Fyre Festival 2 gets a date and location: What to know

A second iteration of the notorious Fyre Festival is apparently coming soon. 

Billy McFarland, the founder of the failed festival who later pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges, recently spoke about plans for a sequel to the musical event. 

Here’s what to know:

Fyre Festival

The backstory:

The failed Fyre Festival held in 2017 in the Bahamas was promoted as "the cultural experience of the decade," an ultra-luxurious event on the Bahamian island of Exuma over two weekends. It was promoted at the time on social media by Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski and other models and celebrities as the event organizers coaxed people into buying ticket packages ranging from $1,200 to over $100,000.

But customers hoping to see Blink-182 and the hip-hop act Migos arrived to learn the musical acts were canceled. Their luxury accommodations and gourmet food consisted of leaky white tents and cheese sandwiches. Customers lashed out on social media with the hashtag #fyrefraud, and a lawsuit called the festival "nothing more than a get-rich-quick scam." It said the festival’s inadequate food, water, shelter and medical care left attendees stranded on a remote island in a "dangerous and panicked situation."

In 2018, McFarland was later sentenced to six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts of wire fraud in connection to the original festival, with the judge calling him a "serial fraudster." He was released in May 2022 after serving four years.

FILE - Billy McFarland leaves Manhattan Federal Court on July 1, 2017. (Jefferson Siegel/New York Daily News/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

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McFarland had previously announced plans for Fyre Festival 2 in 2023, which at the time was set to take place in the Caribbean. However, plans for that festival were scrapped and tickets were refunded, according to the LA Times.

Fyre Festival 2 location

What we know:

McFarland on Monday again announced Fyre Festival 2 on social media and described it as a "three-day escape to the Mexican Caribbean where you’ll explore by day alongside your favorite talent and come together at night to celebrate with music."

Specifically, a press release states that Fyre Festival 2 will be May 30 to June 2 in Isla Mujeres, located about 8 miles off the coast of Cancún. 

McFarland is apparently not handling the logistics this time around. Fyre Festival 2 is being produced by the event production company LostNights, while tickets and hospitality packages will be handled by soldout.com and FriendlySky, according to the press release. 

It also promises "world-class accommodations," as well as "adventures led by international and local talent, taking guests on boundary-pushing excursions by day and uniting for intimate beach-side performances at night."

What they're saying:

"FYRE 2 is real. My dream is finally becoming a reality," McFarland told TODAY in an interview that also aired on Monday. 

"FYRE 2 really isn’t about the past, and it’s not really about me. It’s about taking the vision, which is strong," McFarland added. 

Fyre Festival 2 tickets, lineup

Ticket Information:

General access tickets are on sale now and start at $1,400, which includes four-day access to Fyre Festival 2 and does not include accommodation. Other packages, labeled as "VIP access" and "Artist access," start at $5,000 and $25,000 respectively.

What we don't know:

Performers for the planned Fyre Festival 2 have not been announced.

What they're saying:

"I’m sure many people think I’m crazy for doing this again," McFarland said in a statement. "But I feel I’d be crazy not to do it again. After years of reflection and now thoughtful planning, the new team and I have amazing plans for Fyre 2. The adventure seekers who trust the vision and take the leap will help make history. Thank you to my partners for a second chance."