International- This year's Burning Man could be a bummer if Black Rock City continues to be a waterlogged mess.
- Videos and photos of the inundated venue have been going around TikTok and X.
This year's Burning Man could be a bust if the venue's still a soggy mess on Sunday.
The annual gathering in Nevada's Black Rock Desert was hit by heavy rains due to Tropical Storm Hilary, per The San Francisco Standard. The downpours resulted in gate closures since Monday, though the event organizers are hoping to reopen the gates on Wednesday if the weather permits.
"Temporary gate closures are not abnormal," a representative for Burning Man previously told Insider. "In this case, we're thankful the rain took place early during set up and isn't affecting too many folks, and that our teams already in Black Rock City are safe."
But it looks like reopening the gates would provide little relief if the venue continues to remain soggy and muddy. Photographs of the flooded playa have been going around online platforms such as TikTok and X, formerly Twitter.
"Is the hurricane coming ..." a person wrote in her TikTok post on Saturday. The floodwaters can be seen pouring into the sheltered areas through roof leaks.
@mariasoleeeeamore Is the hurricane coming…. #blackrockcity #flooding #burningman #blackrockcitynevada #burners #burningman2023 #brc #burningmancommunity #rainfall #mud #crazy ♬ original sound - M A R I A S O L E
"Could get really crazy for Burning Man, Black Rock Desert already wet with storms this weekend," a person said in a post on X on Friday, attaching a photo of what appeared to be a waterlogged field.
—CryptoBlockParty (@CryptoBlckParty) August 18, 2023
Needless to say, the soggy surroundings are a far cry from Burning Man's usual conditions. The desert's barren surroundings welcomed around 80,000 attendees at last year's festival. Much of the revelry often involves driving art cars around the playa, checking out the massive art installations, and having loads of fun in a dry — and certainly not squishy — desert.
Some people are finding some humor in the idea of a wet Burning Man.
One person uploaded a doctored photo of the Burning Man venue on X. In the photo, a shark's fin and the Titanic can be seen superimposed on a photo of the flood waters.
—Dennis Hinkamp (@DennisHinkamp) August 21, 2023
"Bout to be Squishy Mud Man more like," another person quipped on X.
For what it's worth, the weather in Black Rock City looks like clear skies ahead for the next week, so the burners traveling in from out of state have that to look forward to.
Representatives for Burning Man did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Insider sent outside regular business hours.