Calling it a comeback is an understatement, but Fyre Fest founder Billy McFarland is actually selling out tickets for a sequel to that infamous flop … and he’s telling us how he’s pulling it off.
McFarland joined us Tuesday on “TMZ Live,” revealing the first round of FYRE Festival II pre-sale tickets were scooped up quickly … and, interestingly, Billy thinks all the buzz around his 2017 tropical failure is driving curiosity and interest around his second attempt.
He tells us why the “no publicity is bad publicity” model really works in his favor. BTW, folks who’ve already purchased tix, dropped $500 bucks without knowing the exact location or which artists will perform!!!
Billy also chats with us about how the hell he found backers for Fyre Festival II … saying it wasn’t until a Broadway production company supported a musical based on the first Fyre that financiers got interested in his return to live events.
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You’ll recall, Billy teased the new festival last October — about 6 months after he served 4 years in prison for wire fraud related to the OG Fyre Fest disaster.
Months after the teaser, Billy reunited with Andy King — the guy who famously revealed Billy asked him to give oral sex to a customs officer to get shipments of bottled of water — and they sold grilled cheeses in NYC to raise money for Bahamas workers who still haven’t been paid from Fyre.
Billy says he won’t be doing as much at next year’s festival, but he’s at least secured one job — cookin’ up those infamous cheese sandwiches with Andy!
[Image Source](https://imagez.tmz.com/image/e0/16by9/2023/08/22/e0dcc9b556fe4e1f92c1cafb5ff40fcf_md.jpg)
The Fyre Festival, the brainchild of Billy McFarland, became one of the most notorious festival failures in history in 2017. Promoted as a luxury music event on a private island in the Bahamas, it turned out to be a disastrous mess with inadequate accommodations, lack of basic necessities, and cancelled performances. McFarland was convicted of multiple counts of fraud and sentenced to prison. However, despite this infamous failure, McFarland is now selling out tickets for a sequel to the event.
In a recent interview with TMZ Live, McFarland revealed that the first round of pre-sale tickets for FYRE Festival II were quickly sold out. He believes that the publicity surrounding the original festival’s failure has actually created curiosity and interest in his second attempt. McFarland argues that the “no publicity is bad publicity” model is working in his favor, with people willing to spend $500 on tickets without knowing the exact location or lineup of performers.
When asked about the backers for FYRE Festival II, McFarland explained that it wasn’t until a Broadway production company supported a musical based on the first Fyre Festival that financiers became interested in his return to live events. This support from the entertainment industry played a crucial role in securing funding for the new festival.
It is worth noting that McFarland teased the possibility of a new festival back in October, around six months after he had finished serving his four-year prison sentence for wire fraud related to the original Fyre Festival. The teaser generated considerable buzz and raised questions about whether McFarland would be able to create a successful event after his previous failure.
In another unexpected turn of events, McFarland teamed up with Andy King, the person famously known for revealing that McFarland had asked him to perform a sexual act to help secure water for the original festival. Together, they sold grilled cheese sandwiches in New York City to raise money for Bahamian workers who had still not been paid for their work on the Fyre Festival. This collaboration between McFarland and King, who became an internet sensation after his revelation, demonstrated their willingness to support a worthy cause and give back to those affected by the previous festival’s failure.
McFarland also mentioned that he will not have as much involvement in next year’s festival but has secured one job – cooking up the infamous cheese sandwiches with Andy King. This self-awareness and willingness to embrace the notoriety of the failed festival shows that McFarland is willing to learn from his past mistakes and adapt his approach for future endeavors.
Despite the controversies and legal troubles surrounding Billy McFarland and the Fyre Festival, it seems that there is still a level of curiosity and interest in his ability to create a successful event. Whether it’s driven by the allure of a comeback or simply morbid fascination, the demand for tickets for FYRE Festival II demonstrates that McFarland’s name still holds some level of intrigue in the world of live events. Only time will tell if he can successfully deliver on the promises and expectations set for the sequel to the infamous Fyre Festival.
