Most of us know Jared Leto from his work as an actor. Leto appeared in movies like Dallas Buyers Club and Suicide Squad. However, there’s an entire group of people that think of something completely different when they think of Jared Leto. To these people, he is a prophet, and they’re members of an elite crew who gets to attend a special ‘festival’. Mars Island is the even’t name, and it also features Leto’s band, 30 Seconds to Mars. That’s right, for a hefty price, you can fly to a deserted island, enjoy some beautiful scenery and listen to a live band. Are you getting Fyre Fest vibes yet? Better yet, does this sound like a cult? That’s because Mars Island is a little bit of both.
In a promotional video for the event, last year’s attendees were referred to as “Echelon,” and things just got weirder from there. The video goes on to explain the deeper meaning behind Echelon: “Belief, Hope, Emotions, Understanding, Music, Support, World Unification, Love, Shouts, Communication, Freedom, Happiness Tears, Dreams; It Is The Family”. Some members of Echelon even went as far as to get a tattoo of the symbol.
What Exactly Is Mars Island
According to the festival’s official description, “Mars Island is a three night, all inclusive festival experience. Relax and restore with yoga amongst the trees, take a dip in the pool, catch a midnight screening or gaze at the stars, and catch two intimate performances with Thirty Seconds to Mars. Mars Island is an experience like no other.” The first event took place in 2019 after being announced at the end of 2018.
People interested in attending this year’s event, which is set to take place from August 21st to the 24th, can purchase tickets on 30 Seconds to Mars’ website. However, keep in mind that even the cheapest package is going to run you upwards of $1,600. Unlike Fyre Fest, Mars Island will actually have food and a clean bed waiting for you when you get there.
Is Mars Island A Cult?
So far, all signs are pointing to yes. Even though it may seem completely out of the blue, it’s not. Leto has been using the term ‘echelon’ to refer to his fans for almost 10 years. Even in 2013, he alluded to the fact that his fans were part of a cult. In an interview with The New York Times, he said, “I hate the word ‘‘fan”; it just seems so dismissive. Because we have this cult, this family, these believers who understand, it seems fitting that there was a name to reference them.”
More recently, Leto has specifically referred to Mars Island as a cult in a tweet on 30 Seconds to Mars’ account that appears to have been deleted. To top it all off, several photos from last year’s event show Leto in sandals wearing a Jesus-like white robe.
One source even reported the following: “Jared already has a following for all his meditative beliefs and genuinely feels he’s a prophet. He has been hosting religious retreats on his island for over a year, but he feels there’s no time to get people there and is encouraging anyone who will listen to follow him and make the journey to his commune deep in the California desert.”
On top of that, Mars Island isn’t the first time Jared has randomly decided to start a strange group. 30 Seconds to Mars also started a summer camp in 2015 called Camp Mars. Even back then some began to speculate that Leto was trying to start a cult. While all of this seems kind of funny, the truth is that cults usually tend to be dangerous. Think about it, when have you ever heard of a cult doing something good? I’ll give you two more seconds to think. Exactly. You haven’t. Maybe Leto is using the word loosely when he refers to Mars Island as a cult. Either way, it definitely has a lot of people looking at him sideways.
That’s because when most people hear the word ‘cult’ they immediately think of Charles Manson poisoning people with Kool-Aid. Although Mars Island is nowhere near that extreme, many people are wondering what the endgame is here. Hopefully things on Mars Island aren’t actually as weird as they seem. However, this ‘festival’ is certainly something a lot of people will be keeping an eye on.
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