Back in February of 2025, notorious Fyre Fest promoter Billy McFarland officially announced that Fyre Fest 2 is happening, prompting two cities in Mexico (Isla Mujeres near Cancun and then Playa Del Carmen) to deny that they’re hosting it. As always, though, McFarland swears that Fyre Fest 2 is real, and he’s shared a timeline of events to prove it.
What McFarland Said
This past Friday (April 4), McFarland took to both his Instagram account and Fyre Festival’s Instagram account to affirm that the event is happening in Playa Del Carmen (which became the new location after Isla Mujeres refuted having any involvement with the festival).
Specifically, McFarland shared images (which you can view below) of what’s been done thus far to show that he “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.”
He added:
All media reports suggesting our team has not been working with the government of PDC are simply inaccurate and based on misinformation.
FYRE has operated as a good partner with PDC government and has followed the proper processes and procedures to lawfully host an event.
We will be sharing all relevant permits, payments, and communications.
Today, we begin with the following:
1. March 12 Artist Invitation Letter A
2. March 12 Artist Invitation Letter B
3. March 18 Initial Permit A
4. March 18 Initial Permit B
5. March 18 Tourism Permit
6. March 19 Special Event Permit Bill A
7. March 19 Special Event Permit Bill B
8. March 24 Special Event Permit Government Payment
9. March 25 Special Event Permit Government Payment
10. March 26 Environmental Permit A
11. March 26 Environmental Permit B
12. March 28 Government of PDC and Secretary of Citizen Security Instagram Post @ssc_playadelcarmen
13. March 28 Secretary of Citizen Security X Post
14. April 2 Screen recording of the Government of PDC’s Official Instagram account @gobplayadelcarmen
The main image offers a more detailed rundown of actions.
For example, it claims that that “PDC government provided FYRE Festival 2 with an official invitation letter to share with potential performing artists” on March 12, as well as that “FYRE Festival 2 held a live press conference in collaboration with the PDC government” on March 27.
Subsequent images feature alleged documents and social media posts related to his assertions.
READ MORE: Who Is Letting Billy McFarland Organize Another Fyre Festival?
What Led to This + More About Original Fyre Fest
Given that 2017’s original Fyre Fest was a disaster because – as Loudwire later wrote – it “promised concerts” that never happened and attendees were subjected to “inadequate accommodations, subpar catering and a lack of infrastructure,” it’s no shock that people were skeptical about Fyre Fest 2. (Plus, McFarland later faced “lawsuits and criminal charges” due to how awful and shady the first Fyre Fest was.)
Nevertheless, and as Loudwire noted this past February, Fyre Fest 2 was initially going to take place from May 30 through June 2 on Isla Mujeres near Cancun, Mexico.
Ticket prices start at $1,400 for “the Ignite level which only includes access to the festival grounds with options to add-on additional accommodations and activities.” Those looking for more could pay $25,000 for “artists passes, backstage access and hotel accommodations,” and there’s a $1 million package “for eight people that include[s] ‘luxury villas,’ a place to dock your yacht, a private jet to Cancun and more.”
At the time, McFarland even conceded: “I’m sure many people think I’m crazy for doing this again. But I feel I’d be crazy not to do it again.”
On March 4, however, Loudwire reported on the Generate Directorate of Tourism of Isla Mujeres’ Facebook post declaring that “no person or company has requested permits from this office or any other Municipal Government department for [Fyre Fest 2].” In fact, said tourism directorate – Edgar Gasca – told The Guardian: “”We have no knowledge of this event, nor contact with any person or any company about it. For us, this is an event that does not exist.”
Of course, McFarland and other Fyre Frest 2 producers responded a couple of days later to say that the event is “real” and to address several concerns related to it. “[W]e have incredible partners leading the festival. . . . There is no way they would ever take on a fake festival,” McFarland alleged in a point-by-point video response.
Things were quiet for a few weeks afterward, but on March 28, McFarland held a press conference (at the Martina Beach Club) to announce that a new city – Playa Del Carmen – would host Fyre Fest 2. “Our relationships with Playa may be new, but I know I speak for the rest of the team when I say we couldn’t ask for a better group of people,” he said during it. The conference was uploaded to Instagram in three parts, and you can watch them sequentially here, here and here.
Days later, McFarland posted another video to social media in which he promised:
We’ll have DJ, rappers, reggae artists, pop stars, but also athletes, divers, models, pilots and creators who will lead the experiences for our guests. Fyre is all about these intimate experiences. We’ll have dozens of artists in a private party-like setting. Fyre is all about the people you’ll meet, the memories you’ll make and the stories that you will be able to tell for the rest of your life.
Yet, as Loudwire reported on April 4, Playa Del Carmen soon shared a statement to X that (when translated to English) reads: “#ComunicadoOficial || There will be no event called ‘Fyre 2’ in Playa del Carmen. There is no record or planning. This government prioritizes order, security, and truth.”
A larger decree elaborates: “No such event with that name will take place in our city. . . . There is no existence of a registry nor plans that would indicate such an event taking place in this municipality.”
So, there you have it, and it’ll be interesting to see how Playa Del Carmen reacts to McFarland’s latest rebuttal and alleged timeline of events proving that Fyre Fest 2 is happening as he claims.
15 Most Disastrous Music Festivals in History
Here are some of the most disastrous music festivals in history, many of which proved unacceptably arduous for attendees, but a handful of others that unfortunately turned tragic. You might remember many of these instances — others you may not know about yet. Keep reading to find out.
Gallery Credit: Philip Trapp
