Due to persistent rains that make leaving the Black Rock Desert nearly impossible, the Burning Man festival has closed its entrance and exit gates and advised its roughly 73,000 visitors to save food, fuel, and water.

Burning Man festival has closed its entrance and exit gates (Photo: Sky News)

Burning Man Festival 2023: Burners celebrate in the rain

Max Spooner, who was carrying a mattress on his back as he traveled across the city for the burning man festival, said, “I think it’s just a waiting game now.” Spooner claimed that on Friday night, his tent became damp, and he had to make a long, treacherous walk to his car to collect dry bedding. “We’re going into survival mode now.”

In a statement issued on Saturday, the Bureau of Land Management declared that Burning Man festival admission has been permanently suspended:

“Participants inbound for the Burning Man festival should turn around and head home. Officials from the BLM and the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office have closed entry to the Burning Man event effective immediately and for the duration of the event.

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Burning Man Festival leaves with no indication of when it will reopen

Vehicle traffic on the playa had to come to a complete stop as a result of the rain that fell over the previous 24 hours. The weather is predicted to get worse over the coming days, making it impossible for vehicles to enter the playa.

There was no estimated time for reopening, and thousands of attendees risk missing flights, failing to return rental cars, or failing to return to work Tuesday. The event is set to officially end Monday but many people start leaving Saturday night or Sunday. The BLM is the federal agency in charge of the public land on which the Burning Man festival is held.

The restrictions and instructions in the Burning Man festival to stay in the shelter come just as the celebration is about to reach its pinnacle on Saturday night with the burning of the enormous wooden Man figure that stands over the makeshift city. The thousands of portable toilets that make the festival possible, as well as all vehicle traffic inside the camp, have been stopped. Sales of ice are now being restricted by the organizers.

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