Burning Man stranded 64,000 people in mud in 2023 — tickets didn't sell out the next year

Burning Man 2023 ran August 27 to September 4 in Nevada's Black Rock Desert under a Bureau of Land Management permit capping attendance at 87,000. More than half an inch of rain fell on Friday, September 1, with more forecast through the weekend, turning the unpaved playa to deep mud. Organizers closed roads into and out of the site and told attendees to shelter in place, conserving food, water and fuel rather than attempting to leave.

By Monday afternoon, September 4, roads had dried enough to reopen, but roughly 64,000 people were still on site awaiting exit — some walking miles out to hitch rides once vehicle traffic began moving. One death was reported and investigated by local authorities; organizers stated it was unrelated to the weather. The event's traditional Man burn was postponed from Saturday to Monday night to work around the closures.

It was the festival's second consecutive difficult-weather year, following extreme heat in 2022. For 2024, tickets — normally priced at $575 and reliably sold out well in advance — failed to sell out for the first time since 2011. Organizers ran a last-minute open sale to fill the gap, and resale tickets traded below face value, with CEO Marian Goodell attributing the shortfall directly to the back-to-back bad-weather years alongside broader cost pressures.