Billy McFarland is again, with Fyre Festival 2. Scheduled to happen in Isla Mujeres, Mexico from May 30 to June 2, tickets simply went on sale, starting from $1,400 to a very brazen $1.1 million — although no artists have been confirmed, and McFarland himself isn’t certain if he can legally go away the nation to attend, as he informed the Today present Monday morning.
It’s definitely sudden. Back in 2017, McFarland masterminded a wildly profitable viral marketing campaign for Fyre Festival, promising an ultra-luxurious music occasion within the Bahamas. Influencers flocked to advertise, however when visitors arrived, they discovered FEMA tents, unhappy cheese sandwiches, and no working water. The debacle grew to become a defining second of influencer tradition gone mistaken, immortalized on Instagram. (Lost within the mayhem was Fyre Festival’s unique goal: to advertise Fyre Media, McFarland’s “Uber for the performing arts,” a platform connecting occasion organizers with musicians.)
McFarland’s ineptitude landed him in jail for fraud. But don’t be shocked if folks once more purchase what he’s promoting. Marketing can overcome so much, with folks wanting to be a part of a second, even when it means getting burned twice.
