Burning Man festival descends into chaos with huge traffic jams and fire tornados

Burning Man festival returned after three years and it seemed to be the wildest week yet.

The week-long festival, running from 28 August to 5 September, features fire tornadoes, 'Thunderdome fights', and eight-hour traffic delays.

We're not sure what else you expect from a festival that sits in the heart of the Black Rock Desert desert and calls itself the 'crucible of creativity'.

Still, when revellers pitched up for the week ahead, they were met with a few new additions to the Black Rock City, which forms each year and offers everything from live music to art installations, and of course, the famous burning man, set alight at every festival.

First on this year's agenda? The Thunderdome - seriously, the festival organised a dome where burners could fight each other while swinging about on harnesses with foam sticks.

Thunderdome is real, intense, and one heck of a rush. Take a break from playa prep and get pumped – watch this fantastic introduction to Death Guild's iconic Black Rock City landmark: Thunderdome. Thank you, Profiles In Dust, for yet another great watch! https://t.co/I4F5s2X0Li pic.twitter.com/5X12Db00Yh

— Burning Man Project (@burningman) August 1, 2022

If that wasn't enough, weather conditions meant fire tornadoes formed around the festival's annual wooden man burning ceremony.

Video footage from nearby on 3 September shows swirling flame tornadoes form as the wooden man burns.

If you're wondering at this point why the festival centres around a burning man, as the company, says: "We will always burn the Man," we're assuming they mean metaphorically as well as physically.

Still, people seemed more than happy to sit in their deck chairs and watch as fire swirled around the statue.

Tho people love to compare the #Burningman aesthetic to Mad Max…the Exodus from camp is the most Mad Max I’ve felt all week…5 hours in, two more till I reach the exit gate. 🤦🏻‍♂️🤷🏻‍♂️ @bmantraffic @burningman pic.twitter.com/ihOczA91Z0

— CJ (@cjyu) September 5, 2022

Even so, if you thought partying in the desert was without its consequences, you're sorely mistaken, with the official Burning Man travel account warning of extreme delays accessing the site: "Exodus wait time is currently around 8 hours. Consider delaying your departure until conditions improve. If you must leave now, drive on L Street to prevent traffic jams. Drive slowly, watch for road debris, follow directions from Gate staff, and listen to BMIR 94.5FM."

That's right, burners could expect wait times of up to eight hours just in an attempt to get into the festival, and if that's not a commitment to a summer sesh, we're not sure what is.

UNILAD has contacted Burning Man for comment.

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