Revolve: California Festival Is Being Called ‘Fyre Fest 2.0’

An exclusive festival in California has been dubbed ‘Fyre Fest 2.0’ by influencers after attendees claimed they waited hours without any water to get into the festival. 

Revolve Festival, which took place at the same time as influencer hangout Coachella, has drawn comparisons to the infamous 'greatest party that never happened' after guests repoprtedly struggled to access to basic necessities like food and transportation. .

On 16th and 17th of April, influencers headed down to the exclusive festival just moments from Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in the Colorado Desert - but what lay ahead was less than luxurious. 

Check out one influencer’s experience at Revolve Festival below:

TikTokers who were invited to the exclusive event, which was headlined by Ty Dolla $ign and featured a surprise performance from Post Malone, later took to social media to share their frustration at the ‘horrible’ festival.

“There were tents, there was shade, but there was no water,” Madison Crowley explained. “You had to throw away all of your open water and food when you walked through the security.”

Madison then queued up like everybody else, but was overshadowed by ‘VIP influencers’ who got priority for transportation.

“The shuttles kept coming to the very first line, which we learned was the famous people line even though everyone there was [a] famous, VIP influencer or whatever. 

“The shuttle kept coming to that specific line, filling up from that line and then famous people like the Selling Sunset cast are being escorted on the bus. It would leave, and the bus would come back within 30 minutes, it wasn’t fast… The other two lines weren’t getting to go on the bus.”

Joseph Kapsch from Los Angeles magazine first garnered the attention of the festival for those of us sitting comfortably at home while attendees were wrapped up in the unfolding drama in the blazing hot heat of the desert.

“Influencers stranded in the dirt with no water, under the hot sun for HOURS, waiting for buses,” Kapsch tweeted on 17th April 2022, explaining how people were literally fighting each other to get on the coaches and the police had to be called in the end, according to Los Angeles Magazine.

There was no other way into the festival aside from using the seemingly infrequent and disorganised Revolve transportation, as Averie Bishop pointed out.

“The only way you can get to Revolve Festival is if you take their specific shuttles to their grounds.”

After queuing up for two hours, Averie left after fear she would get hurt if she stayed there any longer.

“The logistics of getting to the festival were dangerous. There was pushing, shoving, shouting, yanking people in front of the buses, people standing in-between the buses while they were moving just to get on the buses and get to the Revolve Festival.”

Of course, the event did still continue for those influencers and invitees who were able to make it onto the site, including the likes of Kim Kardashian and Kendall Jenner, with Madison concluding at the end of her video that the ordeal was ‘not that deep’.

“Sunday we got there super early, we got on the very first bus and it was so fun. It was so freaking fun,” she explained.

Revolve has since responded to the claims that their festival resembled the ‘Fyre Festival’ shambles in 2017, telling E! News that they created a ‘safe and secure path for guests to access the 2-day invitation-only event’. 

"With an event of this magnitude, city regulations mandate an off-site location for guest check-in and parking, as well as licensed shuttle transportation to and from the venue. 

“The off-site lot was set up with guest parking, as well as rideshare drop-off and pickup access with added WiFi for car booking, restrooms, shade, water, medics and security." 

"As the festival was reaching capacity late Saturday afternoon, shuttle access to the venue was limited in order to remain in compliance with safety requirements causing longer wait times for entry and resulting in some guests not being able to attend the festival. The safety of our guests is of the utmost importance to us and we will always make that a priority."

“We sincerely apologize to all the guests who were impacted,” the representative wrote. “We will always strive to provide a great experience and we promise to do better.”

Tyla has also contacted a representative of REVOLVE for further clarity on the event.