The Chainsmokers wanted to headline Fyre FestivalThe Chainsmokers Credit Rukes

The Chainsmokers wanted to headline Fyre Festival

The “most iconic festival that never was,” in Ja Rule’s own words, Fyre Festival promised attendees a luxuriant escape from their daily routines. The exclusive event famously devolved, to stray quite far from Billy McFarland‘s vision of a chic, boutique festival rife with VIP guests. The catastrophic conditions that ticket holders faced illustrated a stark difference between the white sand of the private island beach that was to be Fyre Festival’s setting, and the grim, resource-lacking atmosphere that attendees instead occupied. Fyre Festival’s marketing campaigns foregrounded the lithe figures of some of the modeling industry’s most iconic, like Bella Hadid and Emily Ratajkowski. Cerulean waters and shots of other tropical scenery collectively comprised an alluring natural backdrop that beckoned music lovers to travel to the Bahamian island of Grand Exuma, for the festival’s inaugural installment.

Although the expectations for the festival now famously contrast the disastrous reality that ensued, even The Chainsmokers couldn’t deny the influential character of Fyre Festival’s marketing. The DJ duo admitted that they lusted over a headlining slot at the event, following McFarland’s promotion of the multi-weekend affair. “I definitely sent a message to our manager, our agent when this started rolling, before things went south, and was like ‘what’s the deal? Are we going to get an offer for this festival?'” Alex Pall said during a recent interview with radio host, Smallzy. “Bella Hadid is there, and it looks like she’s going to be your best friend if you just buy a ticket,” Pall added.

Drew Taggart chimed in, to acknowledge the persuasive nature of Fyre Festival’s promotional campaign, while comically underscoring the festival’s chief shortcoming: the failure to produce the event as advertised. “They killed it on the marketing… all they had to do was put on a festival!” Drew Taggart said. While The Chainsmokers weren’t tapped to play Fyre Festival, hindsight is 20/20, and clearly portrays the lack of an offer as a particularly fortuitous turn for the “Closer” hit-makers. The Chainsmokers are slated to appear at KAABOO Festival in the Cayman Islands, which is, as Taggart puts it, “what Fyre Festival was trying to do.” Seems like it all worked out.

Photo credit: Rukes

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