THE WASHINGTON POST: Tickets are up for Fyre Festival 2 in Mexico. We have questions

Eight years, two documentaries and one prison sentence later, Fyre Festival promoter Billy McFarland is back.

McFarland appeared on the Today show Monday to announce details for a follow-up to the infamous 2017 event in which concertgoers arrived in the Bahamas to find no music, scant food and flimsy accommodations.

On NBC, McFarland described FYRE Festival 2 as a three-day “escape” on Isla Mujeres, Quintana Roo, Mexico. The festival - which “is real,” according to a news release — will run from May 30 to June 2. Did the announcement include a roster of big-name artists? Or even one? Of course not.

A limited number of tickets for the sequel first went on sale in 2023, and on Monday, 2000 tickets went on sale.

“I’m sure many people think I’m crazy for doing this again,” McFarland said in the release. “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.”

Here’s what we know about Fyre 2 at this point:

Where is it?

According to the organizers, Fyre 2 is taking place on the “Playa FYRE” on Isla Mujeres, an island in the Mexican Caribbean about 20 minutes by boat from Cancún.

The website for the event lists coordinates for the exact location as 21°12′32.3 “N 86°43′43.3 “W. If you plug that into Google Maps, a pin shows up in the middle of the water near the south side of the island, just west of Impression Isla Mujeres by Secrets, a Hyatt brand.

What’s the music lineup?

There is no lineup. But the announcement does say that Fyre 2 will have “international and local talent,” as well as “boundary-pushing excursions” and “one-of-a-kind experiences in remote and unique locations.”

“We’re announcing the artists over the next few months,” McFarland said on NBC. “I’m not in charge of booking the talent.”

The first Fyre promised a star-studded lineup including Blink-182 and Migos. The acts never materialized.

How much are tickets to Fyre Festival 2?

The official website has multiple tiers of tickets available, ranging from $1,400 to $1.1 million (excluding service fees).

The cheapest is the “FYRE Ignite package,” which comes to $1,604.17 after a $140 service fee and $64.17 processing fee. This basic option gets you access to the event. The end. Accommodations are not included. However, the website claims that the festival has partnered with some hotels in the area that will offer “preferred rates.”

The next tier is the “Fuego package.” For $5,000 per person, this ticket gets you into the festival, plus VIP access around the grounds, front-row viewing of the “Water Stage” and “close viewing” of the fight pit; the website’s chatbot says attendees can “watch fights or competitions, with different levels of access depending on their ticket package.”

“We might have a professional skateboarder do a demonstration,” McFarland said on NBC. “We might have an MMA champion teach you techniques in the morning.”

Like the basic package, Fuego does not include accommodations, but you can pay $25,000 to dock your boat if you’d like to BYOB.

“FYRE Phoenix” is a $25,000 package for two that promises “artist access to the festival grounds,” backstage access to that “Water Stage,” “pit side” access, a “curated itinerary of FYRE Experiences” and access to the “FYRE Concierge.” Phoenix includes “luxury accommodations” for three nights, allegedly at the same hotels as the festival talent, plus private ground transportation to and from the Cancún airport, passage on “FYRE Ferries,” as well as something called “Phoenix transportation” throughout the weekend.

The website says Phoenix ticket-holders will get access to two hotel options, the Impression Isla Mujeres (where regular rates start around $1,400 per night) or the Almare Isla Mujeres (an adults-only, all-inclusive Marriott property, with daily rates that weekend listed around $500).

When you go to book the ticket, you have the option of selecting a king-size bed or two double beds, not pick which hotel you’d prefer.

Last - and the opposite of least - is the “Prometheus” package.

The $1,100,000 (plus $5,000 service fee) price tag gets you and seven friends top access to the festival and activities, as well as a “24/7 private chauffeur service, dedicated on-site concierge and access to the PROMETHEUS Marina.”

You’ll stay on either a four-stateroom yacht or a four-bedroom villa “with immediate proximity and access to Playa FYRE and the festival grounds.”

Last but not least, you’ll get private air charter from Miami to Cancún by “FYRE AIR,” followed by a helicopter ride to the island. McFarland said he’s already sold one.

Who’s running it?

McFarland told Today that an “incredible production company” is “handling everything from soup to nuts.”

The official Instagram post for the latest festival news attributes many helping hands, including Soldout.com, a ticket marketplace that hosts live events; Lostnights, a Mexico-based event production company; FriendlySky, another online ticket platform; as well as “some of the Mexican Caribbean’s finest hospitality providers.”

Are people really buying tickets?

Yes. In 2023, The Washington Post interviewed a person who got one of the 100 presale tickets, which allegedly sold out at $500 each, and provided a screenshot of a receipt. The Post reviewed a receipt for a Fuego ticket purchased Monday.

Take a quick spin through the comments section of the latest Fyre Instagram post and you’ll find people claiming they’re still waiting for their refunds from the first flop.

Will there be more to eat than cheese sandwiches?

There is no mention of food on the new Fyre website, but according to the site’s chatbot: “We’re excited about the culinary offerings at FYRE Festival 2! While we don’t have specific menu details yet, cuisine is one of the key elements of our festival. We’re aiming to provide a unique gastronomic experience that complements our tropical, luxury vibe. The festival will feature arts, cuisine, music, and more, all set in the stunning location of Isla Mujeres, Mexico. Rest assured, the food will be an integral part of the extraordinary celebration we’re creating.”

Is Billy McFarland even allowed to do this?

After admitting to defrauding investors of $26 million, McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison in 2018. He served close to four.

NPR reported in 2023 that there was nothing in McFarland’s terms of release that barred him from launching another festival. He was released under the supervision of the U.S. probation office, which declined to comment about McFarland’s terms of release.

According to a story published by Today, at least $500,000 from the new festival will go toward paying back McFarland’s debt from the original Fyre Festival.

In a 2024 Instagram post, he also claimed that one percent of all the ticket sales will be going “directly to the family and friends of incarcerated people,” he said. (However, there was no mention of that pledge in Fyre’s latest announcement.)

According to court documents reviewed by The Post, McFarland was granted permission to travel to Germany to speak at a tech conference in 2023.

When asked on Today if he’d be allowed to travel to Mexico, he said, “I don’t know,” and that he may have to watch it from a live stream on his computer.

Where’s Ja Rule?

Rapper Ja Rule, who co-founded Fyre Festival with McFarland, is not mentioned in the news release and does not appear connected to the rebirth.

Is this the best use of your money?

It is almost certainly not. We’d recommend spending $1,400 to $1.1 million on traveling pretty much anywhere else.

© 2025 , The Washington Post