The long-plagued Fyre Festival has been sold to LimeWire, the Austria-based technology company that became famous during the early 2000s for illegal file sharing and music piracy.

LimeWire president Julian Zehetmayr tells Billboard that the company was purchased by a new management team in 2021 and now focuses on digital content sharing through decentralized infrastructure, comparing LimeWire to firms like WeTransfer.

“What could possibly go wrong?” reads the company’s press release announcing the purchase of the beleaguered festival, which famously promised a VIP experience with the help of top influencers and instead left hundreds of fans temporarily trapped on Grand Exuma island in 2017. Billy McFarland masterminded the event, according to the FBI, convincing fans to shell out thousands for luxury accommodations that turned out to be emergency tents and gourmet meals that were little more than cheese sandwiches.

McFarland went to prison after admitting to stealing $26 million from investors for the event and has been working to repay them since being released in 2022 after serving four years of his six-year sentence. While serving in solitary confinement, McFarland came up with the idea for a sequel to Fyre, which he had hoped would repair his image, and bounced around different sites in the Bahamas and Mexico before landing on Playa del Carmen near Cancun. McFarland ultimately hired Mexican firm Lost Nights to produce the event and staged a press conference on March 27 with local officials to highlight it.

However, things went south in April when city leaders from Playa del Carmen announced that no permits for Fyre Festival had been issued in the seaside town. McFarland responded by releasing images of permits that he said proved Fyre was happening, but he later pulled the plug on the event and refunded ticket holders.

In June, McFarland announced that he had licensed the Fyre name to hotel owner Heath Miller to stage a scuba-diving-centric event in Honduras. The following month, he announced he was selling the brand name through an online auction, generating $245,000.

Earlier today, McFarland revealed that LimeWire was the winning bidder, beating out a competing bid from creative agency Maximum Effort, co-founded by Ryan Reynolds. LimeWire did license the name to Maximum Effort for a Visa commercial, which can be seen below.

Reynolds commented in a press release, “Congrats to LimeWire for their winning bid for Fyre Fest. I look forward to attending their first event but will be bringing my own palette of water.”

Zehetmayr didn’t detail LimeWire’s plans for Fyre but said he’s interested in staging some type of in-person event in the future. McFarland will not be involved in Fyre going forward, Zehetmayr says.

“The goal is to host some type of event but not aim too big,” he said, adding, “Like LimeWire, Fyre came from an infamous and notorious past and we look forward to the challenge of turning it around.”

LimeWire was launched in 2000 by technologist Mark Gorton as a peer-to-peer file sharing service that exploded in popularity during that decade. In 2010, a federal judge issued an injunction, effectively shutting down most of the service’s major capabilities following a lawsuit by Arista Records. The Recording Industry Association of America eventually won a $105 million judgment against LimeWire, leading the company to stop updating its software.

“Over the coming months, LimeWire will unveil a reimagined vision for Fyre — one that expands beyond the digital realm and taps into real-world experiences, community, and surprise,” a press release announcing the purchase reads. “While the details are still under wraps, expect the unexpected. Fyre’s revival will be bold, self-aware, and impossible to ignore — staying true to its chaotic legacy, but with a new layer of credibility, creativity, and control.”

Fans can sign up for a waitlist here to receive exclusive updates and early access to Fyre news.

It was an early round knockout for Adrien Broner when Cam’ron removed the boxer from an episode of It Is What It Is on Tuesday (Sept. 16) after AB repeatedly disrespected co-host Treasure “Stat Baby” Wilson.

Cam and Mase had Broner on to recap the Canelo Álvarez and Terence “Bud” Crawford fight over the weekend in Las Vegas, but things got awkward when the show attempted to transition into looking back at week 2 in the NFL.

Broner cheekily addressed the show’s NFL analyst, a woman named Saudi. “If that’s Arabia, I, Saudi,” he said. He then focused on Treasure “Stat Baby” Wilson, where he asked about her weight and then proceeded to comment on her looks.

“What you weigh, Stat?” he said. “I love you, I swear to God. Ay Stat, could you stop smiling? … I’m mesmerized by Stat.”

Cam’ron told Broner to knock off the flirting, letting him know that Stat Baby’s boyfriend was on set, but he didn’t listen. Within a matter of minutes, Killa Cam pulled the plug on Broner and kicked him off the show.

“We gon’ have to ask you to go, my n—a. I’ma pay you for your time for being here. I appreciate you and I love you, my n—a. I asked you the first time,” he said. “I don’t have no problems with you, but I’ma pay you for your time, but you can’t violate.”

Cam took out a bag filled with cash and counted up what he owed Broner before removing him from the set. “I told you n—s boyfriends was here, but I appreciate your time,” he added. “But I’m not gonna sit here and not value your time neither.”

Fans and peers in the industry had plenty to say in the It Is What It Is comment section, as some speculated about Broner being under the influence.

“Seeing someone protect and value their lady cohosts is dope,” The Ringer‘s Van Lathan wrote to IG.

