Burning Man Update As Festivalgoers Could Be Stranded for Days

Thousands of festivalgoers who have been stranded at Burning Man after heavy downpours turned the desert landscape into a thick mud-pit said they might be unable to leave for days as more rain fell on Sunday afternoon.

More than 70,000 people flocked to the annual festival in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada and are now trapped in a huge quagmire, with roads in and out of the site closed. More than half an inch of rain fell overnight on Friday, according to organizers quoted by Sky News, and there was more rainfall on Saturday and Sunday.

Festivalgoers have been told to stay in their camps and preserve food and water. In their latest update on Sunday evening, organizers said they were aiming to open "for exodus" on Monday morning, with a final decision on access expected to be announced by 9 a.m. local time.

The site was shut down by Nevada's Bureau of Land Management on Saturday because of the downpours. The death of one person is being investigated by authorities, though police have provided no more details other than saying it occurred "during this rain event."

"Please stay off of Gate Road—rain and mud make it impassable at the moment. We have created alternative routes that if used on Monday, you will be flagged to the best area to drive across," organizers wrote on Sunday.

"The majority of the rain has passed with partially cloudy skies, and a chance of showers and thunderstorms for the rest of the daylight hours," they added. "A slight chance of showers and thunderstorms linger into the evening of Sunday, September 3. Gusty winds are still possible today and this evening. Monday will bring clear skies, and a welcome chance to dry out."

However, festivalgoers appear more pessimistic than organizers. One wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, late on Sunday night that people were allowed to leave but were strongly advised against trying to do so.

"Gates are not officially open yet, but if you have a 4-wheel-drive vehicle, you are allowed to leave, but you run [the] risk of getting stuck. So they are advising [us] to stay put for now," they wrote on the social media platform.

"Currently there are hundreds of vehicles stuck due to mud/clay at the exodus line. If you're willing to walk the 5 to 10 miles, you're allowed to leave by foot. Also not advised. If you have a medical emergency, you will be escorted out by medics and an emergency vehicle."

Organizers said that while some vehicles had managed to leave, others remained stuck in the mud as of Sunday morning.

The festivalgoer added that there was "no date on when gates will open, but once they are, it will be about a 20-hour process to get the masses out of the city. Our plan as a camp is to leave after the first wave to not get stuck in line. Looking like a Thursday exit if [the] weather holds up."

Newsweek contacted Burning Man's organizers by email on Monday.