Things aren't boding well for a sequel to the failed Fyre Festival, allegedly set to take place on a Mexican island as previously announced by the music festival's founder, Billy McFarland.
The disgraced event organizer was sentenced to six years in prison for financial crimes tied to the 2017 Fyre Festival on the Bahamian island of Great Exuma, in which he defrauded investors of $27.4 million.
Last month as an attempt at a do-ever, he announced that Fyre 2.0, a "three-day escape to the Mexican Caribbean," was "real."
A flier issued on February 24, 2025, stated the event was scheduled for May 30 to June 2 on Isla Mujeres, an island off of Cancún, Mexico.
However, Mexican tourism officials are claiming that no such festival is happening.
A Facebook statement from the local government on Isla Mujeres, H. Ayuntamiento de Isla Mujeres, read:
"Due to the information circulating in the media regarding the event 'FYRE FESTIVAL II,' the General Directorate of Tourism of Isa Mujeres informs that no person or company has requested permits from this office or any other Municipal Government department for said event."
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McFarland told Today Show co-hosts that he "might have" artists from various music genres, professional skateboarders, and an MMA champion teaching techniques at Fyre Fest 2.
When asked to confirm if he had officially booked them, he said that Fyre was going to announce the artists over the next few months.
He also boldly stated:
"I wanna be one of the first festivals that can sell out with no artists."
His statements failed to convince the public that the event would actually happen.
They were also apprehensive about attending for fear of being duped into spending hundreds, even thousands, of dollars on yet another botched event at which notable music acts canceled appearances, guests slept in tents when they were promised better accommodations, and were fed box lunches instead of gourmet meals.
McFarland responded to the skepticism on Instagram with a "really important Fyre update" after his announcement was "twisted" by journalists.
He explained:
“First, Fyre 2 is real. Second, we have incredible partners leading the festival."
"They’re in charge of all the logistics, productions, and operations."
"This includes an incredible production team in Mexico who does not eff around. There is no way they would ever take on a fake festival.”
He also said accommodations are being offered to festival-goers, which “include contracts, the number of villas, yachts and hotels."
According to the event's release statement, live events producer Longnights will be “crafting extraordinary, one-of-a-kind experiences” and multiple ticketing companies will create 'hospitality packages.' ”
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McFarland continued, stating in his Instagram message:
“My partners and I have remained in communication with local and state governments to ensure full compliance and a successful event that benefits the local economy, shares the beauty of the Mexican Caribbean with the world and helps make right for all the wrongs.”
@pyrtbilly/Instagram
Instagrammer @janamattox, who claims to live in Isla Mujeres and owns a company in the event business there, maintained:
"I can tell you everything [McFarland] is saying is a lie 😂 There is not going to be a festival here."
"The hotels weren’t cancelled by him- he never had them to begin with. The government hasn’t been contacted for anything- and now they will not touch this event, and no one here wants this event associated with the island."
"For those who don’t know, the island is 5 miles long and at its widest point is less than a mile wide. We don’t even have hotels or businesses here that can hold events even half this size."
"I think this dude literally closed his eyes, pointed to a spot on a map & was like 'ok I landed on isla mujeres Mx…let’s run with it," they quipped, and added that "This video is laughable!"
On February 27, Edgar Gasca, from the tourism directorate of Isla Mujeres, contradicted the comments McFarland made in his video statement.
Gasca told the Guardian:
"We have no knowledge of this event, nor contact with any person or company about it. For us, this is an event that does not exist.”
Impression Isla Mujeres, one of the luxury resorts listed as an accommodation option for attendees, told the Guardian that it had not received “any approach or enquiry with regards to the event.”
Gasca denounced the festival organizers for not even bothering “to approach the authorities" in planning the event, saying:
“It’s very strange, because any manager knows that if you’re going to hold an event, let alone a massive event, you need municipal authorisation."
“I think they thought they would just announce it and see if it got traction, then ask for the permits halfway down the path. It’s a bit of a naive way to think," Gasca added.
Social media users predict that history will repeat itself.
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Pre-sale tickets offering packages range from $1,400 for general admission to as high as $1 million for the luxury packages that include a yacht or a villa.
Is anyone buying any of this?
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AMC