Deion “Coach Prime” Sanders chimed in: “Is this Real ? Maaaan Come on man Boosie voice.”

It Is What It Is is also teasing the release of deleted scenes at 5 p.m. ET. Watch the episode below.

It will be shoot, score and dance next month when the dance industry’s lauded charity soccer tournament Copa del Rave returns to Los Angeles.

Teams will be made up of artists and execs from around the industry, with the current roster including SG Lewis, Chris Lorenzo, TEED, Luchero from Apple Music, Ocho On The Beat and Nikita the Wicked. Additionally, teams will be made up of squads representing companies including Beatport, CAA, Capital Records, Red Light Management, Infamous, Symphonic Distribution and Stratasonic.

Nigerian dance artist Kah-Lo will play the halftime show, with sets from Bolo, Juos, Karaba, Life on Planets, Thee Mike B and Soraya happening around the on-field action.

The tournament happens on Oct. 9 at Evolve Soccer Los Angeles and is open to the public, with RSVPs now open. Copa del Rave is presented by Adidas.

2025 marks the sixth edition of Copa del Rave, which has raised more than $60,000 in charity donations over the years. Each team must make a donation in order to compete, with the winning team earning not just bragging rights, but the opportunity to select the organization that will receive the money raised.

The 2024 tournament was won by Red Light Management, who selected Education Through Music and All Hands And Hearts as the two recipients of their $14,000 winnings. Previous organizations who’ve received funds through Copa del Rave include Lewy Body Dementia Association, L.A. Mission, MusiCares and Give a Beat.

Players in previous tournaments have included Diplo, The Chainsmokers, GG Magree and other star artists/athletes.

On the heels of releasing her Hearts Sold Separately album, Mariah The Scientist is hitting the road for a global trek in support of the LP. Mariah announced plans for the Hearts Sold Separately Tour on Monday (Sept. 15), which will find her kicking off the 36-city run in Europe at the top of 2026.

A pre-sale for Verizon customers started on Tuesday (Sept. 16), while the general public tickets will be on sale on Friday (Sept. 19) at 10 a.m. local show time on Live Nation.

The Hearts Sold Separately tour will begin with a shortened European run of shows, which starts in Paris on Jan. 12, before heading to Manchester, Birmingham, London and the Netherlands.

The singer returns to the U.S. just in time for Valentine’s Day with a show in Miami Beach on Feb. 13. Mariah continues to build on the success of her 40-date To Be Eaten Alive Tour in 2024 with larger venues on tap for 2026.

She’s slated to hit markets like Virginia Beach, Nashville, Philly, Washington, D.C., New York City, Boston, Toronto, Detroit, Chicago, Montreal, Denver, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Austin, Houston, Dallas and the trek wraps up in her hometown of Atlanta on April 10.

Mariah’s Hearts Sold Separately album arrived in August when her fourth studio album debuted at No. 11 on the Billboard 200. The project was paced by lead single “Burning Blue,” which notched Mariah’s highest-charting hit of her career at No. 25 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce are helping No. 15 ring in his 30th. As seen in a photo shared by Kane Brown, the newly engaged couple recently stepped out in Kansas City for Patrick Mahomes’ birthday celebration, posing together at a party held at the two Chiefs players’ new 1587 Prime restaurant.

In the snap posted to Instagram on Monday (Sept. 15), the pop superstar looks elegant in a matching plaid skirt and vest, which she paired with a Chanel choker. She stands with one arm wrapped lovingly around her pal Brittany Mahomes, a beaming Kelce leaning in with his arm around his fiancée on her other side.

Patrick grins at the camera from behind the 14-time Grammy winner, while Brown and his wife, musician Katelyn Jae, stand toward the left. “happy birthday Pat,” the country singer wrote, adding in reference to Swift and the tight end’s August engagement announcement, “& congrats TT.”

“thanks for hosting us Britt,” Brown also wrote, tagging 1587 Prime — the Kansas City steakhouse opened by the quarterback and Kelce this month.

In a separate video shared by Brown, Mahomes — whose actual birthday is on Wednesday (Sept. 17) — blows out his cake candles while the group sings to him and Brittany claps at his side.

Swift has been good friends with the Mahomeses since she first started dating Kelce in 2023, oftentimes sharing a box suite at Arrowhead Stadium with Brittany as they cheer on their significant others during home games. In September last year, the foursome attended the U.S. Open together.

“I just know Taylor better now and I feel like I’ve built a great friendship with her,” Patrick said in February. “And my wife and Taylor have a built a friendship as well. It’s just cool to see how football can bring people together from every aspect of life.”

The group also recently stepped out together at a University of Cincinnati football game, which just so happened to be Swift and Kelce’s first public outing since announcing their plans to get married with an internet-shattering post on Instagram in August. “Your English teacher and your gym teacher are getting married,” they wrote at the time.

The Eras Tour headliner attended her first Chiefs game of the year shortly afterward, though her presence at Arrowhead on Sunday (Sept. 14) for the match-up against the Philadelphia Eagles was kept much more lowkey than her past appearances at games, according to reports.