Concert fans angry as hyped Bahamas festival is cancelled
MIAMI — Organizers of a much-hyped music festival in the Bahamas cancelled the weekend event at the last minute Friday after many people had already arrived and spent thousands of dollars on tickets and travel.
Fyre Festival organizers announced the cancellation of what they previously billed as a “once-in-a-lifetime” concert along the lines of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Southern California. People had already begun arriving in the Exuma islands for the first of two weekends that was to include performances by Blink-182 and others.
A statement cited “circumstances out of our control,” for inability to prepare the “physical infrastructure” for the event in the largely undeveloped Exumas. Photos published on social media showed tents, wooden stalls and portable lavatories had been brought in for the festival, which was produced by a partnership that includes rapper Ja Rule.
“I’m heartbroken at this moment,” Ja Rule, whose real name is Jeffrey Atkins, said on Twitter. “I wanted this to be an amazing event. It was not a scam as everyone is reporting.”