WATCH: Tens of thousands escape bogged-down 'Burning Man' after road reopens
The event became a muddy nightmare after the rain and at least one person was reported dead
September 05, 2023
Tens of thousands of people can be seen escaping the Burning Man festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert after the event was severely affected on Saturday due to an unexpected summer rain.
The event became a muddy nightmare after the rain and at least one person was reported dead.
The festival typically brings tens of thousands of people to the Nevada desert to dance, make art, and enjoy being part of a self-sufficient, temporary community of like-minded spirits.
Originating in 1986 as a small gathering on a San Francisco beach, the week-long festival is now attended by celebrities and social media influencers. A regular ticket costs $575.
Tens of thousands of people were trapped at the festival site, with the only road out blocked due to the mud. Event organisers reopened the road on Monday, allowing people to leave, but many chose to stay one more night to watch the festival's giant namesake effigy go up in flames on Monday night, one day past the schedule.
The road out of the festival site is a 5-mile (8-km) dirt road, and the traffic jam to leave was epic. Event organisers urged drivers to take it slowly and consider delaying their departure until Tuesday to reduce traffic.
The temporary airport serving the festival was also reopened on Monday.
The festival typically has a penultimate night send-off with the burning of a giant wooden effigy of a man, along with a fireworks show. Originally set for Sunday night, it was rescheduled for Monday night at 9 pm on Tuesday.
One person died at the event, officials said on Sunday, providing few details. An investigation was underway.
