Burning Man descends into nightmare - sand storms, orgy tent chaos and 'bottles of pee'

The infamous Burning Man festival in Nevada, US, has descended into even more chaos than usual forcing many of the 'Burners' to flee their campsites.

Each year, thousands flock to the dusty desert in the west of the country to enjoy a week of revelry and debauchery with some of the world's top musicians.

The festival is only for the brave - and beautiful - with influencers and celebs battling the bleak conditions including the likes of Cara Delevingne and Victoria's Secret models including Kelly Gale and Heidi Klum. Burning Man operates as a cash-free society within Black Rock City - meaning money is out and 'gifting' is in if you want to get by.

In recent years, the festival has become synonymous with bedlam - and this year, is slowly turning into the stuff of nightmares with reports of upended port-a-loos, lightening strikes - as well as the iconic orgy tent collapsing. So, as the Burners try and stick it out until the show ends on September 1, here's a look at what they're dealing with, starting with terrifying sand storms...

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Freak weather

Burning Man was ripped apart by sand storms and 50mph winds just one day into this year's festival, forcing ticketholders - known as 'Burners' - to flee the campsite.

Party people were seen weaving through the apocalyptic scenes wearing ski goggles and surgical masks before a dust storm arrived to add fuel to the fire.

Saturday's dust storm caused at least four minor injuries, with some ticket holders saying they couldn't see further than a foot away.

Cars were backed up in lengthy lines of traffic on the road leading into Black Rock Desert as they hoped for conditions to calm before they entered the campsite.

Most of the 70,000 revellers, which included a slew of influencers, waited an average of eight hours, though some say they were stopped for up to 20 hours.

One Burner, who was reportedly the fourth car in the queue told SF Gate that he waited more than 19 hours just to get through the entrance gates.

Mud spills

In more weather woes, rain turned the dusty surface of the desert into a thick clay, making it nearly impossible to walk through.

Some people waited over 20 hours in the grid-locked traffic before even being allowed to enter the campground, while others were turned away completely amid the chaos.

The scary scenes followed another chaotic weather event two years ago, when torrential rain turned the dessert into a swampland.

Burners who took the bus into the festival were forced to walk through half-inch mud from the bus to their campsites, with many complaining that their luggage and camping supplies were lost or destroyed during transport.

'Bottles of pee'

The partygoer who claimed he'd had to wait 19 hours in his car just to get into the festival, recalled how officials knocked on his window and told him to "prepare to hunker down for the night", adding that he had amassed "several bottles of pee" in his vehicle during the long wait.

Following the less than sanitary situation, which many in their cars says they had also experienced, one person took to X, musing: "I don’t know, kind of seems like these festivals are cursed; not only are they costing a bunch of money, but the pay-out doesn’t seem to be worth it. #burningman."

Lightening strikes

Back to the weather nightmare, and extreme winds, lightning strikes and heavy traffic caused delays again on Sunday and Monday with entrance wait times reportedly at around six hours.

Dramatic videos posted online showed a slew of people battling their way through raging winds as their possessions were coated in a thick film of dust.

Several structures were also destroyed, with some gazebos being reduced to metal tent frames after fierce winds stripped away the tarpaulin.

One man posted a selfie, wearing a surgical mask and goggles and as storms worsened, officials urged Burners to secure their tents and personal belongings. They were also advised not to travel throughout the festival site and to expect sudden reductions in visibility if they were there already.

And then the orgy tent collapsed...

Orgy tent collapses

High winds destroyed the infamous Orgy Dome at Burning Man on the weekend, organisers said, putting paid to one of the event's most talked-about attractions.

Powerful winds have repeatedly whipped through Black Rock City in northern Nevada, affecting arrivals and blowing over multiple structures.

In a statement posted to social media, the Orgy Dome's organisers lamented that the wind "wrecked our structure." The Orgy Dome is a private space where couples can 'explore their sexuality' with strangers.

The statement added: "We hope to be able to offer some workshops if possible but what remains of the dome is beyond repair," and a shared video of the tattered tent remains and visible metal support ribs.

Port-a-loos upended

The federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM), who oversees Burning Man, along with local sheriff's deputies, shared a photo of an overturned port-a-potty with fake witch legs sticking out, a reference to when Dorothy's house landed on and killed the Wicked Witch of the East in "The Wizard of Oz."

Despite the continuing chaos, the snap posted by the BLM notes that even though unrelenting high winds have hit the event, "someone's sense of humour was still intact."

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