Fyre Festival merchandise sold at auction by US government to profit Billy McFarland’s victims

Merch includes Fyre-branded clothing, wristbands, and other souvenirs

Merchandise from the ill-fated Fyre Festival has gone up for auction in a sale organised by the US government.

Fyre-branded clothing, wristbands, and other souvenirs are currently up for sale to benefit the victims of festival organiser Billy McFarland, according to a release by the US Marshals.

McFarland pleaded guilty in March 2018 to defrauding investors and a ticket vendor of more than $26m. He was sentenced in October of that year to six years in prison.

The auction is taking place online through the auction vendor Gaston & Sheehan.

There are 126 lots of “minor assets” such as hats, sweatshirts, T-shirts, tokens, and jogger sweatpants. The sale will end on 13 August.

“This Fyre Festival-branded clothing and other items that were seized from Billy McFarland were originally intended to be sold at the Fyre Festival itself but were kept by McFarland, with the intent to sell the items and use the funds to commit further criminal acts while he was on pre-trial release,” US Marshal Ralph Sozio of the Southern District of New York said in a release.

“The proceeds from the sale of these items, all traceable to McFarland’s $26m fraud, will go towards the victims of his crimes.”

McFarland was featured in the 2019 Hulu documentary Fyre Fraud about the festival and the ensuing debacle.

According to the Bureau of Prisons' databse, he is currently held at a low-security facility in Ohio, with a planned release in 2023.