Theatre News

Taika Waititi and Rita Ora developing a Fyre Festival musical

In a statement, Waititi said, “I can’t wait to get started and snatch me some of that sweet American theater money.”

David Gordon

David Gordon

| Nationwide |

8 September 2025

Untitled design 5 (1)
Taika Waititi and Rita Ora, (© Pixoos/Ed Cooke)

A musical inspired by the saga of Billy McFarland and the beleaguered Fyre Festival is in the works, produced by Oscar winner Taika Waititi, singer-songwriter Rita Ora, Matthew Weaver, and Hungry Man Productions.

Featuring a book and direction by veteran Super Bowl commercial director Bryan Buckley and a score by Oscar winner Paul Epworth (“Skyfall”), it will feature scenic design by Tony nominee David Korins.

The show is described as follows: “It’s not just a Greek-sized tragedy of one man’s con. It’s a satirical indictment of an entire generation. Fyre Fest the Musical. It’s about as wrong as a bad idea can go.” A timeline and additional details were not provided.

Fyre Festival was a 2017 luxury music festival in the Bahamas that collapsed when promised villas, gourmet food, and performances never materialized, leaving attendees stranded with disaster-relief tents and meager supplies. McFarland is the cofounder of Fyre Festival, who was later convicted of fraud for defrauding investors and ticket buyers.

In a statement, Waititi said, “I can’t wait to get started and snatch me some of that sweet American theater money.”

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