Convicted Felon Billy McFarland Says “Fyre Festival II Is Finally Happening”

Once a fraudster, always a fraudster?

Wide shot of Billy McFarland standing in front of a television screen.
Billy McFarland is at it again.
Patrick McMullan via Getty

Fyre Festival was supposed to be a two-weekend music festival on an island in the Bahamas filled with gourmet meals, performances from Pusha T and Blink-182, and luxury villas. What was billed as an opulent island getaway quickly turned into a nightmare for many: the musicians pulled out, the villas and gourmet food promised were no more than disaster relief tents and bread with cheese slices, and many were left stranded on the island with no transportation home. 

Based on a recent tweet from Fyre Festival founder (and convicted felon) Billy McFarland, you might get an opportunity to experience the once-promised concept for Fyre Festival. McFarland tweeted that Fyre Festival II is “finally happening” and asked people to tell him why they should be invited to the event in the replies. 

As of right now, there are no concrete details for anything like dates or artist lineups , as reported by Gizmodo. It’s also unclear whether or not this post is an official confirmation or an attempt to stir excitement as McFarland continues working on his recently announced business venture, PYRT, a “remote island extravaganza” that “McFarland insists is not a festival,” according to a report by NBC News. And, yes, that’s actually pronounced “pirate.”

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The tweet and business announcement come months after McFarland issued a public apology in November 2022 regarding “his actions” in the Bahamas. However, no direct mention of Fyre Festival was made in the apology. 

McFarland served as the face of the Fyre Festival fallout after the events on April 28, 2017, the first day of the festival. He was later charged with, among other things, two counts of wire fraud and one count of bank fraud. He was released from federal prison in March 2022 after serving over four years. 

So, maybe we’ll actually get to experience the resurrection of the internet’s most talked-about music festival? If you’re interested in going and waiting for new details, I’d recommend just reading the previous paragraph and reconsidering.

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