Burning Man is set to kick-off this weekend, but artists and organizers had a delayed start after Hurricane Hilary ripped through the Nevada desert earlier this week.
While the nine-day event doesn’t officially begin until Sunday, artists, organizers, and attendees head to the Black Rock Desert early to construct the temporary metropolis known as Black Rock City. However, on Monday and Tuesday, no one was able to enter the desert due to several days of flooding.
Eventgoers shared the road conditions on social media over the past week.
Hope the weather clears up for @burningman current situation in #BlackRockcity 💧💧💧💧the man burns in 15 days 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/WMUWppSdDc
— Sacha Wall (@sachaistreem) August 18, 2023
Burning man starts soon! pic.twitter.com/BVj5hhMI27
— Ｎｅｒｄｙ 🅰🅳🅳🅸🅲🆃 (@Nerdy_Addict) August 20, 2023
The gate was closed-off until Wednesday afternoon, organizers said, noting in a social media post that anyone who planned on traveling to Black Rock City via Gerlach before then with a work access pass should delay their plans, as they would be turned around. Gerlach, the town 100 miles north of Reno, is the gateway to the Black Rock Desert, which is only accessible by car.
The festival released another announcement on Wednesday with instructions for anyone arriving early.
The Gate will open today, Wednesday 8/23. 8/21, 8/22, and 8/23 Work Access Pass holders have assigned entry windows – more info has been sent via email to those WAP holders. Before you hit the road, read your email carefully. Drive safely!
— Burning Man Traffic (@bmantraffic) August 23, 2023
Burning Man is officially set to begin on Aug. 27 and run through Sept. 4, with an expected attendance of 80,000 people. Although the anticipated attendance is high, tickets were readily available for the event this year, while they are normally a struggle to snatch. Tickets were up-for-grabs for a lot lower than their usual price or $575, with some even going for $130.
This is not a traditional festival; Burning Man is an expression-based event with pop-up performances and villages. Due to safety concerns, the festival capped the population to 80,000 in 2019.
It’s certainly not an event for anyone who is not keen to surprise weather or road conditions. Temperatures in the desert can spike up to over 100 degrees, there are abrasive dust storms, and last year’s event ended with an eight-hour traffic jam.
Find tickets to this year’s event below:
Burning Man Ticket Links
Burning Man Tickets at MegaSeats | 10% off with code TICKETNEWS
Burning Man Tickets at ScoreBig
Burning Man Tickets at SeatGeek
Burning Man Tickets at StubHub
Burning Man Tickets at Ticket Club | Free Membership Offer
Burning Man Tickets at Vivid Seats