This year’s Burning Man festival began with a dust storm and ended with news of a suspected homicide.
The nine-day festival, which wrapped up on Monday, once again made headlines after attendees posted a slew of videos on social media that captured the highs and lows of the Nevada desert event.
As thousands of attendees began to arrive at Black Rock City on Aug. 24, they were met with a massive dust storm. The less-than-desired desert weather was reminiscent of the heavy rain and mud that trapped festival-goers in 2023.
Following the dust storm, an unexpected guest arrived: One woman, who didn’t know she was pregnant, “spontaneously” delivered her baby in her RV camper, which she shared with her husband.
And as the festival was nearing its end, authorities said a man was found dead Saturday in a suspected homicide. The discovery was made as the “Man,” a large human-shaped wooden sculpture at the center of the festival, was engulfed in flames.
But the news reports prompted some people on social media to question if this year’s Burning Man was more chaotic than years past.
The event, which in recent years has been described as “Silicon Valley’s desert playground,” is known as a place for people to celebrate art and community.
Burning Man organizers state that the event is “not a festival,” but rather a “crucible of creativity” where “all are welcome.” Participants are asked to follow the “10 Principles of Burning Man,” which include “radical inclusion,” “radical self-reliance,” and “civic responsibility,” according to Burning Man’s website.
Attendees converge on a dry lake bed in Nevada, which is called “the playa,” where they “build a fully functional city where they live and work for a week, then make it disappear without a trace,” the website states.
Those who attend are told to “bring all you need to survive, and then some,” Burning Man states. That means “Some people bring only the basics; others bring everything including the kitchen sink.” They are also encouraged to share resources, as only ice is available for purchase.
Even as Burning Man’s Event FAQ cautions those who attend to be prepared for any type of weather, this year’s pilgrimage appeared plagued by a series of setbacks.
“In Nevada, there is a saying: if you don’t like the weather, stick around for five minutes and it will change,” the website states. “Only one thing is completely predictable about the weather in the Black Rock Desert: Unpredictability.”
The organizers recommend attendees to “be prepared for volatile extremes, and ready for anything and everything” and check out the event’s “Survival Guide” before getting to the desert.
This year, attendees were hit with a host of poor conditions at once.
It started with dust storms, which resulted in four minor injuries. Wind gusts at 50 mph plagued Black Rock City during the festival’s first weekend, wreaking havoc on campsites and causing major travel delays.
The storms, which ushered in high winds and low visibility, prompted festival officials to close the gates to get into Black Rock City. The harsh winds overturned campsites for those already inside.
Then came the heat. On the festival’s first day, temperatures neared 100 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity levels around 57%. Another dust advisory was issued for that night.
And finally, the rain. Days of thunderstorms left the campgrounds soggy, though nothing could compare to the two days of downpours that trapped attendees at the 2023 festival, who were told to “shelter in place” as the soil devolved into a muddy mess.
The inclement weather did not appear to claim any lives, but it did claim the infamous Orgy Dome, according to the structure’s Instagram account.
In the aftermath of the bad weather, an unexpected bright spot surprised a couple, who welcomed a baby at their RV.
A spokesperson from Burning Man Project told Today.com that a baby was “spontaneously” born on Aug. 27 in Black Rock City.
Kayla Thompson, the baby’s mother, told The New York Times that she was woken from her sleep by pain that she thought could have been her appendix.
“Minutes later,” before she and her husband, Kasey Thompson, could get medical attention, Kayla Thompson was giving birth to a 3-pound, 9-ounce baby girl in the vehicle’s bathroom, the Times reported.
According to the Times, the Thompsons had no clue that Kayla was pregnant.
“Even the nurses at the hospital were like, ‘You don’t look like you were pregnant at all,'” Kayla Thompson told the outlet. She said she “didn’t have any symptoms” of pregnancy.
Following the birth, doctors and nurses who were among festivalgoers quickly jumped into action, entering the Thompsons’ camper to render care, the Times reported.
The baby was promptly airlifted to a nearby neonatal intensive care unit in Reno, according to the Times. Kayla Thompson was also taken to the hospital.
Burning Man extended “congratulations and well-wishes to the family,” the festival spokesperson said in a statement.
“In the midst of wind, heat, and storms, they brought new life into the world in Black Rock City,” the statement continued. “Of all the things we celebrate at Burning Man, bringing life, connection, transformation, and joy are dearest to our hearts.”
The joy, however, was followed by tragedy.
A man, described as a white adult, was found after 9 p.m. on Saturday “lying on the ground” in a pool of blood, the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office said. He has not yet been identified, and officers are urging those with information on the victim to contact the sheriff’s office.
Officials have said details about the manner of death will not be released at the time, as the investigation is ongoing. The victim’s body was taken to the Washoe County Medical Examiner’s office.
A suspect in the case has also not been identified. The sheriff’s office said Monday it is seeking information regarding “any person who would commit such a heinous crime against another human being.”
Burning Man Project, which organizes the event, said in a statement on its website that it is cooperating with law enforcement on the investigation.
The sheriff’s office had no updates on the case when contacted by NBC News Tuesday morning.
At least one other person has died during the festival in recent years.
In 2024, participant Kendra Frazer, 39, died at the event after “emergency services personnel responded to a report of an unresponsive individual. Once on scene, life saving measures were immediately attempted but were unsuccessful.”
