Burning Man's infamous Orgy Dome has been destroyed by 50mph winds during a severe dust storm that swept through the Nevada festival. The giant tent filled with mattresses and pillows collapsed on Sunday as 70,000 festival-goers battled extreme weather conditions at the Black Rock Desert site.
"Our build team worked so hard this past week to erect our lovely space. Unfortunately, the winds yesterday undid all that labor and wrecked our structure," organisers said on Monday. The dome served as a sex-positive educational space focused on consent, having been a festival fixture since 2003.
Festival chaos and safety concerns
The storm toppled structures across the site, damaged temporary installations and created dangerous conditions for attendees. At least four minor injuries were reported due to flying debris, while campsites were blown over and festival-goers scrambled to seek shelter.
According to the Daily Star, attendees described conditions as resembling a "zombie apocalypse" with people screaming and objects flying around. Videos showed people blocking dust from their eyes while frantically securing tents and belongings against the relentless winds.
Ongoing weather disruption
Festival organisers issued warnings about continuing severe weather on Tuesday, telling attendees that thunderstorms were approaching from the north. "Light precipitation is currently falling in BRC. Possible strong winds in the next 20 minutes. Take care of your camps, and let your neighbours know," they announced.
Heavy rainfall now threatens the remainder of the event, with attendees warned not to travel to Black Rock City due to road closures in nearby Nixon, over 70 miles from the festival site. Traffic delays reportedly reached eight to 20 hours as access routes became impassable.
Pattern of weather disasters
This marks the third major weather event to disrupt Burning Man in the last four years, according to the Independent, highlighting a troubling pattern of climate-related challenges for the annual arts festival. Despite the chaos, attendance peaked in the 70,000s as devoted festival-goers refused to let extreme weather dampen their experience.
Organisers have called on attendees to donate equipment including ball bungees and zippers to help reconstruct the destroyed Orgy Dome for the remainder of the week-long festival.
Sources used: "Independent", "Daily Star", "Mirror", "San Francisco Chronicle" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
