The first edition of the Fyre Festival 2017 was a mentioned scandal.
Nearly 300 visitors went to the Bahamas in the hope of a luxurious weekend in a tropical paradise environment. Instead, they were met by substandard facilities, an organizational breakdown and artists who withdrew. The festival has been described as “closer to hunger games than Coachella”.
The author Billy McFarland was later sentenced to six years in prison for fraud. He was released after less than four years.
And now he is back in the limelight – with Fyre Festival 2.
– Fyre 2 is for real. My dream finally becomes reality, he said to Today Earlier this week.
Price tag: SEK 12 million
On the website there are four different ticket packages available. The cheapest costs the equivalent of just over SEK 15,000. The most expensive? Almost SEK 12 million.
The festival is described as a “electrical tribute of music, art, food, humor, fashion, games, sports and treasure hunting – everything takes place in the fantastic place Isla Mujeres, Mexico”.
But no representative of the island seems to know the event, which is planned between May 30 and June 2, reports The Guardian.
– We have no knowledge of this event, and no contact with any person or company about it, says Edgar Gasca at the tourist department at Isla Mujeres to the newspaper.
– For our part, this is an event that does not exist.
He states that he has been in contact with both the Minister of Tourist in the state of Quintana Roo and the hotels listed as accommodation on four festival’s website. Nor have they heard anything about the plans. The same goes for Atenea Gómez Ricalde, municipal chairman at Isla Mujeres.
Edgar Gasca describes the situation as “very strange”.
– All business leaders know that if you are going to hold an event, let alone a huge one, then you need permission from the municipality.
Strikes back
However, the festival organizer strikes back – and claims that you have contact with the authorities.
“Fyre Festival 2 has secured first -class scenes and hotels in collaboration with our local partners who have established contact with the relevant authorities to ensure a flawless execution and that we comply with the regulations”.
Already in September, Andy King, who invested in the original Fyre festival and lost over SEK 10 million, warned over SEK 10 million, for the planned sequel.
He had had a meeting with Billy McFarland and got the idea that his former partner “did not learn much in prison”.
– I only see many red flags, and red lamps. It makes me sad, he said to BBC.