Burning Man 2023 descends into chaos after rains leave 73,000 campers stranded

Rainfall at Burning Man 2023 has turned the playa into mud, leaving festival-goers stranded with organizers warning to conserve food and water.

Black Rock Desert’s annual temporary city has been shut down after predicted rainfall saw Burning Man 2023 transformed into a “clay pot.”

Organizers warned that “no driving is permitted until the playa surface dries up,” with tens of thousands of people “encouraged to conserve food, water, and fuel, and shelter in a warm, safe space.”

Currently, concert-goers are facing limited resources, alkaline mud, and unreliable phone service while they await some much-needed sunshine. Banding together in a showcase of the festival’s spirit, occasional videos shared on TikTok have offered insight into what life on the playa looks like.

With the festival supposed to run from August 27 to September 4, supplies are beginning to run out. A lot of the festival’s events have also been called off due to the weather — including the iconic burning of the man — and portable toilets are out of use.

Another concern is that the dust-turned-mud is alkaline and can cause chemical burns. “Playa foot,” though not serious, is uncomfortable and is caused by exposure to the desert floor. With the ground now sodden and many attempting to traverse the plains barefoot, worries are that cases of playa foot may be about to spike.

Nonetheless, campers have been helping one another, and one attendee told BBC that “the party’s still going, it’s business as usual.”

Showers and thunderstorms have been predicted over the weekend and it is unknown for how long Burning Man will remain stuck in limbo.

There have been rumors of the National Guard getting involved, though these have not been confirmed.

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