ADVERTISEMENT

A supermodel-backed music festival turned into a nightmare — and now the founders are facing a $100 million lawsuit

Festivalgoers said they were stranded without food or water.

This is how Fyre Festival was advertised beforehand.

Instead of dancing on the white sand beaches of Great Exuma in the Bahamas, Fyre Festival attendees found themselves stranded in airports, some without any food or water, unable to get home.

ADVERTISEMENT

The three-day party, organized by Ja Rule and tech entrepreneur Billy McFarland, was supposed to take place on a private beach in the Bahamas for two weekends, April 28-30 and May 5-7.

But guests, most of whom had spent between $1,200 and $100,000 on tickets — some spent more than $200,000 — described the festival as a "complete disaster" with half-built tents, delayed flights, and no one around to help.

Now Ja Rule and McFarland, who also owns Magnises and Fyre Media, are the targets of a lawsuit filed on Sunday by Mark Geragos, a celebrity trial lawyer. The suit was filed in the US District Court for the Central District of California, and Geragos is seeking class-action status with an anticipated 150 participants, according to Variety.

ADVERTISEMENT

The plaintiff, Daniel Jung, is accusing the organizers of fraud, breach of contract, breach of covenant of good faith, and negligent misrepresentation. The lawsuit seeks at least $100 million in damages.

Here's how it all went down:

The three-day party was supposed to be on a private beach on the island of Great Exuma in the Bahamas.

A host of supermodels had promoted it on social media, including Hailey Baldwin, Emily Ratajkowski, and Bella Hadid.

Major artists were planning to headline the party.

ADVERTISEMENT

Some guests spent thousands of dollars on tickets, which included accommodations and flights to the island.

But when they arrived, it was a very different scene.

Blink-182, who were supposed to headline the festival, had dropped out.

The accommodations were not as luxurious as expected.

Many of the tents hadn't been put up.

ADVERTISEMENT

There were also problems with luggage delivery.

And no one was around to help.

The concierge hadn't yet been built.

The festival claimed to offer gourmet food.

But guests said they were given bread, cheese, and salads.

ADVERTISEMENT

A notebook that a guest said belonged to an organizer had haphazard notes for what looks like a food order.

According to The Wall Street Journal, issues with the festival had been brewing since the start of April, as organizers missed a series of deadlines to make advance payments to performers. The sheer size and complexity of putting this festival together had proved problematic, and many of the organizers were not experienced enough to deal with it, they said.

Source:

The artists were eventually paid by the festival's hosts, Billy McFarland and Ja Rule, who were then looking for outside investment to help pay for it, according to The Journal.

Source:

ADVERTISEMENT

Some guests were oblivious to these early warning signs. "If everything goes as advertised, it's going to be sick," a ticket-holder told The Journal.

Source:

During the chaos, organizers updated the website, saying they would send guests back to Miami.

But many guests ended up stranded at the airport.

One guest described how she was kept in a room without food or water, waiting for a flight to take off. She said a person fainted because the conditions were so bad.

ADVERTISEMENT

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism even weighed in.

McFarland and Ja Rule are now the targets of a lawsuit seeking $100 million in damages.

FOLLOW BUSINESS INSIDER AFRICA

Unblock notifications in browser settings.
ADVERTISEMENT

Recommended articles

How SafeHamsters unlocks the potential of crypto betting| Insider Tips

How SafeHamsters unlocks the potential of crypto betting| Insider Tips

A look into the diverse tax reforms being implemented across Africa

A look into the diverse tax reforms being implemented across Africa

Dubai firm to lend South Sudan $12.9 billion in exchange for 20 years oil repayment

Dubai firm to lend South Sudan $12.9 billion in exchange for 20 years oil repayment

China dethrones USA as the most influential global power in Africa: Report

China dethrones USA as the most influential global power in Africa: Report

Major African economies expecting inflation ease into next year, except Nigeria

Major African economies expecting inflation ease into next year, except Nigeria

10 African countries with the lowest price changes in household commodities

10 African countries with the lowest price changes in household commodities

Dangote refinery outranks Europe's 10 largest refining facilities

Dangote refinery outranks Europe's 10 largest refining facilities

Africa may just have the lowest level of cyber threats compared to other regions

Africa may just have the lowest level of cyber threats compared to other regions

A look into Kenya’s Shs1.1 billion climate funding from the UK

A look into Kenya’s Shs1.1 billion climate funding from the UK

ADVERTISEMENT