History of Fyre Festival in Timeline

Fyre Festival was a fraudulent luxury music festival organized by Billy McFarland and Ja Rule to promote the Fyre app. Scheduled for April and May 2017 in the Bahamas, it promised luxury accommodations, gourmet food, and high-profile musical performances. In reality, attendees arrived to find inadequate housing (disaster relief tents), poor food, unorganized logistics, and many artists canceled. The festival was a complete failure, resulting in significant financial losses for investors and attendees. Billy McFarland was later convicted of fraud and sentenced to prison.

May 21, 2017: Federal Criminal Investigation

On May 21, 2017, The New York Times reported that Billy McFarland and his associates were under an active federal criminal investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation for mail fraud, wire fraud, and securities fraud.

June 30, 2017: McFarland Arrested and Charged with Wire Fraud

On June 30, 2017, Billy McFarland was arrested and charged with one count of wire fraud related to the Fyre Festival.

March 2018: McFarland Pleads Guilty to Fraud

In March 2018, Billy McFarland pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud for defrauding investors and ticket holders, and another count for defrauding a ticket vendor.

July 3, 2018: $5 Million Awarded to Attendees in Damages

On July 3, 2018, Seth Crossno and Mark Thompson, two attendees from North Carolina, were awarded $5 million in damages related to the Fyre Festival. The judgment was against Billy McFarland, who failed to respond to the court proceedings. Ja Rule was initially a co-defendant but was later removed after a private agreement with the attendees' attorney.

July 24, 2018: SEC Announces Settlement with McFarland and Associates

On July 24, 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) announced that Billy McFarland, two companies he founded, a former senior executive, and a former contractor agreed to settle charges arising from an extensive offering fraud that raised at least $27.4 million from investors. McFarland admitted to the allegations and agreed to a director-and-officer bar and disgorgement of $27.4 million.

October 2018: McFarland Sentenced to Prison

In October 2018, Billy McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to forfeit $26 million for his role in the Fyre Festival fraud.

2018: Alkaline Trio Releases "Goodbye Fire Island"

In 2018, American punk band Alkaline Trio, including Matt Skiba (also of Blink-182), released their album Is This Thing Cursed?, which featured the song "Goodbye Fire Island". The song was inspired by Blink-182's planned performance at the festival.

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January 14, 2019: Fyre Fraud Documentary Premieres on Hulu

On January 14, 2019, Fyre Fraud, a documentary directed by Jenner Furst and Julia Willoughby Nason, premiered on Hulu. The documentary received generally favorable reviews but was subject to controversy after it was revealed that the filmmakers had paid McFarland for an interview.

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January 2019: Ja Rule claims to have been defrauded

In January 2019, Ja Rule claimed that he had also been defrauded by Billy McFarland in relation to the Fyre Festival.

January 18, 2019: Fyre Documentary Released by Netflix

On January 18, 2019, Fyre, a documentary directed by Chris Smith, was released by Netflix. Like Fyre Fraud, the film received positive reviews. FuckJerry and Jerry Media helped produce the film but did not acknowledge their involvement in the festival's marketing.

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July 2019: Ja Rule Dismissed from $100 Million Lawsuit

In July 2019, Ja Rule was dismissed from a $100 million lawsuit in California related to the Fyre Festival. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of Daniel Jung, alleged fraud and breach of contract. Ja Rule's dismissal came after the suit sought class action status with over 150 plaintiffs.

November 2019: Ja Rule Dismissed from Class Action Lawsuit

In November 2019, Ja Rule was dismissed from a class action lawsuit filed by Fyre Festival attendees. The judge determined that his promotion of the festival on social media had not been directly proven to lead the plaintiffs to attend the event.

November 2019: Lawsuit Against Ja Rule Dismissed with Leave to Replead

In November 2019, a lawsuit filed in New York federal court against Ja Rule, McFarland, Fyre Media, and Grant Margolin was dismissed with leave to replead regarding particular allegations against Ja Rule. The plaintiffs accused the organizers of false representations, negligence, fraud, and violations of consumer protection statutes, citing the lack of basic amenities and substandard conditions upon arrival at the festival.

2019: Crowdfunding to compensate the caterer

In 2019, A crowdfunding appeal raised over $200,000 to compensate the caterer of the event.

2019: "Silicon Valley" Depicts Fyre Festival-like Event

In 2019, HBO's comedy television series Silicon Valley featured a fictional music event called RussFest, which shared similarities with the real-life Fyre Festival.

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2019: Ryan Reynolds' Gin Ad Based on Fyre Festival Anecdote

In 2019, Ryan Reynolds based a commercial for his gin brand on an anecdote from Netflix's Fyre documentary, where Andy King described being prepared to perform oral sex on a customs officer to "save the festival". In the commercial, King approves of Reynolds' question, "Can you ever really go too far for your company? I don't think so."

August 2020: Auction of Fyre Festival Merchandise

In August 2020, the United States Marshals Service auctioned off Fyre Festival-branded merchandise that Billy McFarland had kept for future sale, with the proceeds intended to go to the victims of the festival.

April 8, 2023: McFarland Announces Fyre Festival II

On April 8, 2023, Billy McFarland announced the existence of Fyre Festival II after his release from prison and claimed to have secured funding for the event. The first 100 tickets were put on sale for $499.00.

February 2024: In-Person Meeting about Fyre Festival II

During February 2024, Heath Miller (owner of Coral View Beach Resort) and Billy McFarland had an in-person meeting discussing Fyre Festival II.

February 29, 2024: Fyre Festival 2 Scheduled for February 2025

On February 29, 2024, Billy McFarland posted on Instagram that Fyre Fest 2 was being scheduled for February 2025 at the Coral View Beach Resort on the Honduran island of Utila.

September 4, 2024: Fyre Festival II Confirmed

On September 4, 2024, The Wall Street Journal reported that Billy McFarland confirmed Fyre Festival II would take place in the Caribbean, potentially at the Coral View Beach Resort on Utila. The owner of the resort, Heath Miller, expressed optimism regarding the festival's economic impact.

February 2025: Fyre Festival 2 scheduled

In February 2025, it was being planned for McFarland to be selling tickets for Fyre 2, scheduled to run from May 30 to June 2, 2025.

February 24, 2025: McFarland Announces "Fyre 2"

On February 24, 2025, Billy McFarland announced "Fyre 2", planned for May 30 to June 2, 2025, on Isla Mujeres, Mexico. 2,000 tickets were to be sold at prices ranging from US$1,400 to $1.1 million. Antonio Brown was announced as the first act.

February 27, 2025: Isla Mujeres Officials Deny Knowledge of Fyre 2

As of February 27, 2025, the tourism directorate of Isla Mujeres, the minister for tourism in Quintana Roo, and the hotels listed on the Fyre website all stated they were unaware of the "Fyre 2" event and had not been contacted about it.