By Chris Williamson-
The promoter of the Fyre Festival in the Bahamas – once billed as the “cultural experience of the decade” – has pleaded guilty to wire fraud charges.
26 year old Billy McFarland entered the plea at a Manhattan federal court in a deal with prosecutors that will he him serve between eight and 10 years in prison.
Fyre Festival was a luxury festival in the Bahamas costing up to $4,000 per person. It was schedulled to feature acts including Skepta, Migos, Blink-182 and Major Lazer, and was billed as “a cultural moment created from a blend of music, art and food”.
Angry festival-goers at the time shared personal experiences of appalling conditions including lack of running water, proper catering or correct safety protocols. Clips later emerged of McFarland telling staff they would not be paid, sparking anger, and eventually this damaging law suit that has ruined his reputation. Mcfarland had promised a life changing festival, but delivered what was described as a ”disaster”.
In court, McFarland explicitly admitted falsifying documents in order to meet the demands of an event requiring resources he underestimated. He told U.S District judge Naomi Reice Buchwald:
“I deeply regret my actions, and I apologise to my investors, team, family and supporters who I let down.”
“I grossly underestimated the resources that would be necessary to hold an event of this magnitude,” he said. “In an attempt to raise what I thought were needed funds, I lied to investors about various aspects of Fyre Media and my personal finances. Those lies included false documents and information.”
The festival was promoted as “the cultural experience of the decade”, an ultra-luxurious event on the Bahamian island of Exuma over two weekends last April and May. It was promoted on social media by Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, Emily Ratajkowski and other models and celebrities coaxing people into buying ticket packages ranging from 1,200 US dollars (£863) to over 100,000 US dollars (£72,000).
Customers had been excited to see Blink-182 and the hip hop act Migos, but were greeted with the disappointing news the music acts were cancelled. Their luxury accommodations and gourmet food consisted of leaky white tents and cheese sandwiches. Customers lashed out on social media with the hashtag #fyrefraud.
LAWSUIT
A lawsuit was quickly filed in Los Angeles against McFarlane. In the suit, the festival “nothing more than a get-rich-quick scam”. It said the festival’s inadequate food, water, shelter and medical care left attendees stranded on a remote island in a “dangerous and panicked situation”.
As part of his plea, McFarland also admitted raising money for the festival by giving a ticket vendor false information about Fyre Media’s financial condition last April to induce McFarland and his lawyer, Randall Jackson, declined comment outside court.