FYRE Festival promised champagne, supermodels, and luxury villas. What people got was cheese sandwiches, wet tents, and a masterclass in what happens when marketing runs miles ahead of reality.

We break down how a glossy influencer campaign featuring names like Kendall Jenner helped sell tickets ranging from eye-watering to outright unhinged, while the basics like food, water, toilets, and infrastructure were… entirely optional. Millions were raised. Instagram went wild. Logistics never turned up.

We talk about how hype became the product, why the marketing technically worked, and how the actual event collapsed under the weight of its own promises. From the Bahamas chaos to the legal fallout that landed Billy McFarland in prison, this is a cautionary tale about ambition without execution.

It’s a conversation about influencer culture, blind trust, and why a beautiful feed doesn’t mean a viable plan.

Because selling the dream is easy. Delivering it is the hard part.

About Simon and Danielle:

Simon and Danielle are both business owners, based in the East Midlands, who met through mutual business contacts and who share a love of all things business.

Simon runs Skylight Media – Award-winning experts in Website Design, E-commerce & Marketing running since 2003.

Danielle runs Goldspun Support – a multi-faceted support service for fractional directors and small business owners across the globe, running since 2009.

Since they first met Simon and Danielle have spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about the subjects that interest them – usually over a drink in the pub – and they decided that now was the time to bring these conversations to a wider audience and invite them to join the chat.

Both Simon and Danielle are successful business owners in their own rights with big plans for the future but will never lose their love of talking all things business… and the pub.