LimeWire, the digital content-sharing platform that was once a go-to hub for music piracy in the early 2000s, has acquired the Fyre Festival brand.
They secured the rights to the Fyre Festival IP following a competitive bidding process in July, which saw the content-sharing service outbid the Ryan Reynolds co-founded creative agency Maximum Effort. A press release shared Tuesday morning includes a note from Reynolds, who remarked, “Congrats to LimeWire for their winning bid for Fyre Fest. I look forward to attending their first event, but will be bringing my own palette of water.”
LimeWire has promised to unveil a “reimagined vision” for Fyre Festival in the coming months that extends beyond LimeWire’s digital reach and “taps into real-world experiences, community and surprise.” The platform is keeping the relaunch details close to its chest for the time being, but promises that it will be “bold, self-aware and impossible to ignore” and that those interested should “expect the unexpected.”
For now, users can join a waitlist and become the first to receive updates about LimeWire’s reimagining of Fyre Fest. Merchandise that allows customers to “Own the Meme, Wear the Legend” is also available, as is the pledge that this time LimeWire and Fyre Fest will be “serving culture — not cheese sandwiches.”
“Fyre became a symbol of hype gone wrong, but it also made history,” LimeWire CEO Julian Zehetmayr said in a statement. “We’re not bringing the festival back — we’re bringing the brand and the meme back to life. This time with real experiences, and without the cheese sandwiches.”
“We’re not here to repeat the mistakes — we’re here to own the meme and do it right. Fyre became a symbol of everything that can go wrong. Now it’s our chance to show what happens when you pair cultural relevance with real execution,” LimeWire COO Marcus Feistl added.
LimeWire notably touted its own relaunch in 2022 as proof that “even the most controversial names can make a comeback — if the vision is right.”
In 2017, Fyre Festival, which was organized by businessman Billy McFarland and rapper Ja Rule, promised attendees that it was going to provide them with a luxury outdoor music experience in the Bahamas. It turned out to be a hastily assembled calamity marred by poor weather conditions, disaster relief tents, canceled musical performances and, yes, cheese sandwiches.
The festival’s infamous, quickly canceled unveiling inspired two documentaries, and McFarland later pleaded guilty to wire fraud and other crimes related to his handling of the event. He was eventually released from prison in 2022.
Earlier this year, McFarland live-streamed the eBay sale of the Fyre Festival IP, which ended with the brand selling for $245,300. He did not disclose which company ultimately won the auction, but told viewers at the time, “It’s funny.”
