A private tropical island, VIP parties, live music, drinks, food – sounds pretty perfect, right?
That’s what was promised to people attending Fyre Festival, a luxury festival taking place over this weekend in the Bahamas. Tickets cost $12,000 (£9,200) a pop, meaning that this was only for the very richest of the rich. Exclusive, you might say.
The festival was co-organised by Ja Rule and boasted acts such as Migos, Desiigner, blink-182, Disclosure and more. Other activities include yoga, treasure hunts for thousands of dollars, massages and meditation sessions.
Sounds like a nice relaxing weekend, right?
Expectation vs. Reality#fyre #fyrefestival pic.twitter.com/U80NApajxl
— William Needham Finley IV (@WNFIV) April 28, 2017
Revellers have been arriving over the last 12 hours and have been reporting that, quite apart from being a relaxing break on a luxury island, they have actually arrived to the biggest shit show on earth.
Festival goers have reported being stranded on the island without luggage, which arrived later in the night in an unlit shipping container. There is little to no security or infrastructure, and the word ‘luxury’ has been stretched beyond definition.
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 Needham Finley IV (@WNFIV) April 27, 2017
This sums up Fyre Festival. #fyre #fyrefestival #fyrefest pic.twitter.com/x4xcFBL8Yg
— William Needham Finley IV (@WNFIV) April 28, 2017
Here's the dinner they fed us tonight. Literally slices of bread, cheese, and salad with no dressing. #fyrefraud #fyrefestival #dumpsterfyre pic.twitter.com/NmNXakSFlq
— Tr3vor (@tr3vorx) April 28, 2017
#FyreFestival update, photos from the ground! pic.twitter.com/Z7fn9cKaz3
— FyreFestivalFraud (@FyreFraud) April 27, 2017
Festival goers have been accusing the organised of scamming them out of their money, while others have simply denounced it as an unmitigated disaster.
Blink-182 cancelled their appearance, saying: “We’re not confident that we would have what we need to give you the quality of performances we always give our fans.”
It has been reported that the US Embassy in Nassau are stepping in to help stranded people get home, but that too appears to be going horrifically, with planes grounded and people being shunted on and off with nothing to eat.
It's 3:47 am. Been on the runway over 2 hours. We've had to ration the Chex Mix. Please send help. @Ruleyork #fyre #fyrefestival pic.twitter.com/K5D1WThWhV
— William Needham Finley IV (@WNFIV) April 28, 2017
We have to get off the plane because we've been sitting on the runway too long. They have to bring in a new crew. #fyrefestival pic.twitter.com/jMCRUy4PsC
— William Needham Finley IV (@WNFIV) April 28, 2017
Back in the airport. I don't know how to use words anymore. #FyreFestival #fyre pic.twitter.com/h12eVF4drm
— William Needham Finley IV (@WNFIV) April 28, 2017
A statement from what appears to be the organisers’ Instagram account reads:
“Things got off to an unexpected start at day one of Fyre Festival.
“For those currently on Great Exuma we are working to comfortably accommodate guests and deliver a great experience. If you have needs, please head to the “Blue House” on the main festival site.
“Security, first aid, and Fyre Festival staff are here to assist immediately, 24/7. For those with pending travel to the Exumas tomorrow due to circumstances beyond our control, and in line with a culture of safety, all inbound charter flights to the Exumas have been canceled.
“Your ticket and any funds uploaded to your RFID band will be refunded. Thank you for bearing with us as we work through the growing pains that every first year event experiences.
“Revised itinerary information will be shared soon for the remainder of this weekend and weekend two.”
Check out @WNFIV‘s Twitter feed for more pics and updates of what might be the worst festival of all time.
Feature image: @WNFIV
