Fyre Festival Founders Promise Refunds and Free VIP Tickets After Luxury Event Turns to Chaos
The organizers of the Fyre Festival in the Bahamas said all attendees will receive full refunds, as well as free VIP passes to next year's event, after a fiasco that saw hundreds of guests arrive at the "luxury" festival to substandard food and housing conditions and canceled musical acts. In a statement to Billboard, festival co-owners Billy McFarland, an entrepreneur, and rapper Ja Rule apologized for the conditions. "The team was overwhelmed. The airport was jam packed. The buses couldn't handle the load. And the wind from rough weather took down half of the tents on the morning our guests were scheduled to arrive," the statement reads. "This is an unacceptable guest experience and the Fyre team takes full responsibility for the issues that occurred.", McFarland and Ja Rule also said that it was a wave of support from other venues and performers that inspired them to try again next year. "We couldn't be more humbled or inspired by this experience," the statement continues. "People were rooting for us after the worst day we've ever had as a company.", More "seasoned event experts" will be added to the 2018 Fyre Festival, which will take place at a U.S. beach venue, according to the event organizers. McFarland and Ja Rule went on to thank the Bahamian government for its cooperation and pledged to donate to the Bahamas Red Cross Society as part of their future initiatives.