A new musical is in development based on the failed 2017 Fyre Fest music event. Titled “Fyre Fest: The Musical,” the show will feature music by Academy Award and seven-time Grammy Award winner Paul Epworth and direction/libretto by two-time Academy Award nominee Bryan Buckley, who is also one of the musical’s producers. “Fyre Fest: The Musical” is aiming for a run on Broadway.
“I never saw myself doing a theatrical musical comedy,” said Buckley in a statement. “But then again, I never saw something completely mind-bendingly ridiculous and intriguing as what went down with Fyre Festival. A spectacular failed endeavor — [which] will haunt a generation forever. I cannot wait to get this show out to the world.”
Described as a satirical indictment, “Fyre Fest: The Musical” will take audiences behind the scenes of the 2017 music festival that was famously canceled upon attendees’ arrival due to problems with accommodations, security, staffing and other logistics. The musical will aim to tell the story of the events from multiple perspectives.
In celebration of the show’s announcement, Buckley’s Hungry Man Productions released a 100-foot barge from Staten Island into New York Harbor on the morning of Sept. 8, anchoring in Brooklyn for a launch event. Additional guerrilla art installations will take place in New York City throughout the week.
Buckley earned a pair of Oscar nominations as the director of the short films “Asad” and “Saria.” Buckley’s commercial production company, Hungry Man, which he co-founded with Hank Perlman in 1997, garnered the Emmy Award for Best Commercial for Apple in 2024.
Epworth won the 2013 Oscar for teaming with Adele to pen the title song for the motion picture “Skyfall.” Epworth’s Grammy triumphs include wins in the categories of Producer of the Year, Record of the Year, Album of the Year and Song of the Year.
Joining Buckley on the “Fyre Fest: The Musical” producing team will be international recording artist Rita Ora, Tony nominee Matthew Weaver and two-time Oscar winner Taika Waititi.
“Fyre Fest: The Musical” will feature scenic design by four-time Tony nominee David Korins. Additional creative team members, premiere production details and casting are forthcoming.
