MYTHICAL MUSIC FESTIVAL FRAUDSTER
It’s been dubbed the greatest music festival that never actually happened!
When event organiser and entrepreneur Billy Mcfarland proposed the Fyre Festival was to be held on the island of Great Exuma in The Bahamas, it was the first and only of its kind – a gala boasting top-tier artists, luxury accommodation and gourmet dining for the elite.
Set to take place over two weekends in April and May 2017, tickets ranged upward of $1200 with some VIP packages priced at $12,000 a pop. However, the event was a mega flop, and Mcfarland was crowned the ultimate party pooper when mortified festival goers arrived to find a shambolic set-up.
Welcomed with cold cheese sandwiches, there were no musical acts and they only had disaster-relief tents to sleep in.
The event – co-organised by rapper Ja Rule – reportedly sold 8000 tickets before being cancelled, and Mcfarland was arrested in June 2017.
The disgraced entrepreneur pleaded guilty to numerous fraud charges relating to both the Fyre Festival and his company, NYC VIP Access, which also sold fake tickets to events such as the Met Gala.
Ja Rule was not charged in connection with the fraud, but Mcfarland was sentenced to six years in prison in October 2018.
The notorious mythical musical extravaganza captivated the globe and has been the subject of documentaries and even an unsanctioned podcast interview with Mcfarland talking about his crimes! A discussion that led to him doing a stint in solitary confinement as punishment!