Watch:
Fyre Festival's Billy McFarland Claps Back After City Officials Say He Has No Permit for New Concert
Has Fyre Festival gone up in flames—again?
Well, less than two months before the follow-up to Billy McFarland’s infamous 2017 music festival was set to begin in Playa del Carmen, Mexico, a sudden statement announcing the event’s postponement popped up on its website, leaving fans confused.
The festival’s promoter—who served four years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of wire fraud surrounding the inaugural festival in 2017—later confirmed to NBC News that the date is, as of now, dependent on location.
"FYRE 2 Festival is postponed and will be rescheduled for a later date in the future," read a statement to ticketholders posted to the event’s website, which was later updated to state that tickets were "currently not available."
"FYRE Festival 2 is still on," organizers wrote in a following statement. "We are vetting new locations and will announce our host destination soon. Our priorities remain unchanged: delivering an unforgettable, safe, and transparent experience."
As for why Fyre Festival might have had such a sudden change of plans? Earlier this month, city officials in Playa del Carmen denied issuing a permit for the return of McFarland’s disastrous music festival.
“Regarding the information that has begun to circulate about a supposed event called ‘Fyre 2,’” the Playa del Carmen City Hall wrote in a statement on Facebook earlier this month, as translated from Spanish, “the municipal government of Playa del Carmen informs that no event of that name will be held in our city.”
But two days later, McFarland countered the claims, insisting that he and his fellow organizers had been cooperating with the city to organize the festival—which was set to take place May 30 to June 2—for weeks.
“FYRE has been working directly with the government of Playa del Carmen (PDC) and their officials since March 5, 2025 to ensure a safe and successful event,” the 33-year-old wrote on Instagram April 4. “All media reports suggesting our team has not been working with the government of PDC are simply inaccurate and based on misinformation.”
Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images
And while the founder is steadfast in his attempts to revive the music event, officials may be hesitant because of the controversies that surrounded the 2017 debacle.
Aside from fans being disappointed by the lack of previously promised luxury experiences upon arrival—instead of chef-cooked meals and a lavish escape, attendees were met with food shortages, robberies and sub-par accommodations—McFarland later admitted, per ABC News, to using fake documents to attract investors, making the festival itself fraudulent.
Still, after his 2022 release from prison, McFarland was confident that he could use the notoriety he gained the first time to create an unforgettable experience this time around.
“We have the chance to embrace this storm and really steer our ship into all the chaos that has happened,” McFarland told NBC News in September, “and if it's done well, I think Fyre has a chance to be this annual festival that really takes over the festival industry.”
For more details surrounding the 2017 Fyre Festival fiasco, keep reading.
(E! and NBC News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
Netflix
Netflix
Netflix
Netflix
Hulu
Netflix
Hulu
Netflix
Netflix
Hulu
Hulu
Netflix
Netflix
Netflix
Netflix
Netflix
Netflix
Netflix
Netflix
Netflix
Netflix
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News App
