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The issues continue for Fyre Festival 2, the second attempt at the infamous and scandal-ridden 2017 Fyre Festival.
Event organizers are seeking yet another location to hold the festival, according to a note to ticketholders, obtained by USA TODAY on April 17. The change comes weeks before the festival’s first day, planned to begin May 30, and after an initial change of location in March from Isla Mujeres, Mexico to Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
An entertainment lineup had yet to be seen, but organizers say the event is still happening.
“Fyre Festival 2 is still on,” the note to ticketholders states. “We are vetting new locations and will announce our host destination soon. Our priorities remain unchanged: delivering an unforgettable, safe and transparent experience.”
A festival spokesperson did not clarify when this letter was shared with ticketholders. It is unclear if the festival is still on track to begin May 30. USA TODAY has inquired for more information from organizers.
What is Fyre Festival?
Described as an “electrifying celebration of music, arts, cuisine, comedy, fashion, gaming, sports and treasure hunting,” Fyre Festival 2 boasted tickets that ranged between $1,400 for one person to $1.1 million for a group of eight. As of Thursday, tickets are no longer available for purchase on the festival’s website.
In 2018, Fyre Festival founder Billy McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison for engaging in several fraudulent schemes related to the first Fyre Festival. After his arrest, the festival’s organizer acknowledged that he had defrauded investors out of $26 million and more than $100,000 in fraudulent ticket-selling schemes.
Why is Fyre Festival 2 changing locations again?
According to the note shared with ticketholders, the festival is being moved again because of complications with Playa del Carmen.
In late March, less than three months before kickoff, the festival announced it would be changing locations to Playa del Carmen, about 42 miles south of Cancún. Initially, the festival had been promoted to be held at Isla Mujeres, Mexico, a small island right off the coast of Cancún. But Isla Mujeres officials and a hotel that the festival claimed to work with, claimed they were unaware of the event.
After the festival announced it would be held in Playa del Carmen, again government officials there said they weren’t familiar with it.
“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,” Playa del Carmen’s city hall wrote in a social media post on April 2.
In response, Fyre Festival took to social media to share screenshots of emails and permits, but details were askew from what was being promoted. McFarland claimed 2,000 tickets were available for the festival, but shared permits indicated that only space for 250 people had been obtained.
The week before, during a Fyre Festival 2 press conference in Playa del Carmen on March 27, Martina Beach Club Founder Fernando Delgado told local journalists that the festival had secured the necessary permits in the city. Martina Beach Club is in Playa del Carmen.
“When a government takes your money, issues permits, promotes the event and then pretends it’s never heard of you, that’s not just dishonest − it’s theft. Due to this, we have decided to move Fyre Festival 2 elsewhere,” the note to ticketholders claims.
The note added that ticketholders could request a refund. “If you keep your ticket, it will be honored at the new location. No additional tickets will be released until we announce the new venue.”
What happened during the first Fyre Festival?
Intended to be held over two weeks in April and May 2017, the first Fyre Festival was promoted by social media influencers like Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber, and ticketholders were promised acts like Blink-182 and Migos.
However, upon arrival, festival-goers learned that the artists had canceled. Due to poor Caribbean weather, the festival was essentially washed out, with the promised luxury accommodations and gourmet food nowhere to be found. In the end, attendees only stayed one night before they were evacuated.
The festival inspired two documentaries, Netflix’s “Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened” and Hulu’s “Fyre Fraud.”
Greta Cross is a national trending reporter at USA TODAY. Story idea? Email her at [email protected].
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