UPDATE (3:00 p.m. EST):
Fyre Festival co-founder, Ja Rule, published a response on Twitter Friday afternoon (April 28), reassuring onlookers that the event was not a scam and efforts to issue refunds are underway.
— Ja Rule (@Ruleyork) April 28, 2017
Read the original story below.
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Many music fans are demanding their money back from Fyre Festival, a two-weekend event, which was being held in the Bahamas.
Despite being advertised as a “luxury” event, attendees took to Twitter and Reddit Thursday (Apr. 27) to report the event’s screwed-up transportation options, while others tweeted about lost luggage, a dismantled festival site and other sketchy occurrences.
According to Variety, tickets for the event ranged between $1,000 and $12,000, with VIP packages costing concertgoers as much as $250,000. Musicians such as Blink-182, Pusha T, Migos, Disclosure and Major Lazer were slated to perform, however, Blink-182 cancelled their performance at the last minute.
“After assessing the situation this morning and looking at best options for our guests, we cannot move forward as we hoped we could,” wrote representatives for the festival on Twitter, after postponing the event indefinitely. “At this time, we are working tirelessly to get flights scheduled and get all travelers home safely.”
After assessing the situation this morning and looking at best options for our guests, we cannot move forward as we hoped we could (con’t)
— Fyre Festival (@fyrefestival) April 28, 2017
At this time, we are working tirelessly to get flights scheduled and get all travelers home safely
— Fyre Festival (@fyrefestival) April 28, 2017
Advertising on the festival’s site says that while at the festival, attendees will “be flown roundtrip on a custom, VIP configured Boeing 737 aircraft between Miami International Airport and Exuma International Airport on Great Exuma. Guests will be staying in modern, eco-friendly, geodesic domes. Additional housing and events are available for purchase across nearby islands and private cays.”
One fan told Billboard that the domes were “basically disaster relief tents” with a mattress on a bed frame. Attendees were given “boxed lunches” rather than celebrity-chef prepared meals, and flights back to Miami were reportedly canceled due to the island being “over capacity.”
Variety reports, ” On April 17 the New York Post published a story headlined “Are Fyre Festival organizers in over their heads?” which cited a source as saying “attendees have not yet seen pictures of their ‘villas’ on the fest’s private Bahamian island,” while another source said, “It feels like they have good intentions, but are out of their league … Several companies bailed on working with them because they were very disorganized. They don’t return calls.”
While some publicized their bad festival luck on Twitter, other users got a chuckle out of their misfortune. Check out a few tweets below.
This is insane. We almost played this thing 😮#fyrefestival https://t.co/3ax5raMjaO pic.twitter.com/HqywdmOL1m
— The Knocks (@theknocks) April 28, 2017
I keep picturing @KendallJenner handing out Pepsi at #fyrefestival to keep the peace
— Shade Guevara (@Leezy_TMNY) April 28, 2017
“They wacked him, RIP” 😂😂#fyrefestival pic.twitter.com/dZrETuiNyg
— Chang_Fan (@AnthonyGartial) April 28, 2017
If you need assistance @fyrefestival report to the concierge desk immediately #fyrefestival pic.twitter.com/AF1MxRvIVh
— John West (@johnwest888) April 28, 2017
That’s right folks for just $10k, you too can have the “refugee fleeing war torn region” treatment at #fyrefestival pic.twitter.com/RqYzGq0Yg5
— Garrett Garner🎺 (@garrettgarner12) April 28, 2017