the $175,000 that they owed in import taxes.
He alleged that Billy told him he’d have to ‘suck’ the customs officer’s ‘d**k’ to get the water, which he was ‘fully prepared’ to do.
Thankfully, he said they ended up giving them the water before he needed to take that step.
Many Bahamians who helped set up the festival also stated in the doc that they were not paid for hours of labor.
Others claimed they had to fork out hundreds of thousands of dollars from their own personal finances to help cover costs, which Billy promised to pay them back and never did.
As for the terrible sleeping arrangements, Billy insisted in the doc that they did have ‘250 houses and villas rented’ for guests, but claimed that the box with all the keys for the abodes mysteriously ‘went missing.’
The implications of the disastrous event: Fyre organizers were hit with a slew of lawsuits and Billy ultimately plead guilty to wire fraud
A few weeks after the fiasco, Fyre Festival organizers were hit with nine different lawsuits. Billy and Ja Rule are seen in May 2017
In July 2017, Billy was taken into custody by the FBI and he was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud. He’s seen in March 2018
A few weeks after the fiasco, celebrity lawyer Mark Geragos filed a $100 million class-action lawsuit against the Fyre Festival organizers on behalf of one attendee, named Daniel Jung.
He accused the creators of fraud and cited a ‘lack of adequate food, water, shelter, and medical care,’ which ‘created a dangerous and panicked situation among attendees – suddenly finding themselves stranded on a remote island without basic provisions.’
Within days, eight more suits had been filed against Fyre creators from disgruntled guests and various companies that were hired by Billy, who claimed they had not been refunded for their tickets or paid for their services.
As a result of the disastrous event, both Ja Rule and Billy were banned from visiting the Bahamas for life.
In July 2017, Billy was taken into custody by the FBI and he was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud.
He was also ordered to pay $26 million to his victims, which he is still in the midst of paying back.
Afterwards, he issued an apology from his jail cell, in which he admitted to making ‘wrong and immature decisions’ that ’caused agony.’
Ja Rule has continuously insisted that he was unaware of much of what went on and that he too was ‘bamboozled’ by Billy, who is seen in March 2018
‘I am incredibly sorry for my collective actions and will right the wrongs I have delivered to my family, friends, partners, associates and, you, the general public,’ he said.
‘I’ve always sought – and dreamed – to accomplish incredible things by pushing the envelope to deliver for a common good, but I made many wrong and immature decisions along the way and I caused agony.
‘As a result, I’ve lived every day in prison with pain, and I will continue to do so until I am able to make up for some of this harm through work and actions that society finds respectable.’
In an interview with Good Morning America in November 2022, he said he was determined to ‘prove himself’ which is why he didn’t cancel the event when he realized things were going wrong.
‘I was wrong. I messed up. I was so driven by this desperate desire to prove people right,’ he admitted.
‘I had these early investors, backers, employees, and I think I was so insecure that I thought the only way to prove myself to them was to succeed and that led me down this terrible path of bad decisions. I should have listened [to my employees]. There is no excuse.’
Ja Rule has continuously insisted that he was unaware of much of what went on and that he too was ‘bamboozled’ by Billy.
He was ultimately cleared of all legal wrongdoing in relation to the event in 2019.
‘I had an amazing vision to create a festival like NO OTHER! I would NEVER SCAM or FRAUD anyone what sense does that make,’ he wrote on Twitter. ‘I too was hustled, scammed, bamboozled, hood winked, and led astray.’
If at first you don’t succeed, try again? Billy announced this week that he’s planning a Fyre Festival II for December 2024
Billy was released from prison in March 2022, and now, he’s preparing to take a second jab at the music festival
Earlier this week, he announced that he was planning Fyre Festival II for December 2024 – and the first set of tickets for the event have already sold out
Billy was released from prison in March 2022, and now, he’s preparing to take a second stab at the music festival.
Earlier this week, he announced that he was planning Fyre Festival II for December 2024 – and the first set of tickets for the event have already sold out.
He released 100 tickets for $499 each and within one day they were all gone. More will become available in batches, rising in price each time, and the most expensive ones will cost $7,999.
Details for the event are very limited so far. The festival’s website doesn’t have a line-up or any confirmed performers yet, and it’s unclear where it will be held as it simply lists the ‘Caribbean Sea’ as the location.
Even the proposed date of December 6, 2024, is ‘subject to change,’ according to the site.
‘Fyre is about people from around the world coming together to pull off the impossible,’ Billy wrote on Twitter this week.
‘This time we have incredible support. I’ll be doing what I love while working with the best logistical and infrastructure partners.
‘In addition, all ticket sale revenue will be held in escrow until the final date is announced.
‘We look forward to surprising the world alongside our partners as we build Fyre and Fyre Festival II into the island adventure of a lifetime.’
NPR reported that Billy could make $1.2 million if all the tickets sell out, but pointed out that much of the profit will have to go the money he still owes to investors, guests, and others who were defrauded during the original festival.
His lawyer, Jason Russo, has previously confirmed that Billy is still committed to repaying all the money that he owes for his crimes, and that any ‘new projects’ he works on will be ‘for the purpose of generating the restitution for paying back his victims.’
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