‘It was an absolute Fyre Festival.’ Before Miami contestants were enlisted to save the world, another group signed up in Montreal. But where were the cameras?
The year was 2014 and it was New Year’s Eve. The event was a gathering of the most in-demand celebrities in the music world — a gathering that had attracted such a starry lineup that, according to some, would have made it a classic TV talent contest. With a live audience of hundreds — including the likes of the likes of Katy Perry, Jhené Aiko and Fade to Black — it was to be a real party for music.
One of the guests was Justin Bieber. He’d become just as famous for his outrageous hair as he was for his stunning voice and his penchant for making a fool of himself. He’d already been to Fyre Fest at least once before, but this was his first time on the show, with a team of four other pop stars who had all flown into Miami to film themselves competing for a chance to fly to the Bahamas.
In fact, the stars who signed up for the Fyre Festival this year arrived for the auditions with much more foresight than the public. It was a classic case of the festival being a big idea that was too big, and, with the help of the stars, Fyre Festival began to turn into the festival they had not expected.
A lot of people think of Fyre Festival as just the story of four American stars trying to make a good living in the Bahamas, but a great deal of time, energy and money went into planning it. It had been a year in the making. A number of things were needed before the festival: a working runway, hotel rooms, tents, a stage, security, a car and a driver for its celebrity host. And a team.
I think about a time when Fyre Festival was on its way. I saw on Twitter that the Fyre Festival had already begun. There was even a ‘make a wish list’