Fresh out of prison, Billy McFarland, the architect of the infamous Fyre Festival has announced that a sequel is being planned. Why? Perhaps the infamy of the first festival has generated enough interest for a sequel? Or is it because of all the money he owes?
The promoter tweeted, “Fyre Festival II is finally happening. Tell me why you should be invited.”
🔥 Fyre Festival II is finally happening.
— Billy McFarland (@pyrtbilly) April 10, 2023
Tell me why you should be invited.
There’s a mixture of amusement and semi-genuine problem solving.
Venture capitalist, Turner Novak, offered to “show up with 100 crates full of bananas” so that “no one will go hungry this time around.”
I’ll show up with 100 crates full of bananas.
— Turner Novak 🍌🧢 (@TurnerNovak) April 10, 2023
No one will go hungry this time around.
Another user called it the “greatest comeback since the QR code” and suggested that a way to build trust would be to create daily or weekly videos on the festival’s finances.
Greatest comeback since the QR code, I’m here for it.
— Stephen Olmon (@stephenolmon) April 10, 2023
I think if you did a daily / weekly video on finances it would be killer - projected costs, ticket sales, logistics etc
Let people buy in to you doing this the right way
McFarland’s tweet, while being viewed by 2.8 million people only received 2,300 likes suggesting that this hasn’t gone down that well.
And why should it? McFarland was released from prison in 2022 after serving four years of a six-year sentence since pleading guilty to charges involving scamming ticket buyers and defrauding investors. He was fined $26 million USD and has since vowed to find a way to pay his investors and perhaps this is part of his motivation.
In March he tweeted, “I owe people $26m. Here’s how I’m going to pay it back: I spend half my time filming TV shows. The other half, I focus on what I’m really, really good at. I’m the best at coming up with wild creative, getting talent together, and delivering the moment. Txt me: 929 325 1957”
I owe people $26m
— Billy McFarland (@pyrtbilly) March 26, 2023
Here's how I'm going to pay it back:
I spend half my time filming TV shows.
The other half, I focus on what I'm really, really good at.
I'm the best at coming up with wild creative, getting talent together, and delivering the moment.
Txt me: 929 325 1957
Following that tweet, in April he tweeted that his next venture “will be the biggest comeback of all time” and detailed his plan to do so, “get some wins under my belt; rebuild trust, and build an audience so I can build the next media empire.”
I was one of the most Googled people in the world.
— Billy McFarland (@pyrtbilly) April 2, 2023
What's next will be the biggest comeback of all time.
My plan: get some wins under my belt; rebuild trust, and build an audience so I can build the next media empire.https://t.co/FQ9i1VwFDF
Who's with me? Text: 929 325 1957 pic.twitter.com/nF2Eoquruj
He may struggle to do so considering there is not one but two documentaries detailing the incredible failure that was Fyre Festival. Though there is a third documentary planned, one detailing McFarland’s possible comeback after prison titled After the Fyre.
It seems that McFarland may be down but he certainly isn’t out.