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‘Raining Man 2023’: Why revellers are stuck at US’ Burning Man festival
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  • ‘Raining Man 2023’: Why revellers are stuck at US’ Burning Man festival

‘Raining Man 2023’: Why revellers are stuck at US’ Burning Man festival

FP Explainers • September 4, 2023, 14:12:42 IST
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Thousands were stranded as a storm over the weekend turned the Burning Man festival in the US’ Nevada desert into a swampy mess. While some vehicles were able to wade through the thick, slippery mud, some attendees – known as ‘Burners’ – chose to walk barefoot or with their feet covered in plastic

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‘Raining Man 2023’: Why revellers are stuck at US’ Burning Man festival

Thousands of people were stranded as a storm turned the Burning Man festival in the United States’ Nevada desert into a swampy mess. Heavy rains lashed parts of northwest Nevada on Friday (1 September) and Saturday (2 September), leading to flooding of the festival site. Nevada authorities are investigating a death at the festival, which Burning Man organisers said on Sunday was “unrelated to the weather,” reported CNN. Held annually in the Black Rock Desert, which is located about 177 kilometers north of Reno city, has attracted around 70,000 people in recent years. What is the Burning Man event? How has flooding disrupted this year’s festivities? Let’s take a closer look. Burning Man Burning Man is a nine-day music and arts celebration. Reno Gazette Journal describes it as a “surreal, dusty and quirky party” organised in Black Rock Desert playa – Spanish for flat, dried-up land. One of the US’ most well-known arts and culture events, Burning Man has seen the likes of American model Paris Hilton, Meta owner Mark Zuckerberg and billionaire Elon Musk marking their presence in recent years.

Every year, attendees erect Black Rock City – a temporary city in the middle of the usually dry and dusty desert.

These revellers, or the so-called ‘Burners’, are expected to be self-sufficient, meaning most of them come with their own food, water and other supplies. The event, which started on 27 August and was slated to end on Monday (4 September), works around ‘10 Principles’, including “communal effort” and “radical self-expression”. [caption id=“attachment_13076022” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]burning man An overview of Burning Man festival in Black Rock Desert on 28 August 2023 taken by Maxar Technologies. AP File Photo[/caption] “Burning Man is all about self-expression and the rejection of corporatism and capitalism. The experience of creating and viewing art and living in the moment is Burning Man’s purpose,” according to Reno Gazette Journal. The festival is also known for its nudity, sex and drug use. Attendees say the event is an effort towards creativity and community building, reported The New York Times (NYT). The party culminates with the burning of a giant, wooden sculpture shaped like a man – the appearance of which changes annually. Origin of Burning Man It started in June 1986 by Larry Harvey and Jerry James, who held a bonfire with friends on Baker Beach in San Francisco. As per NYT, they burnt an 8-foot-tall wooden figure to mark the end of a romantic relationship. Since then the event was organised at Baker Beach until fire marshals objected in 1990. The event was then moved to the Black Rock Desert, where 350 partygoers gathered to burn a 40-foot effigy, as per Burning Man Project, the nonprofit that organises the festival. Its popularity surged by the 2000s, with thousands of attendees including Silicon Valley moguls and celebrities participating. As per a CNBC estimate, revellers attending the Burning Man festival have to shell out about $1,500 (Rs 1.2 lakh approximately) for lodging, travel and attire. Rain turns Burning Man muddy The precipitation over the weekend caused thick, deep mud at the festival site, which led to organisers telling the revellers to “conserve food, water, and fuel, and shelter in a warm, safe space,” noted NYT. The event officials also closed vehicular access to the festival on Saturday, allowing only emergency vehicles. “Do not travel to Black Rock City!” a statement from the organisers posted to X on Saturday read. “Access to the city is closed for the remainder of the event, and you will be turned around.” While some vehicles designed for off-road terrain could leave the site, other people chose to walk – barefoot or wearing plastic bags on their feet – several kilometres through the slippery muck to get out. American DJ Diplo posted a video on social media that showed him and comedian Chris Rock riding on the back of a fan’s pick-up truck. He said they walked 9.7km on the road before getting a lift from fans.

just walked 5 miles in the mud out of burning man with chris rock and a fan picked us up pic.twitter.com/0uxSXLHgY6

— diplo (@diplo) September 2, 2023
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Revellers are calling this year’s event “Raining Man 2023” and “Trench Foot 2023” on social media. According to the event’s website, the burning of the giant effigy, which was to take place on Saturday, is now planned for Monday night. Vehicles might be allowed to leave today if weather conditions improve, as per Associated Press (AP). What have the ‘Burners’ said? While some attendees expressed their frustration, others took the ordeal spiritedly. According to NPR, Kris Edwards, an attendee, posted a video on TikTok highlighting service vehicles could not reach the site to empty waste from port-a-potties as the gates were closed on Saturday. Some revellers say the cleaning services resumed on Sunday. Attendee Bobby White, the host of the TV series Sailing Doodles, said in a YouTube video, “Every time you step, you pick up more mud and it’s just really hard to move”. [caption id=“attachment_13076052” align=“alignnone” width=“640”]burning man 2023 Attendees walk through the mud at the Burning Man festival. Reuters[/caption] Speaking to CNN, Hannah Burhorn, a first-time attendee at the festival, said, “People who have tried to bike through it and have gotten stuck because it’s about ankle deep”. The thick mud “sticks to your shoes and makes it almost like a boot around your boot,” Burhorn added. However, the soggy site has failed to dampen the mood of some of the ‘Burners’. “We’re taking it as an opportunity to hang out and spend more time with our new friends and old friends in the camp,” reveller, Josiah Roe, was quoted as saying by BBC. Rebecca Barger, a photographer from Philadelphia, told AP, “Everyone has just adapted, sharing RVs for sleeping, offering food and coffee. I danced in foot-deep clay for hours to incredible DJs.” According to CNN, Andrew Hyde, another attendee at Burning Man , said there is generally “no panic” among the stranded revellers. “You come out here to be in a harsh climate, and you prepare for that. So in many ways, everybody here just kind of made friends with their neighbours and it’s a community event,” Hyde told the American news channel. With inputs from agencies

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