‘It was an absolute Fyre Festival.’ Before Miami contestants were enlisted to save the world, another group signed up in Montreal. But where were the cameras? ‘We did not have any security guards,’ says Katerina Vlajkovic, a former travel editor at Vogue. ‘It was completely unguarded.’ The festival, held June 17-21, 2017, was held in a former warehouse in downtown Montreal. In July 2017, the site was closed, and the event was moved to a different site in the same building in early December. Some of this year’s participants say the festival was a disappointment. ‘I expected more action, less fluff, more of a party,’ says Jessica Pappas. She says her experience wasn’t much different from past festivals that had been held in venues that cost thousands of dollars. For example, she says that the site of the New Orleans festival was in a $1 million, 5,000-square-foot, former warehouse, but the cost of renting the space was $45,000. She says she felt like she was on ‘a real episode of Survivor, where you could tell the contestants were just there for the cash.’
The only thing that could make the festival a success was attracting a large group of participants. There have been other reports that say that the event did not have a budget and that many participants came to the event in part-time jobs or with low income. The event was supposed to be a party, and the only thing that could make it a party was attracting a large group of participants.
‘I am here on a promise,’ says Vlajkovic. ‘To bring you the most extraordinary experience with my dear friend,’ says Pappas. ‘It was an absolute Fyre Festival.’ Before Miami contestants were enlisted to save the world, another group signed up in Montreal. But where were the cameras? ‘We did not have any security guards,’ says Katerina Vlajkovic, a former travel editor at Vogue. ‘It was completely unguarded.’ The festival, held June 17-21, 2017, was held in a former warehouse in downtown Montreal. In July 2017, the site was closed