What happened at the Burning Man Festival 2023?

Burning Man 2023 is an ongoing experimental festival in Pershing County, Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.

The 35th Burning Man event is taking place from August 27 to September 4, 2023. The festival is attended by an estimated 73,000 people.

Nevada experienced significant rain on September 1, causing about 70,000 people to be stranded in the Nevada desert. Through September 4, the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood warning.

Burning Man warned attendees to shelter in place and closed the front gate. On September 1, approximately 6 inches (150 mm) of rain fell. Despite organisers’ claims that the Black Rock City entrance and airport were closed, police claimed participants were free to leave.

The Bureau of Land Management advised participants who were on their way to the event to turn around. Organisers recommended that people walk to Gerlach, but noted that hotel rooms in Gerlach were already full, discouraged attendees from walking in the nighttime, and arranged buses to Reno from there.