Burning Man kicks off with harsh desert conditions
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Dust storms likely harshed the mellow so far at Burning Man. Photo: Michael Macor/ The Chronicle
Harsh weather pummeled Burning Man's opening weekend as hordes of San Franciscans poured into Nevada for the annual art festival.
State of play: The weeklong event — which runs until Sept. 1 — is susceptible to weather extremes due to its remote location about 100 miles northeast of Reno in Nevada's Black Rock Desert.
- The event's launch was marked by blinding dust, searing heat and fast-moving winds that dismantled hours of camp and art setups. Posts proliferating across social media show clips of the whiteout and Burners scrambling to safeguard their gear.
- Organizers say thunderstorms, rain and flooding could hit in the coming days, though it's unconfirmed whether those conditions could be as severe as heavy rains in 2023 that stranded thousands of attendees in thick desert mud and forced them to shelter in place. Clear skies are expected to return Friday.
The latest: As of Monday, drivers heading into Black Rock City have faced wait times of 6 to 8 hours to make the 8-mile trek from the road to the entrance, delays that are likely to persist amid the volatile conditions.
The big picture: The arts and music festival is an experiment in building a temporary city rooted in creativity, community and radical self-expression.
- Hundreds of immersive and vibrant art installations cover the roughly 1,100-acre semi-circular makeshift city's grid — from towering sculptures and neon-lit temples to mutant vehicles roaming "the Playa" and even an intricate flame-throwing metal octopus.
Yes, but: The festival's evolution from a small underground counterculture gathering to an 80,000-person phenomenon — drawing the likes of billionaires, investors and tech elites — has fueled criticism that it's strayed from its founding ideals.
Catch up quick: Burning Man started in 1986 on Baker Beach, when cofounders Larry Harvey and Jerry James set ablaze an 8-foot wooden effigy before 35 onlookers — a ritual that remains central to today's festival with the burning of "The Man."