Billy McFarland says Fyre Festival 2 is 'moving forward' in Mexico. Tourism officials say 'this is an event that does not exist.'

Is Fyre Festival 2 really happening? It depends connected who you ask.

Billy McFarland, the disgraced laminitis down the disastrous 2017 festival, announced that Fyre Festival 2 is scheduled for May 30 to June 2 connected Isla Mujeres, an land disconnected of Cancún, Mexico.

However, the island’s tourism officials person denied immoderate involvement. “We person nary cognition of this event, nor interaction with immoderate idiosyncratic oregon institution astir it,” Edgar Gasca, from the tourism directorate of Isla Mujeres, told the Guardian successful a communicative published Feb. 27. “For us, this is an lawsuit that does not exist.”

Yahoo Entertainment reached retired to Gasca and the tourism committee for remark but did not instantly person a response.

Gasca’s connection stands successful opposition to McFarland’s claims connected societal media arsenic good arsenic successful a Feb. 24 interrogation with Today successful which helium said “Fyre 2 is real” and that his imagination is “finally becoming a reality.”

McFarland says it’s inactive on

McFarland, who served nearly 4 years successful prison for fraud related to the 2017 Fyre Festival, is adamant that the lawsuit volition beryllium a success. In a video statement shared connected Instagram Tuesday, the laminitis doubled down connected what helium called “twisted” reports by the media.

“First, Fyre 2 is real,” helium said successful the video. “Second, we person unthinkable partners starring the festival. They’re successful complaint of each the logistics, productions and operations. This includes an unthinkable accumulation squad successful Mexico who does not eff around. There is nary mode they would ever instrumentality connected a fake festival.”

McFarland besides stated that determination were accommodations for festivalgoers, which “include contracts, the fig of villas, yachts and hotels.”

He besides said that “artists, athletes and different performers are connected committee and scheduled for Fyre 2,” though nary lineup has been released connected its website oregon connected social media.

“My partners and I person remained successful connection with section and authorities governments to guarantee afloat compliance and a palmy lawsuit that benefits the section economy, shares the quality of the Mexican Caribbean with the satellite and helps marque close for each the wrongs,” helium said.

According to a station shared by festival organizers, Fyre Festival 2 is produced by Lostnights, a “premier unrecorded lawsuit shaper with astir 20 years of experience.”

“Fyre Festival 2 has secured top-tier backstage venues and hotels successful concern with our section allies who person established communications with the corresponding authorities to guarantee afloat compliance and flawless execution,” the lawsuit institution said successful a connection to the Guardian.

Tickets for Fyre Festival 2 went connected sale with packages ranging from $1,400 for wide admittance to $1.1 cardinal for a luxury bundle that includes a yacht oregon villa. The festival website says the Fyre acquisition includes “water adventures, utmost sports, leisure & wellness, [and] taste & originative activities.”

According to NBC News, astatine slightest $500,000 from the event’s proceeds volition spell toward his court-ordered restitution payments of much than $26 million. “Restitution is being paid. Since being released [from prison] 30 months ago, I’ve made 40 payments to restitution,” McFarland said successful his Tuesday Instagram post. “I’ve besides made it my ngo to bash much than legally required. Part of this has been giving a ample percent of Fyre 2’s fund and profits straight to restitution.”

Despite his past failures, McFarland remains unfazed. “Fyre 2 is moving forward, and we are moving guardant with afloat integrity,” helium said.

Yahoo Entertainment reached retired to McFarland but did not instantly person a response.

‘This is an lawsuit that does not exist’

Despite McFarland’s claims, the section authorities connected Isla Mujeres said that it has had nary interaction with him oregon immoderate festival organizers.

“Due to the accusation circulating successful the media regarding the lawsuit ‘FYRE FESTIVAL II,’ the General Directorate of Tourism of Isla Mujeres informs that nary idiosyncratic oregon institution has requested permits from this bureau oregon immoderate different Municipal Government section for said event,” the section authorities bureau shared successful a Facebook post connected Feb. 26.

Gasca, who told the Guardian helium was attending a tourism just successful Bogotá, Colombia, with different officials erstwhile the Fyre Festival 2 announcement was made, said that neither the state’s tourism curate nor the hotels listed connected the festival’s website had been informed astir it.

Impression Isla Mujeres, 1 of the high-end resorts listed arsenic an accommodation enactment for festivalgoers, told the Guardian that it had not received “any attack oregon enquiry with regards to the event” and was investigating the matter.

McFarland appeared to respond to the Guardian study successful his video statement, saying that “two hotels who were contacted by the media” gave “misleading statements” astir moving with the festival. “After proceeding this, I asked my squad to terminate those contracts and to absorption connected the hotels that different partners are anxious to enactment with and enactment Fyre,” helium said successful the video.

Gasca told the Guardian that festival organizers “didn’t adjacent fuss to attack the authorities.”

“It’s precise strange, due to the fact that immoderate manager knows that if you’re going to clasp an event, fto unsocial a monolithic event, you request municipal authorisation,” said Gasca. “I deliberation they thought they would conscionable denote it and spot if it got traction, past inquire for the permits halfway down the path. It’s a spot of a naive mode to think.”