Is Fyre Festival 2 Actually Happening or Are We Watching the Same Scam Twice?

In April 2025, Billy McFarland claimed that Fyre Festival 2 was actually happening. He released vague details, stated that the first round of tickets had sold out, and announced a new location after the first one fell through. The problem? There is no evidence to suggest the event is real. In fact, official statements suggest it isn’t.

So, is Fyre Festival 2 actually happening? According to Billy, who served four years in prison for wife fraud connected to the Fyre Festival of 2017, it is. It was in August 2023, just over a year after his release, when he announced a sequel to the festival.

Fyre Festival 2 was originally set to happen in May 2025 on the island of Isla Mujeres. When Mexican officials from that region stated no such event had been approved — or even proposed — Billy shifted the location to Playa del Carmen. By April 2025, however, Playa del Carmen officials also confirmed the same thing: no permits, no plans, and no festival.

Still, Billy continues to insist the festival is real and happening. During a segment on The Today Show, he doubled down on the festival — even when directly told that city officials were denying it. When asked if buying a ticket was a risk, he replied, “It’s always a risk.”

One of the most surreal aspects of this story is that Billy claimed the first round of tickets were sold out. According to him, he released 100 passes with a $499 price tag to test the water. He released these passes despite a lack of lineup, venue, or even legal permission to hold the event anywhere. He later claimed that these passes were sold out.

ABC News reports both SoldOut.com and FriendlySky are selling ticket packages to the event at prices ranging between $1,400 to $1.1 million, further suggesting the event is already sold out.

Now here is where things get a little strange. There is no way to independently verify that ticket sales even occurred. There’s no public platform hosting them, no social media posts confirming their purchases, and no influencer hype around attending this event. So, if people actually bought these tickets, they aren’t talking about it. It, however, is entirely possible his claim that the tickets are sold out is just another layer to his bizarre marketing campaign for this festival.

Furthermore, many can’t help but note the timing of his claim. Billy claimed the first batch of tickets were sold out as he started to face backlash for the logistics and overall credibility of the event. In that light, some wonder if the tickets being sold out is just a distraction.

The original Fyre Festival in 2017 was promoted as a luxurious island experience, complete with gourmet food, private villas, and performances from artists like Blink-182. Instead, guests arrived to FEMA tents, cheese sandwiches, and a total lack of infrastructure. It was so chaotic that it spawned two documentaries and made Billy a symbol of influencer fraud.

Now, Billy didn’t get away with doing this. He was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to pay $26 million in restitution. After four years behind bars, he was released in 2022. Just over a year after his release, he shockingly announced Fyre Festival 2.

Unfortunately, as of April 2025, Fyre Festival 2 doesn’t feel that different from the first one back in 2017. Billy has promised an event that has no lineup, no disclosed partners, and no confirmed venue. For many, it feels like the exact same scam all over again.

That’s the real question. Whether or not the tickets were truly sold out, there was clearly some level of interest — or curiosity — that gave the story legs. Maybe it was ironic fascination. Maybe some people genuinely believed Billy deserved a second chance. Or perhaps the internet was just collectively addicted to watching a trainwreck in slow motion.

Either way, it was hard to ignore how eerily familiar it all felt. A high-profile announcement, a flurry of influencer-styled promotion, the promise of something exclusive and unforgettable — and behind the scenes, nothing to show for it.

So, is this actually happening? Officially, there is no reason to believe this festival is happening beyond Billy claiming it is. Likewise, there’s also no evidence to support any tickets have actually been sold.