Fyre Festival 2 “does not exist”, claim local tourism board

nme.com:

announced last month that its “real return” would take place from May 30 to June 2 at Isla Mujeres, a tropical island off Cancún, Mexico.

Tickets went on sale this week, and prices range from $1,400 to $25,000. Premium packages are being priced as high as $1.1 million.However, the tourist board and local officials have since claimed that no festival exists.

Speaking to The Guardian, Edgar Gasca, from the tourism directorate of Isla Mujeres, said, “We have no knowledge of this event, nor contact with any person or company about it.

For us, this is an event that does not exist.”Gasca was in Bogotá, Colombia for a tourism fair when he heard the news. He confirmed he had spoken to the minister for tourism in the state of Quintana Roo and the hotels listed as part of Fyre Festival 2, and none had been approached by the event.The Guardian reached out to Impression Isla Mujeres, one of the luxury hotels at which Fyre promised accommodation, which claimed it had not received “any approach or enquiry with regards to the event” and that it was investigating it.“The organisers didn’t even bother to approach the authorities,” said Gasca. “It’s very strange, because any manager knows that if you’re going to hold an event, let alone a massive event, you need municipal authorisation.“I think they thought they would just announce it and see if it got traction, then ask for the permits halfway down the path,” Gasca added. “It’s a bit of a naive way to think.”Last week, the festival took to social media to announce its return and described itself as “real” in a lengthy post.It billed itself as a “three-day escape to the Mexican Caribbean where you’ll explore by day alongside your favourite talent and come together at night to celebrate.