Fyre Festival Under Investigation by FBI: Report

Fyre Festival is under criminal investigation by the Southern District of New York and the FBI, according to the New York Times. Federal authorities are “looking into possible mail, wire and securities fraud” in an investigation led by “a prosecutor assigned to the complex frauds and cybercrime unit.” The Times article also details additional fallout from the failed festival that continues to affect vendors and involved parties; Blink-182, who were set to headline, have their equipment stuck in “customs limbo.” Fyre Media founder Billy McFarland previously said, “We’re going to take every measure to make this right for everybody now, and make this right for everybody next year, on a large scale.” 

The Fyre Festival debacle began the night that guests arrived in Exuma to find a site that was not nearly as lavish as promised from McFarland and co-organizer Ja Rule. The next day, Fyre was officially “postponed,” and is now facing at least seven different lawsuits. The fest recently gave ticketholders the option to apply for refunds or opt-in to VIP status for next year‘s festival; whether that will actually happen remains to be seen.

Find all of Pitchfork’s Fyre coverage here, and read “Searching for Answers in Fyre Festival’s Viral Disaster” over on the Pitch.

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