Although Fyre Festival II has no lineup or official date — and comes on the heels of a failed first-attempt back in 2017 — the first 100 presale tickets have already sold out.
According to the festival’s website, tickets sold out on Tuesday — the same day they went on sale for $499. The next ticket tier, dubbed the “FYRE Four Hundred,” will release tickets 101-500 for a whopping $799. That price is coming soon, followed by “The FYRE Starters” for $1,199 and “Pre-Sale 1” tickets for $2,699. The final ticket tier jumps to a steep price of $7,999.
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If you’re wondering who would pay that kind of money for a festival that has a 90% chance of not happening, you may be surprised to know that some people are actually taking it seriously — or, willing to take the risk, despite all odds.
One couple, Victoriua Medvedenko and Cooper Sinkiawic, told CBS News that they spend nearly $550 to be among the first buyers, noting that “if anything, it’ll just be a really cool vacation.”
“Our main concern is that we don’t know if big headliners will be willing to, you know, take that risk to be in something so controversial,” Sinkiawic told CBS News. “We’re gonna stay optimistic, but we’re gonna expect that there may be some cheese sandwiches.”
Fyre Fest founder Billy McFarland, now known to the world as a scam artist, went to prison for fraud after his first attempt of the festival completely failed. The 2017 event, which was promoted on social media as a luxury event from top influencers, promised the biggest festival of the year on the Bahamian Island of Great Exuma in the Caribbean with villas, top-tier chef cuisine, and performances from big-name acts like blink-182 and Disclosure.
Ticketholders were ultimately left with the biggest scam of their lives when they arrived at the island to find wet tents, no performers, and a boxed cheese sandwich for dinner. The monstrosity sparked not only eight lawsuits for defrauding ticket buyers, but also became a cultural sensation with two documentaries — and a whole lot of memes.
Nonetheless, McFarland announced the second run of the festival on Tuesday, noting that it’s been “the absolute wildest journey to get here.”
It seems like, somehow, people are still interested in attending the festival — whether it goes down or not.