In 2017, thousands of people travelled to the private Bahamian island of Fyre Cay to attend what was meant to be the music festival of a lifetime.
It was called Fyre Festival.
Supermodels like Kendall Jenner, Emily Ratajkowski, Hailey Bieber and Bella Hadid told a horde of wealthy Americans to fly to the idyllic Caribbean island. There, they'd be able to wade through crystal clear waters, party with models on yachts and dance to exclusive talent like Blink 182.
Instead, what adventure seekers got was sad-looking sandwiches in styrofoam boxes, emergency tents usually reserved for use in natural disasters, rain-soaked mattresses, and a traumatising tale that lasted for days.
The event was run by the now-infamous con artist Billy McFarland and resulted in two documentaries, prison time and a hefty fine.
Watch the trailer for Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened. Post continues after video.
He was convicted of defrauding investors and ended up serving four years in prison. He was also on the hook to repay his visitors $26 million.
But in April, less than a year after he was released from prison, McFarland tweeted, "Fyre Festival II is finally happening."
And this week, despite its disastrous history, he brought the festival back six years after its stunning fall from glory...
And it's actually selling out.
McFarland revealed the first 100 pre-sale tickets for Fyre Festival II had become available for US$499-$7,999 (A$780-$12,416) each, and sold out soon after they hit the open market.
"We announced our first pre-sale on Sunday, they sold out very, very quickly," McFarland claimed in a video interview with TMZ.
Except this time, he's not promising anything he can't deliver, telling the publication that the tickets sold despite not having a line-up or location for the event.
@pyrtbillyFYRE Festival 2 is LIVE! đź”— in bio
♬ original sound - Billy McFarland
"It has been the absolute wildest journey to get here, and it really all started during a seven-month stint in solitary confinement," McFarland said in a video posted online of his decision to revive the disastrous event.
He even wrote a 50-page plan on how he'd "make the impossible happen", he shared.
McFarland said that their partners “are not gonna let me do much at the festival”, but he plans to make cheese sandwiches at the event – a reference to the image that went viral depicting the sub-par meals attendees received during the OG Fyre Festival.
While the event is set for December 2024, in "The Caribbean", it definitely will not be in the Bahamas.
In a statement, the Ministry of Tourism noted McFarland is "considered to be a fugitive" there, with several complaints against him. As such, "The government of The Bahamas will not endorse or approve any event associated with [him]."
Feature Image: Getty/Instagram/Twitter @TrevorDeHaas
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