Billy McFarland and the organizers of the controversial Fyre Festival have postponed a planned sequel to the infamous 2017 event following disputes with Mexican authorities over its location, according to an email issued to ticket-holders and obtained by EDM.com.
Fyre Festival 2 will no longer take place in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, as previously announced. The organizers claim they have been “blindsided” by local government officials who allegedly first supported the event before publicly denying any knowledge of it.
“When a government takes your money, issues permits, promotes the event, and then pretends it’s never heard of you, that’s not just dishonest—it’s theft,” the statement reads. “Due to this, we have decided to move FYRE Festival 2 elsewhere.”
The statement described a pattern of similar challenges with officials in Isla Mujeres, where the festival was initially planned. After receiving “official government documentation stating full support” in December 2024, organizers said they secured venues and began selling tickets, only to face public disavowal from the same authorities.
When approached by the government of Playa del Carmen with what they called “a proposal we couldn’t refuse,” Fyre organizers relocated the event there. According to their statement, they obtained and paid for various permits, participated in a joint press conference with various partners and received public support through government social media accounts before facing another denial.
“Then, days later, and after international media coverage, the same government publicly denied any awareness of FYRE Festival 2,” they wrote in today’s email. “You can’t make this stuff up.”
McFarland in 2018 entered a guilty plea for fraud for his role organizing the original Fyre Festival, a botched event that devolved into chaos on the Bahamian island of Great Exuma. He was released from prison in 2022 after serving four years for wire fraud.
The team behind Fyre Festival 2 insists the event “is still on” and are currently “vetting new locations.” They have not announced new dates or refund policies at press time.
