Burning Man Festival In US Ends With Epic 8-Hour Traffic Jam, Photos Go Viral

The end of a nine-day music and culture festival in Nevada, in the United States, came to an end on Monday. But those leaving from the venue in the Black Rock desert found themselves stuck in an eight-hour-long traffic jam as thousands of vehicles lined up at the same time, a report in New York Post said. This was the first Burning Man festival after three years of COVID delays. Pictures showing the post-revelry congestion are now going viral online.

The Burning Man's official Twitter account also tweeted on Monday to say, "Exodus wait time is currently around eight hours. Consider delaying your departure until conditions improve."

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.

— Burning Man Project (@burningman) September 5, 2022

At least 80,000 attendees had reached the venue for the nine day festival.

The photos were posted by these revellers and showed 15 lanes of bumper to bumper traffic for miles.

"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," one of the users said on Twitter, comparing the wait time to "Mad Max", a film about escaping a dystopian desert setting.

Traffic during "the exodus", as exiting the festival is known the "burners", is expected but this year's gridlock appeared to have been brutal. The ongoing heatwave and the gas crisis has also added to the chaos.

For the Burning Man festival, held ahead of the Labour Day, people travelled from across the globe in thousands, dressed in bizarre outfits to party the week away. 

The festival closed with the burning of an effigy, called the Burning Man. This has been the traditional way to close the festival since it's inauguration in 1989.