Burning Man Festival 2023: Flooding & Chaos

The Location: The Black Rock City

So where does this wonderful commune festival take place? Each year, the Black Rock Desert transforms into Black Rock City, a temporary metropolis where participants live for the duration of the event. This is usually around 9 days – with the famous ‘man’ being burned on the Saturday. This city is a testament to human creativity, with its unique architecture, massive art installations, and themed camps. It is a place where self-expression knows no limits, and attendees can be whoever they want to be, free from societal norms and judgments. A true hippie paradise. 

Art and Expression

One of the most distinctive features of Burning Man is its focus on art and self-expression. The event is a canvas for artists from around the world to showcase their creativity. Giant sculptures, interactive installations, avant-garde performances, and vibrant costumes are just a few of the ways participants express themselves. The culmination of this artistic expression is the burning of the “Man” and the “Temple,” two towering structures that are set ablaze at the end of the event, symbolising the impermanence of life and art. If you’ve ever watched the Wicker Man, then you’ll understand this kind of thing. Although, it’s nowhere near as scary and sinister as that!

An Alternative Existence

For those lucky enough to go, attending Burning Man is a life-changing experience. It challenges societal norms, encourages self-discovery, and inspires personal growth. The freedom to be oneself without judgement and the opportunity to connect with a diverse range of people from all walks of life often leads to profound revelations and transformations. It’s like seeing another version of society – how it could have been if maybe we’d done a few more things right. Participants often refer to themselves as “burners” and celebrate the sense of belonging and camaraderie they find on the desert playa. The absence of cell phones and the focus on in-person interactions fosters genuine connections that often last well beyond the festival. 

Burning Man 2023

So what went wrong this year? Well, whilst the energy of Burning Man can never be truly extinguished, a whole load of torrential rain did give it a go. The festival officially ended on Monday 4th September, but many are still stuck at the location after horrific rainfall and chaos. The BBC reports:

“Heavy rain created a mud bath at the remote festival site and flooded roads, trapping some 72,000 people there…The rainstorm that hit the Black Rock Desert near the end of last week is thought to have been the longest, heaviest rainfall since the festival began more than 30 years ago.”

Due to the fact that Burning Man is hosted in a desert, when such horrific rain fell it caused quite the opposite of the usual Mad Max atmosphere. Instead, it was more like something out of the Titanic. As the weather got worse on Friday, festival officials were recommending that ‘burners’ found shelter and safe camping spots. Once the rain began, it was essentially impossible to do much movement – evening leaving was made unlikely due to how slippery it was. Due to the extreme weather, even the burning of the man had to happen on Monday evening instead of Saturday.

Whilst many true ‘burners’ were still able to find joy and euphoria despite the weather, for lots it was quite unpleasant. There was even a fear, half way through the festival, that an outbreak of Ebola had started. However, this ended up being a conspiracy theory. However, one thing was not a conspiracy theory, and that is the death of Leon Reece, a 32 year old festival goer. The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office is currently investigating the incident, but it seems that he was unable to receive medical help due to the heavy rain. At present, it is unknown what the cause of death was. 

Coming Home

As the Burning Man attendees begin their return home, they have been warmly welcomed by insanely long and arduous queues out of the festival. This wait, along with the week’s difficult experience, has caused a bit of chaos amongst the ‘burners’. The Independent writes:

“As usually happens in what burners refer to as the ‘default world’ people allow their emotions to override their reasonableness and they are lashing out at each other as they leave the playa and attempt to make it to their next destination,”

As the real world creeps back and the stresses of life seep out, people react accordingly. However, despite the perhaps failure of this year’s Burning Man, it cannot come close to destroying what is one of the most special events of the year. 

Conclusion

Burning Man is more than a festival; it’s a cultural phenomenon that celebrates radical self-expression, creativity, and community. It is a place where the boundaries of art and self-discovery are pushed to their limits, leaving a lasting impact on the lives of those who participate. While this year’s event may have been challenging, both physically and emotionally, with tempest’s that would have made Shakespeare proud, the true aura of the place still remains. This festival will continue to draw thousands of people each year to the Nevada desert, where they will come together to create a temporary utopia and experience the magic of Burning Man. For anyone who attended this year, we wish you a safe return home and a nice hot bath. 

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