The road to Burning Man has reopened, and tens of thousands of previously stranded festivalgoers can now begin their journey out of Black Rock, Nevada.
Burning Man organizers said the “evacuation operation” had begun at 2 p.m. local time on Monday. Attendees of the annual event were stranded for days at the festival site as flooding forced the closure of roads in and out of the muddy field.
The Burning Man traffic account on X (formerly Twitter) said at 5:31 p.m. that those wishing to leave the scene had waited more than five hours. The account frequently posts updated traffic information.
Julie Jamot/AFP
“Currently, Exodus is approximately 5 hours and 10 minutes,” post says. “Listen to GARS 95.1 FM and BMIR 94.5 for updates. Check your load! Secure your load with straps, rope, bungee or netting. Winds at 60 mph exert hundreds of pounds of pressure per square foot “
A few minutes later, an update to the account said the wait time had increased to six hours. Organizers warned drivers to “be aware that while conditions are improving and roads are drying, Praia is still muddy and may be difficult to navigate in certain neighborhoods and on certain streets.”
– Currently, Exodus time is approximately 5 hours and 10 minutes.
– Listen to GARS 95.1 FM and BMIR 94.5 for updates.
– Check your loadout! Securely secure your load with straps, rope, bungee cord or netting.Winds at 60 miles per hour exert hundreds of pounds of pressure on every square foot— Burning Man Traffic (@bmantraffic) September 5, 2023
Wait times for later departures may be longer as large numbers of attendees are expected to remain on the festival grounds for the traditional effigies burning ceremony at 9pm, which will also be live-streamed on the official Burning Man website. “The Burning of Babel’s Church” is scheduled for midnight.
At 6:14 p.m. local time, the Burning Man traffic account urged attendees to “cook one last delicious communal meal” and wait until leaving the festival on Tuesday, noting “traffic jams” on the five-mile dirt road leading to the nearest freeway.
“Hanging out at camp with friends, probably more enjoyable than spending hours in the car,” read one post from the account. “Woke up Tuesday refreshed and hit the road.”
Weekly newspaper We reached out to Burning Man via email on Monday night for comment.
Organizers instructed attendees to stay where they are until roads reopen. Some of the more than 70,000 people at the scene, including celebrities, ignored directions and hiked through the mud to reach the highway.
During the festival, one person died. The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office said the death occurred during a “rainfall event” Saturday and is under investigation.
The festival will conclude with a “Burn the Temple” event at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, which is scheduled to be broadcast live.
Update 9/4/23 9:56PM ET: This article has been updated with more information.
