An investor in the infamous Fyre Festival has sounded alarms about the planned reboot, urging caution for those interested in attending. Andy King, who lost $1 million in the original Fyre Festival, expressed doubts about organizer Billy McFarland’s ability to pull off a successful event, stating that he sees “a lot of red flags.”
McFarland, who served four years in prison for the 2017 fiasco in the Bahamas, recently announced Fyre II, which is scheduled for next April, with tickets priced up to $1.1 million. McFarland, 32, has claimed that 100 tickets have already sold at an early bird price of $499. However, King—who played a significant role in the first festival and was featured prominently in the Netflix documentary Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened—remains skeptical.
“Billy has a gift. He’s got a lot of charisma. He knows how to pull people in,” King told the BBC, acknowledging McFarland’s ability to attract investors, even when he was just 24 years old. But King added that McFarland might not have learned much from his time in prison, suggesting that he’s once again “shooting from the hip.”
The original Fyre Festival, co-founded by McFarland and rapper Ja Rule, promised luxury accommodations, gourmet food, and performances from top-tier musicians. Instead, attendees arrived to a chaotic scene: canceled acts, soggy tents, and cheese sandwiches in plastic containers. The event quickly became a symbol of hubris and poor planning, and McFarland was sentenced to six years for wire fraud, in addition to owing $29 million to investors.
Despite the debacle, McFarland is forging ahead with his new venture, which he claims will include not just music, but also side attractions like scuba diving, island hopping, and a live karate combat pit. He has admitted, however, that no talent has been booked for Fyre II so far.
King, who became a viral sensation for his candid and desperate attempts to salvage the first Fyre Festival—including a moment where he discussed offering sexual favors to secure bottled water—still maintains a connection with McFarland. Yet, he feels uneasy about the direction of the new event. “I’m just seeing a lot of red flags,” King said, adding that he hasn’t heard from McFarland in several months after initial discussions about Fyre II.
While King isn’t entirely ruling out the possibility of Fyre II’s success, he is concerned that McFarland’s leadership could lead to another disaster. He also acknowledges that the Fyre brand remains so notorious that many people are still paying attention, curious to see how things unfold.
With tickets already on sale and McFarland pushing ahead despite his previous failure, one thing is clear: the world will be watching whether the Fyre Festival can rise from the ashes or if it will crash and burn once more.
