Given the chaos of the first Fyre Festival, it may come as no surprise that Fyre Festival 2 is surrounded by controversy.
Billy McFarland, who became famous in 2017 for failing to deliver the extravagant music festival he promised, said in February that Fyre Festival 2 is coming later this year and will be worth the wait.
“I’m sure many people think I’m crazy for doing this again,” McFarland said in a press release titled “Fyre Festival 2 is Real.” “But I feel I’d be crazy not to do it again.”
The announcement said the 2025 event is set for Isla Mujeres, an island off Mexico’s coast.
But now, McFarland is facing a new wave of questions after the tourism board that controls Isla Mujeres told The Guardian that it has no knowledge of the event.
“For us, this is an event that does not exist,” Edgar Gasca, from the tourism directorate of Isla Mujeres, said.
Is Fyre Festival 2 happening or not?
It’s been eight years since McFarland’s first disastrous attempt to host a Fyre Festival.
The botched event in 2017 led to two documentaries and a prison sentence for McFarland, as the Deseret News previously reported.
Now out of prison, McFarland refuses to let past failure hold him back.
He’s moving forward with Fyre Festival 2 and offering tickets ranging in cost from $1,400 to $1.1 million.
Gasca is among those warning people not to trust the new plan.
“There are red flags all over the place. If you go on their website and take the coordinates they provide, then put them in Google Maps, it takes you to the ocean — between Cancún and Isla Mujeres," he told The Guardian.
But McFarland continues to promote the event and insist that it is really happening, despite what Gasca has said.
McFarland posted to his personal Instagram on Tuesday, saying, “I figured it would be best to hear directly from me what’s actually happening. ... First, Fyre 2 is real. Second, we have incredible partners leading the festival. They’re in charge of all the logistics, productions and operations.”
He added, “Fyre 2 is moving forward and we are moving forward with full integrity. From now on, updates will come directly from me.”
Fyre Festival 2 is scheduled to take place from May 30 to June 2.
“Refundable ticket options have also been guaranteed should the festival be canceled,” per The Hollywood Reporter.