'A lot of red flags': Fyre Festival investor fears reboot disaster

An capitalist successful the disastrous Fyre Festival has issued a informing to anyone funny successful going to its planned reboot: "Proceed with caution."

Andy King's remark comes aft Billy McFarland announced Fyre II, aft lone precocious being released from situation for scamming millions from the original.

Mr King, who mislaid $1m successful the archetypal debacle, told the BBC that McFarland was "known for the biggest nonaccomplishment successful popular civilization and wants to flip the script. But I'm not definite he's going astir it the close way."

McFarland, 32, spent 4 years successful situation implicit the 2017 lawsuit successful the Bahamas, which provided nary of the promised "luxury" for tickets costing up to $250,000. Tickets for Fyre II adjacent April volition outgo up to $1.1m (£840,000), helium says.

McFarland told US media past week that "Fyre II has to work". He claimed helium had spent a twelvemonth readying it, and had already sold 100 tickets astatine an 'early bird' complaint of $499.

Mr King, 63, said helium had met McFarland respective months agone to sermon Fyre II but helium feared his erstwhile concern spouse hadn't "learned a batch successful prison... he's shooting from the hep again".

"Billy has a gift. He's got a batch of charisma. He knows however to propulsion radical in," the South Carolina-based lawsuit planner told BBC News.

"Think astir it: erstwhile helium was 24, helium walked successful to concern banking firms successful New York and got them to put $29m."

He said Fyre II could beryllium a "huge success" - but if McFarland was "running the amusement again, it won't work".

Mr King, who said nary of his $1m concern successful the archetypal festival had been returned, was contacted by McFarland to conscionable investors successful the caller venture.

"I'm conscionable seeing a batch of reddish flags, and a batch of reddish lights", helium said. "And I consciousness bad. It saddens me.

"We were going to rent 1 of the biggest estates successful the Hamptons and person a big, swanky party," said Mr King, referencing a famed playground of America's affluent and famous.

"We ended up having 30 radical astatine a pizza spot on the Montauk highway."

He said consequent calls were cancelled and helium hadn't heard from McFarland successful 7 oregon 8 months.

The archetypal Fyre was promoted by supermodels and celebrities arsenic an exclusive getaway for the precise rich, and the determination was hyped arsenic a backstage land erstwhile owned by cause lord Pablo Escobar.

Festival-goers arrived to find each the endowment cancelled, bare mattresses to slumber connected successful storm-ravaged tents and food sandwiches successful takeaway containers to eat.

McFarland was sentenced successful 2018 to six years successful jailhouse for ligament fraud, and was besides ordered to instrumentality $29m to investors.

He was freed successful 2022 nether an aboriginal merchandise programme but remains connected probation until adjacent August.

According to McFarland, tickets for adjacent twelvemonth volition commencement astatine $1,400 but volition spell arsenic precocious arsenic $1.1m.

The astir costly bundle volition see scuba diving, land hopping and luxury yachts.

He said the lawsuit was "not going to beryllium conscionable music" and could see sideshows similar a unrecorded karate combat pit.

He admitted, however, that helium has yet to publication immoderate talent.

Mr King said helium would inactive privation to speech to his aged concern spouse astir his caller venture, contempt inactive facing a backlash for his engagement successful the archetypal festival - everyplace helium goes, helium says, radical inactive springiness him "the scam guy" treatment.

He emerged a sympathetic fig successful the 2019 Netflix documentary Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened for his efforts to crook the catastrophe around.

In arguably the astir viral infinitesimal from the full saga, helium describes however McFarland urged him to connection intersexual favours to Bahamian customs officials to unafraid capable bottled h2o for the event.

That "funny fame", however, has travel astatine a steep terms for Mr King.

He added that helium had stayed successful interaction with McFarland done his situation word and concisely advised him connected estimation absorption past year.

At the precise least, helium said, "the Fyre marque is truthful good known astir the satellite that determination is going to beryllium a batch of radical that volition beryllium curious".

"And they're each watching."