Isla Mujeres – Destination for Fyre Fest 2 – Claims No Knowledge of Festival

Isla Mujeres, a remote location in Quintana Roo, Mexico, is supposed to host the second (and somewhat first) edition of Fyre Fest — yet the local government and tourism board know nothing about it.

After a failed festival and subsequent prison sentence for defrauding thousands of concertgoers, convicted fraudster Billy McFarland has set an official date and location for the second edition of Fyre Fest. Last week, he revealed that the highly-anticipated event is set to take place from May 30 through June 2 in Isla Mujeres.

However, according to The Guardian, local government has denied knowledge of the festival. Edgar Gasca, a representative from the tourism directorate of Isla Mujeres, told the publication, “we have no knowledge of this event, nor contact with any person or company about it.”

“For us, this is an event that does not exist,” Gasca said.

Gasca went on to note that he spoke with the minister for tourism in the state of Quintana Roo and hotels listed on the Fyre Festival website, however, none of them have heard of plans to host the festival. Even Impression Isla Mujeres, a luxury hotel that Fyre Fest touts as an official accommodation partner, says it has not seen “any approach or enquiry with regards to the event.”

“The organizers didn’t even bother to approach the authorities,” Gasca said. “It’s very strange, because any manager knows that if you’re going to hold an event, let alone a massive event, you need municipal authorization. I think they thought they would just announce it and see if it got traction, then ask for permits halfway down the path. It’s a bit of a naive way to think.”

Additionally, the local tourism board has released a statement that no permits have been sought for the festival. Lostnights, a production company with decades worth of experience hosting events in remote locations, has partnered with Fyre Fest and previously said that it has secured “top-tier private venues and hotels in partnership with our local allies who have established communications with corresponding authorities to ensure full compliance and flawless execution.”

“This festival is not going to happen,” Gasca confirms. “There are red flags all over the place. If you go on their website and take the coordinates they provide, then put them in Google Maps, it takes you to the ocean — between Cancun and Isla Mujeres.”

This isn’t the only red flag regarding Fyre Fest 2 so far; at this time, no lineup has been revealed. McFarland previously shared a message to those who aren’t willing to purchase a pass before seeing the lineup: “Fyre is not for you.”

“If you have to ask who the lineup is before dropping a million bucks, Fyre is not for you,” McFarland said in an Instagram video. “If you’d rather go to an EDM show, put glitter on your face, lounge in the grass, and not jump in the water with the sharks, Fyre is not for you.”

McFarland ensures that “Fyre is for the doer,” promising the “best three days of your life” and has already hosted several lead-up weekends. 

Despite the red flags and zero commuinication regarding the lineup, McFarland reportedly expects that around 3,000 people will attend the festival across four-days. When tickets first went on sale last year, the first batch sold out in 24 hours. The second batch of presale tickets were priced at $2,500, followed by $5,000 presale VIP tickets, a $50,000 artist pass, and the whopping $1,022,057 “prometheus pass,” which promises “a comprehensive experience that immerses you in the elements of Fire, Earth, Sky, and Sea.”

Tickets are currently available here.

McFarland ensures that this time around will be a stark difference from the first failed event; the 2017 event was promoted on social media as a luxury event from some of the top influencers across the globe. It was billed as the “festival of the year” on the Bahamian Island of Great Exuma in the Caribbean, boasting villas, top-tier chef cuisine, and performances from acts like blink-182 and Disclosure.

Ticketholders showed up to the biggest scam of their lives; at the island, they were met with wet tents, no performers, and a boxed cheese sandwich for dinner. The disastrous, failed event sparked eight lawsuits and became an infamous cultural sensation.

At this point, it seems as though there will be a Fyre Fest 2 — with the same outcome as the first edition.