Ja Rule's Fyre Festival Postponed Amid Chaos
The Fyre Festival was supposed to be a “once-in-a-lifetime” luxurious experience in the Bahamas, but it has turned into a chaotic scene in Exumas.
Originally, the buzzed-about music festival said it would offer two weekend-long adventures, headlined by G.O.O.D. Music, Major Lazer, and Blink-182. It was created by Ja Rule and businessman Billy McFarland and promoted by models Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid, and Emily Ratajkowski. But whatever plans the organizers had crumbled before the fest began.
On Thursday (Apr. 27), just one day before Weekend 1 was set to kick off, concertgoers reported issues with the festival. Some of them paid up to $12,780, according to CNN, but they were unimpressed by the inadequate accommodations, lost luggage, unappetizing food, and disaster relief-like tents. Many shared images of a hectic scene while others shared videos, claiming that flights to Exumas had been canceled by Fyre to “ensure the safety of [their] guests.”
#FyreFestival update, photos from the ground! pic.twitter.com/Z7fn9cKaz3
— FyreFestivalFraud (@FyreFraud) April 27, 2017
The "catering" (which cost extra) was a slice of untoasted bread, two slices prepackaged cheese, and a side salad. pic.twitter.com/BoKxWAMI5i
— Iron Spike (@Iron_Spike) April 28, 2017
As these clips began circulating, headliners Blink-182 backed out. “Regrettably, and after much careful and difficult consideration, we want to let you know that we won’t be performing at Fyre Fest in the Bahamas this weekend and next weekend,” the band tweeted. “We’re not confident that we would have what we need to give you the quality of performances we always give fans.”
So Fyre Fest is a complete disaster. Mass chaos. No organization. No one knows where to go. There are no villas, just a disaster tent city. pic.twitter.com/1lSWtnk7cA
— William N. Finley IV(It’s real. I made it up) (@WNFIV) April 27, 2017
Shortly after Blink made their statement, festival organizers postponed the event. They claimed that the disarray was not their fault and that they were trying to rectify the situation in a statement of their own.
“Due to circumstances out of our control, the physical infrastructure was not in place on time and we are unable to fulfill on that vision safely and enjoyably for our guests,” they said. “At this time, we are working tirelessly to get flights scheduled and get everyone off of Great Exuma and home safely as quickly as we can. We ask that guests currently on-island do not make their own arrangements to get to the airport as we are coordinating those plans. We are working to place everyone on complimentary charters back to Miami today; this process has commenced and the safety and comfort of our guests is our top priority.”
https://www.instagram.com/p/BTaYcziAYJ5/
Despite the chaos, Fyre says it isn’t canceling the fest altogether. “The festival is being postponed until we can further assess if and when we are able to create the high-quality experience we envisioned,” the statement adds. “We ask for everyone’s patience and cooperation during this difficult time as we work as quickly and safely as we can to remedy this unforeseeable situation. We will continue to provide regular updates via email to our guests and via our official social media channels as they become available.”
In addition to Major Lazer and Blink-182, the lineup was set to include Pusha T, Desiigner, Tyga, Migos, Rae Sremmurd, and Lil Yachty.