Fyre Fest 2 future in doubt as organizers look for new location

Promoter Billy McFarland, seen here in New York in 2023, told NBC News on Wednesday that it’s still undetermined whether Fyre Fest 2 will go on next month. Theo Wargo/Getty Images via CNN Newsource

The second go at Fyre Fest will apparently have to wait a little bit longer, as organizers for the festival say that it will no longer be taking place in Playa del Carmen.

The festival was set to kick off on May 30 in the Mexican resort locale, but promoter Billy McFarland told NBC News on Wednesday that it’s still undetermined whether the festival will go on next month given its dependence on finding a new location.

Tickets on the official website for Fyre Fest 2 are currently unavailable to purchase. Tickets first went on sale in February.

“FYRE Festival 2 is still on,” organizers said in a statement to ticket holders Wednesday, according to NBC. “We are vetting new locations and will announce our host destination soon. Our priorities remain unchanged: delivering an unforgettable, safe, and transparent experience.”

CNN has reached out to Fyre Fest 2 for comment.

News that the festival is being postponed because of the location comes after officials in Playa del Carmen released a statement earlier this month disputing that the Fyre Fest would be held in the city.

“The municipal government of Playa del Carmen informs that no event with that name will be held in our city,” a translated version of the statement, originally posted in Spanish on the official Playa del Carmen government’s Instagram Page, read. “After a responsible review of the situation, it is confirmed that there are no records, plans, or conditions that indicate the holding of such an event in the municipality.”

Two days later, McFarland posted a statement disputing the Playa del Carmen government’s statement, saying that he and the festival’s organizers have been “working directly with the government of Playa del Carmen (PDC) and their officials” since March to ensure a safe event.

CNN has attempted to reach out to Playa del Carmen government officials for further comment.

McFarland announced Fyre Fest 2 in February, describing 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” in a news release posted to his X page. Performers had not yet been announced.

McFarland is the founder of the original 2017 Fyre Festival that gained popularity after it was heavily promoted on social media by influencers and celebrities before disastrously unfolding with shoddy lodging, disorganization and infamous cheese sandwiches.

In 2018, McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to charges of wire fraud, bank fraud and making false statements to federal law enforcement, the US attorney’s office for the Southern District of New York confirmed to CNN at the time.

McFarland was released from prison in 2022 after serving nearly four years of his six-year sentence.