The Burning Man Festival has been generating considerable online discussion lately, primarily due to its unconventional approach to live music. Lots of people are describing the Nevada music festival as "cult-like" or "demonic," based on videos they see online. However, there hasn't really seemed to be anything worthy of concern, until now. Authorities recently found a man lying in a pool of blood at the festival, right as the symbolic "burning man" went up in flames.
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On the evening before Labor Day, it's tradition that a wooden structure mimicking a man is set on fire. "The man" is around 40 feet tall, sometimes more, and the burning is supposed to represent impermanence, one of the festival's guiding principles.
This year, at around 9:14 p.m., when the ritual was taking place, police found a man lying in a pool of blood. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office shared that a participant of the festival came across the site, and police "immediately responded to the campsite and found a single white adult male lying on the ground, obviously deceased."
The crime is currently being investigated by police as a homicide. The man's identity has not yet been confirmed, and police have issued a warning to all festival-goers. "Although this act appears to be a singular crime, all participants should always be vigilant of their surroundings and acquaintances."
Burning Man responded to the incident with a statement, emphasizing that "the safety and well-being of our community are paramount." The festival began about a week ago today and is scheduled to conclude tonight, at around 6 p.m.
What is the Burning Man Festival?
The festival began informally in 1966, on a beach in San Francisco. Two men, Larry Harvey and Jerry James, built and burned an 8-foot-tall wooden effigy for a crowd of 20 people. The event was initially made to celebrate the summer solstice, and a larger man would be built year after year. In 1990, when the man reached the 40-foot mark, police intervened, and the festival was relocated to Nevada.
Now, the festival is held in a temporary city, "Black Rock City," where participants follow a set of rules for nine days in the desert. These principles include concepts such as "radical self-expression" and "radical inclusion," and are designed to guide your experience. Much of the festival's activity can be seen as symbolic, which is why people are finding the recent homicide so unsettling.
What began as a small gathering has evolved into a massive cultural movement, and undoubtedly a heavy topic of conversation. As the festival concludes, we wish everyone a safe trip home, but also a safe stay during their time at "Burning Man."
Photo by: JULIE JAMMOT/AFP via Getty Images
