Worker: Billy McFarland was charged with fraud involving a music festival set to take place on what Bahamian island?
Billy McFarland (entrepreneur) William Z. McFarland (born 1991) is an American entrepreneur who was the founder and CEO of three companies: Spling, Magnises, and Fyre Media. McFarland was placed under arrest on June 30, 2017, and charged with wire fraud in Manhattan federal court related to the organization of the Fyre Festival to promote the Fyre music booking app.
Essence Music Festival The Essence Festival, known as "the party with a purpose", is an annual music festival which started in 1995 as a one-time event to celebrate the 25th anniversary of "Essence", a magazine aimed primarily towards African-American women. It is the largest event celebrating African-American culture and music in the United States. Locally referred to as the Essence Fest, it has been held in New Orleans, Louisiana every year since 1994 except for 2006, when it was held in Houston, Texas due to Hurricane Katrina's effect on New Orleans. It also held in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal in 2016. It features artists simultaneously performing on a main stage as well as four standing-room only superlounge stages.