Fyre Festival II? Billy McFarland wants a second chance
- The festival has yet to set a date, location or even a lineup
- Founder McFarland: "It's all about redemption — the second chance"
- Venture capitalist: "America likes a good comeback story"
(NewsNation) — The infamous Fyre Festival became famous for not happening. Now, founder Billy McFarland says he wants a second chance, planning a comeback in 2024.
The festival has yet to set a date, location or even a lineup, yet tickets are already selling out. The first 100 tickets sold out nearly immediately for around $500 apiece.
The first Fyre Festival back in 2017 trended for all the wrong reasons. The promise of a hyper-luxurious cultural experience of the decade didn’t really happen. Customers ended up paying thousands to stay in what resembled disaster relief tents and to eat cheese sandwiches in the Bahamas.
The videos from the experience were compiled together to create a documentary of the failed music festival.
McFarland was convicted in 2018 of wire fraud in connection to the event and sentenced to six years in prison. During his prison sentence, he spent 10 months in solitary confinement. However, he was released early in 2022.
Now, McFarland is partnering up with John Cerasani, a venture capitalist and author, to produce Fyre Festival II.
“There is no way to get around the fact that I lied and made terrible mistakes five years ago,” McFarland said. “But I’ve also built this brand that’s about bringing people from around the world together through music and adventure.”
He told NewsNation that when tickets were launched Sunday, it created an international media storm. Now, with the proper support, McFarland says he’s grateful to be able to deliver his vision to the world.
“I really hope it’s all about redemption — the second chance,” McFarland said.
But all eyes will be on McFarland, watching him to see if he will crash or land.
“I think I add entertainment value to people’s lives,” he said. “Either way, it’s going to be entertaining.”
Cerasani said he was skeptical when he first spoke with McFarland on his business podcast, but the two just hit it off.
“There’s something about him that’s just likable, and he asked me to fly out to New York to tell me his plans for Fyre Festival II,” Cerasani said.
As a strategic advisor, he looked at McFarland’s plans and realized that with the right capital and expertise, this event could have been a huge success, Cersani said.
During his solitary confinement, McFarland said he had a lot of time to think about the harm he had caused to everyone involved, including his own family and friends. So, he put together a plan to rebuild trust.
“The big difference this time is that we are working with a very large festival and logistics partner so I’m not touching the money. I’m not going to be the one booking the talent,” McFarland explained.
“America likes a good comeback story, and we’re on the verge of one here,” Cerasani said.