VIDEO: Burning Man festival brought to a halt by heavy rains, thousands of people stuck in mud
Sunday, 3 September 2023 (11:48 IST)
The infamous counterculture festival Burning Man was brought to a halt on Saturday after storms and flooding swept the area, turning the site into a dangerous mud pit.
The annual festival sees thousands of colorfully-costumed attendees descend on a patch of desert in the southwestern US state of Nevada for several days. But where extreme heat and high winds plagued last year's festivities, so-called "burners" are now contending with downpours.
What is the latest?
Thousands of people on the site have been told to shelter in place. It was not immediately clear how many people exactly were at the site, which is located 110 miles (177 kilometers) north of Reno.
Organizers told attendees to "conserve food, water and fuel, and shelter in a warm, safe space" in a message posted on X, the platform formally known as Twitter.
Shits about to get real at Burning Man. The porta potties are full and the trucks can’t get in to clean them out pic.twitter.com/SahYaPzvRD
"Do not travel to Black Rock City!" organizers warned, referring to the area of the Nevada desert where the festival is located.
"Access to the city is closed for the remainder of the event, and you will be turned away."
The storms have turned the area into an impassable mess of mud.
More rain in the forecast
Over 1.5 inches (3.8 centimeters) are believed to have fallen on the site since Friday. Rains are set to continue through Sunday, with at least another 0.25 inches of rain forecast.
This year's festival kicked off on August 27 and is slated to end on Monday.
Burning Man was first launched in 1986 in San Francisco and was later moved to the Black Rock Desert in Nevada in the 1990s.
The festival mixes counterculture, music and spirituality — culminating in the ceremonial burning of a 40-foot (12-meter) figure. Last year's festival saw over 75,000 attendees.
Extreme weather also hit other festivals around the world this summer. Heavy rains at the start of Germany's heavy metal Wacken festival forced organizers to turn people away at one point.
