Chris Rock has a fan to thank for giving him a lift from the side of the road and helping him escape the sodden quagmire that became this year’s Burning Man art festival.
As Breitbart News reported, tens of thousands of festival attendees were left stranded in the Nevada desert over the weekend after rainfall created muddy conditions, which resulted in the closure of the festival three days ahead of time.
This year’s edition was due to run from August 27 to September 4, 2023 and traditionally the annual gathering in the Black Rock Desert about 110 miles north of Reno brings some 80,000 artists, musicians and activists together for a mix of wilderness camping and avant-garde performances.
This year it seemed to attract them as well as rain. Lots of it.
The popular Burning Man art festival in Black Rock, Nevada, took a turn for the worse on Saturday when heavy rainfall caused unprecedented flooding, closing roads and leaving attendees stranded in the muddy desert. https://t.co/hBrjo6XJcK
— Breitbart News (@BreitbartNews) September 3, 2023
As the less fortunate were left to fend for themselves, the U.S. comedian and DJ Diplo managed to exit the festival after hitching a ride in a fan’s pickup along with other festival-goers.
“…just walked 5 miles in the mud out of burning man with chris rock and a fan picked us up” Diplo wrote in a social media video posted Saturday (September 2). “After walking 6 miles through the mud… all Chris could think about was a f&cking cold brew.”
just walked 5 miles in the mud out of burning man with chris rock and a fan picked us up pic.twitter.com/0uxSXLHgY6
— diplo (@diplo) September 2, 2023
Some 72,000 people had been stranded at the festival, but organisers say they are ready for a mass exodus from Monday morning, local time.
They have also confirmed a man’s death at the event on Friday was unrelated to the bad weather, outlining emergency services were called to help the man, said to be about 40 years old, but he could not be resuscitated.
The local sheriff’s office earlier said it was investigating.
Organisers also said they had postponed the event’s traditional finale – the burning of an effigy – to Monday evening.