Kazakh yurt withstands powerful storm at Burning Man festival in Nevada

On the very first day, a sandstorm swept over the festival grounds, causing serious disruptions. Strong winds, with gusts reaching up to 80 km/h, destroyed several key art installations and created difficult conditions for both participants and organizers. At least four people sustained minor injuries. Camps were torn down, forcing many attendees to seek shelter or urgently repair their equipment.

For the first time, a Kazakh delegation presented a traditional national yurt at the world’s largest festival of art and self-expression. Remarkably, the yurt withstood the storm.

This was reported on her social media page by Sabina Omar, whose team set up the Kazakh yurt at Burning Man.

“We sheltered in our Kazakh yurt, and it turned out to be the best decision: inside it was safe while outside felt like an apocalypse. Symbolically, it was the yurt—the symbol of our home and culture—that became our protection in the heart of the American desert,” she wrote.

Despite the challenges, the event resumed the following day. Weather forecasters are warning participants of possible thunderstorms and minor flooding.

Despite the dust storm, Burning Man 2025 has shown significant growth in attendance compared to previous years. According to the latest data, about 72,000 people came to the festival, surpassing last year’s 70,000.

Burning Man is an annual eight-day festival held in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, where participants create a temporary city filled with art, self-expression, and creativity. This year, the festival will run until September 1.

Earlier, it was reported that the contemporary Kazakh yurt project won the Design Educates Awards 2025.