Two people reported dead at Burning Man 2026

No cause of death has been officially confirmed for either of the deaths, which were unrelated.

Two people have been reported dead at this year’s Burning Man festival in Black Rock City, Nevada.

Craigh Mann, 60, was found unresponsive in his camp at around 3 PM on Saturday, 5th September. In a statement, Burning Man organisers wrote: “Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with the participant’s family, friends, campmates, and all those affected by this loss.” At the time of publishing, no cause of death has been disclosed.

This news came after the confirmation that an unnamed man in his mid-50s had died after suffering a medical emergency on the festival site on Thursday, 3rd September.

The man was rushed to an on-site emergency care centre where he was later pronounced dead.

While no cause of death has been disclosed at the time of publishing, Pershing County Sheriff Coroner Jerry Allen said there appeared to be no signs of foul play.

Earlier this month, Burning Man co-founder John Law wrote in an essay for the San Francisco Standard that the festival had “lost its soul” and described it as “barely recognisable” from the original counterculture gathering.

Last year’s Burning Man faced a number of issues, including one death. One attendee was electrocuted and had to be airlifted from site amid intense storms. Meanwhile, a homicide investigation was opened after another attendee, 37-year-old Vadim Kruglov, was found “lying in a pool of blood” at the campsite.