Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened is a Netflix Original documentary, exposing the truth behind the disastrous Fyre Festival. The festival, held on a private beach on the island of Great Exuma in the Bahamas, was promoted as an exclusive luxury event, endorsed by the likes of Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid. It ended in acrimony, litigation and prison.
The Fyre Festival was scheduled to take place over two weekends in April and May of 2017. An elaborate advertising campaign, featuring Jenner, Hadid and other top models, promised beautiful beaches, luxurious amenities and the best food, art, music and services. The cost of a day ticket ranged from US$500 to $1,200 (16,000-38,000 baht), with VIP packages of up to $12,000. The festival was sold out in 48 hours.
However, when festivalgoers started showing up at the venue, what they saw was a far cry from what they were promised. Their posh villas and domes turned out to be relief tents. The gourmet meals were ham and cheese sandwiches. There was no internet, water or toilets. Guests travelling to and from the venue were stuck at airports for hours before being able to board their flights. The main acts all cancelled; ultimately, only one act did perform -- a group of local musicians.
Then came the fallout. Although the festival's two main organisers, 26-year-old entrepreneur Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule, offered full refunds, attendees decided to sue. McFarland and Ja Rule became the subject of a $100 million class-action lawsuit. Then one lawsuit became eight. Last year, McFarland was sentenced to six years in prison and ordered to forfeit $26 million for wire fraud. Several lawsuits are still ongoing.
Directed by Chris Smith, Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened takes an in-depth look at how the ambitious project descended into farce, fraud and infamy. Smith's previous works include the critically acclaimed 1999 documentary American Movie (1999) and last year's Jim And Andy: The Great Beyond starring Jim Carrey, which was nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special.
