“What could possibly go wrong?”: Fyre Festival has been acquired by LimeWire
Hollywood actor-turned-football mogul Ryan Reynolds also reportedly attempted to acquire the Fyre brand, but lost in a bidding war
Fyre Festival, the disastrous 2017 event that resulted in founder Billy McFarland’s four-year incarceration for fraud, has been acquired by 2000s music sharing service LimeWire.
The news comes just months after McFarland listed the rights to the Fyre Festival brand on eBay, calling the decision "the craziest thing I've ever done".
“Big news: Fyre Festival has officially been acquired by LimeWire,” both brands shared in a joint statement on Instagram earlier today (September 16). “What could possibly go wrong?”
Read this next: Billy McFarland is trying to sell the rights to Fyre Festival on eBay
“Two of the internet’s most infamous names are now under one roof - and no, this isn’t about repeating past mistakes. Together, two of the most talked-about names in internet history are starting a new chapter: built on transparency, tech, and a healthy dose of humor.”
The acquisition also follows LimeWire’s surprising left-turn move to relaunch in 2022 as an NFT marketplace, over a decade after the beloved peer-to-peer music sharing platform shut down.
While it’s currently unclear what this acquisition will mean for both brands, both parties insist that “LimeWire will unveil a reimagined vision for Fyre”, involving “real-world experiences”.
Read this next: "Proceed with caution": Former Fyre Festival investor shares fears ahead of reboot edition
The joint-statement also claims that Hollywood actor-turned-football mogul Ryan Reynolds attempted to acquire the Fyre brand through his agency, Maximum Effort, but lost in a bidding war.
“Congrats to LimeWire… I look forward to attending their first event but will be bringing my own palette of water,” Reynolds said, according to Fyre/LimeWire.
LimeWire CEO Julian Zehetmayr has insisted that, while the festival will not be returning, the brand hopes to “bring the meme back to life – this time with real execution.”
Read the full statement below.
Gemma Ross is Mixmag's Associate Digital Editor, follow her on Twitter
