The historically notorious exodus from Burning Man was one of the mellower things to happen at the 2025 festival. As the nine-day desert event closed Monday, wait times to leave Nevada’s Black Rock Desert averaged less than four hours, a far cry from record delays in years prior. But there still had been plenty of drama: Dust storms and bouts of intense rain threatened Burning Man 2025’s opening days, closing the entrance gate, injuring several people and destroying a number of camps, including the widely publicized Orgy Dome. Although ticket holders taking the Burner Express bus bypassed the line, opening night saw those arriving in private vehicles stuck sleeping in their cars for hours.
But as the week continued, there was joy. Wednesday morning brought the birth of a baby girl to parents who weren’t expecting her (the newborn was safely airlifted from the playa to a neonatal intensive care unit in Reno). And the sun came out, bringing with it the opportunity to enjoy Burning Man’s best: incomparable installations by artists from across the world, long bike rides in the desert and parties that lit up in the night with neon — on both people and their “art cars” — into the wee hours. At Burning Man, even the portable toilets are opportunities for an artistic experience.
Sadly, tragedy struck as the event continued. The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office remained busy Monday looking into a grisly killing that happened Saturday night after the traditional burning of the man.
Still, wet weather and a serious crime couldn’t put a damper on the sense of community that has kept tens of thousands of people coming back to Burning Man year after year since its epic growth in the 1990s. Despite being at risk financially, the festival expected 70,000 attendees this year…