A new music festival in The Bahamas that was billed as the ultimate in luxury on Friday imploded just as it was to begin, leaving party-goers stranded and angry.
With packages that went up to $12,000 (Dh44,065), the Fyre Music Festival on a private island had promoted itself on Instagram with sensual images of models lounging on the beach and promises of two weekends of extravagance.
But festival-goers, ready to post their lavish times on social media, arrived to take pictures of utilitarian white tents on the beach and plain cheese sandwiches.
The festival, which had been due to take place over two weekends, abruptly announced in an online statement on Friday that it was being “postponed.”
“Due to circumstances out of our control, the physical infrastructure was not in place on time and we are unable to fulfil on that vision safely and enjoyably for our guests,” it said.
The festival said it would offer charter flights back to Miami to festival-goers, whose package included transportation.
“We ask for everyone’s patience and cooperation during this difficult time as we work as quickly and safely as we can to remedy this unforeseeable situation,” the statement said.
But festival-goers shared pictures on social media of large crowds stuck at an airport, saying they lacked food and water as they waited for return flights.
“A guy just passed out in the airport because it’s so hot since they locked us in,” wrote Twitter user William N. Finley IV, who returned to Miami on Friday.
It was a far cry from how the festival was promoted.
A press release in December promised a “once-in-a-lifetime experience featuring two weekends of music, culture, art and food.”
“Think the hottest artists, the most beautiful water in the world, yachts, jet skis, and more than $1 million of real treasure and jewels hidden on the island,” it said.
The chaos had started to become apparent on Thursday when one of the headlining acts, rockers Blink-182, said it was not coming.
“We’re not confident that we would have what we need to give you the quality of performances we always give our fans,” the band wrote.
Other acts in the lineup were electronic favourites Major Lazer and rising hip-hop acts Migos and Desiigner.
New music festivals have been sprouting up at a fast pace across the United States, increasingly becoming a rite of passage for young people of sufficient means.
Coachella, the benchmark of US festivals, brought in some 250,000 music fans over two weekends in April in the California desert.
