The king of the Lausanne nights on hell at Burning Man: “We’re not far from Woodstock”

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Imagine a huge mud field in the middle of the Nevada desert. There Thierry Wegmüller drives towards freedom at the wheel of a mobile home. Or rather, flee.

Like 70,000 other people, the head of the D! Club is mired in Burning Man mud. There was even one dead to mourn. The access roads to Black Rock City, the location of the crazy festival, were already closed on Friday due to bad weather.

“We finally managed to leave the camp,” said the king of the Lausanne nights. “If all goes well, we’ll be gone in an hour. Nothing has happened since Friday, no events, no music. » It is 4:00 PM Swiss time, 7:00 AM local time.

“We’re Not Far From Woodstock”

“It’s incredible to experience something like this,” says Thierry Wegmüller, calm and focused. “We’ve been through everything: sandstorms, rain, mud…” To an unprecedented degree. “Even those responsible for the event said they had never experienced anything like it. They failed to burn the great man, as tradition dictates.”

On the other end of the line, the entrepreneur remains optimistic. “What we experienced is not far from Woodstock. People helped each other, it was very strong.”

The organizers of the large gathering with a hippie background had asked participants to “keep water, food and fuel and find a warm and safe shelter.” Knowing that there is nothing for sale on site and that it is the camper’s responsibility to ensure they have adequate supplies before leaving Burning Man.

“Sorry I Have to Leave You”

It must be scary to be lost in the middle of nowhere and hear this kind of advice, right? “The only real fear is nature, which is and always will be the most powerful, and on which we depend in such a place. But otherwise we were not afraid. You know the army was at our disposal. And we were privileged, with our camper and the associated refrigerators.» We? His group of eleven Swiss friends travel in four mobile homes.

The impetuous fifty-year-old interrupts himself. “Excuse me, I have to hang up because I don’t want to break down right now. I’ll call you back later». Meanwhile, the event’s X account (formerly Twitter) – which started on August 27 and was due to end on September 4 – warned that the only existing “road” was still too wet and muddy for most vehicles. Thousands of people will therefore have to wait until Tuesday to continue their journey.

Forty-four minutes later, Thierry Wegmüller calls again. ‘We’ve got to cross a bit of the river before we’re off the hook. Do you have any questions?” Yes. Do you doubt the organization? “No, absolutely not. A natural event has occurred, that’s all. And everything is clear from the start: there must be enough food, everyone who comes here is responsible for that.”

Find what you’re looking for

The president of the La Belle Nuit festival, which takes place in the nightclubs of Lausanne from September 8 to 16, is not talking about hell or a catastrophe, “although for some it was certainly one. For me it was a very exciting but also powerful experience that shows that nature is powerful.”

Despite the catastrophe, Thierry Wegmüller found what he was looking for. “It was a rare moment when I was able to isolate myself from the world. Money no longer exists here, it serves no purpose. There is an exchange and a certain benevolence. I’ve never experienced anything like this! It was an intense experience, a special festival in a special place. The whole thing took place under extreme conditions that you are not necessarily prepared for.”

Source: Blick