The US Bankruptcy Court in the Southern District of New York has approved a $2 million class-action settlement for ticket-holders to the ill-fated Fyre Festival.
The disastrous April 2017 event, which promised blissful luxury and delivered tents and cheese sandwiches, was the subject of two films and widely ridiculed. The event was co-created by promoter Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule. Promoted by such influencers as Kendall Jenner, Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski, the festival, set on the Bahamian island of Great Exuma, failed on almost every level.
In March 2018, McFarland pled guilty to one count of wire fraud and a second count to defraud a ticket vendor. He was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to forfeit US$26 million. He is still imprisoned.
Two documentaries detailing the monumental disaster, Fyre Fraud on Hulu and Netflix’s Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened, captured the post-event outrage.
The class-action settlement was reached between the festival’s organizers and 277 ticket holders. Each ticket holder will receive roughly $7,200, according to reports, but it is unclear who is paying the settlements. The final total has yet to be approved by the court.
