Burning Man 2014 : The Good, The Bad And The Beautiful

Despite its dampening start, Burning Man turned out to be everything it set out to be and more. This proves that only good can come out of a 65,000 gathering of artistes, musicians, dancers, masqueraders and participants at Black Rock City.

Below are some noteworthy highlights of the festival

The Good

1. Will Smith was spotted segway-dancing!

Much fresh, very prince. Wow.
(He’s the guy in the gas mask)

The Beautiful

2.The burning of ‘The Embrace’ is honestly the most cathartic thing you can watch live

The Good

3. Diplo and Skrillex may or may not have gotten booed off stage, who knows?

Performing under their Jack U moniker, Skrillex and Diplo were not the most appreciated duo at the festival. According the various reports, during a surprise set (filling in for Seth Troxler) the audience was less than happy when Diplo dropped the smash hit, ‘Turn down for what’. The song was met with a flurry of boos, forcing the two to leave the stage.

(Picture courtesy : Major Lazer Facebook)

However, Diplo recently took to Twitter to claim that this was false, even asking people to check the video of them playing at the festival. However, the video isn’t online yet. So we’ll just have to wait and watch.

The Bad

4. Reports recently surfaced about how Black Rock City was exposed to the West Nile Virus

According to recent news, some of the mosquito traps that were set in vicinity close to the site tested positive for the deadly virus. This means mosquitoes close to the 65, 000 odd people at Black Rock City have definitely infected some.

The Beautiful

5.The Temple Of Grace

Easily one of the most beautiful wooden sculptures at the festival, The Temple of Grace was designed by the famous sculptor David Best. Set against the backdrop of the Nevada desert, The Temple was a definitely a place where attendees came to seek respite and pray. Inside the dome, the walls of the Temple were covered with notes of prayer, photos, mementos and tributes to loved ones who had passed away. The burning of the Temple was also met with a respectful silence.

The Bad (or The Tragic?)

6. A woman died after being run over by a bus carrying participants

The Beautiful

7. These art cars were undoubtedly the best

The Mayan Art Car apparently costed around a million dollars to make.

The Disco Fish Art Car

The Dinosaur Art Car

The Good

8. The Robot Heart disco

The epicentre of all Burning Man parties, the Robot Heart disco began at the crack of dawn every day for a week. Regardless of having no sleep, the crowd went berserk amidst the groovy music and watching the sun rise from behind the distant mountains of Nevada.

The Beautiful

9. The Thunderdome

Shaped like a boxing ring right of a Mad-Max movie, the Thunderdome saw people fighting each other with foam sticks and hammers while suspended from the dome by a harness. Sometimes, things even got a little violent inside the Thunderdome, a stark contrast to the perceived impression of what Burning Man is all about.