Fyre Festival brand sold on eBay for $245,000
The Fyre Festival brand has officially been sold on eBay. Here’s what the buyer gets, and what it could mean for the future of the infamous event.
The infamous Fyre Festival, the catastrophic luxury music event that became a symbol of influencer excess and internet-age fraud, has once again captured headlines. This time, it’s not for another disastrous concert attempt, but for the surprising fact that the entire Fyre Festival brand has been sold on eBay.
The auction, which concluded in mid-July 2025, fetched a final price of $245,300. The sale included the rights to the “Fyre Festival” name, trademarks, social media accounts, website domains, and other digital assets. The winning bid came after 175 offers from over 40 participants, making it one of the most-watched non-charity listings in eBay history.
Billy McFarland, the convicted founder of the original 2017 festival, livestreamed the auction’s final moments. When the bidding closed, he reacted with a wince and a quiet, “Damn. This sucks, it’s so low,” but congratulated the anonymous buyer soon after. Despite having attempted a comeback with “Fyre Festival 2,” scheduled for mid-2025 in Mexico, McFarland faced setbacks after local authorities denied any plans or permits. The sequel idea quickly unraveled.
McFarland, who still owes over $26 million in restitution to investors, vendors, and ticket holders, said he sold the brand because it had become “bigger than what I’m able to lead on my own.” While the auction proceeds will go toward repaying some of that debt, the amount covers less than 1% of what he owes.
The identity of the buyer hasn’t been revealed, and their plans for the brand are unknown. Whether they aim to revive it sincerely or turn it into a satire of modern internet culture, the Fyre name still carries massive cultural weight.
The original Fyre Festival, once pitched as a luxury experience in the Bahamas featuring top artists and celebrity influencers, imploded in spectacular fashion in 2017. Guests arrived to find FEMA tents, cheese sandwiches, and canceled performances. The debacle led to a flurry of lawsuits and landed McFarland in prison for fraud.
Yet despite its failure, the brand has endured, thanks to viral documentaries, endless memes, and a fascination with how hype culture can go so wrong. Now, with the brand in new hands, Fyre Festival may be gearing up for its strangest reinvention yet.