A Burning Man attendee in his mid-50s has died after suffering a medical emergency during the annual festival in Nevada, organizers confirmed this week. The incident happened Thursday, Sept. 3, at Black Rock City, where the 2026 edition of the event is taking place.

According to the Burning Man Project, the man received lifesaving measures immediately after the medical emergency and was transported to the festival’s onsite emergency care center. He was later pronounced dead at the facility. Organizers have not disclosed the nature of the medical emergency or the man’s cause of death.

The attendee’s identity has also not been released. Burning Man officials said his name would be withheld until his family had been notified. The organization issued condolences to the man’s family, friends and others affected by the death.

The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office is involved in the investigation. Sheriff Jerry Allen told the San Francisco Chronicle that deputies received a report of an unresponsive man found on the streets of the festival. Authorities said there appeared to be no signs of external foul play, while a medical examiner works to determine the cause of death.

The death occurred during the 40th anniversary edition of Burning Man. This year’s event began Aug. 30 in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert and is scheduled to continue through Sept. 7, with tens of thousands of participants attending the weeklong gathering centered on art, community and self-expression.

The festival has also faced difficult weather conditions during this year’s event. Heavy rain on Friday, Sept. 4, caused the main entrance and exit gates to temporarily close as the desert terrain became difficult to navigate. The gates later reopened, while organizers advised participants to take the weather and road conditions into account.

The latest death comes one year after another fatal incident at Burning Man. In August 2025, 37-year-old Vadim Kruglov was found fatally stabbed during the festival. The Pershing County Sheriff’s Office said this week that potential suspect DNA profiles connected to that investigation had been identified and analyzed, although authorities have not publicly confirmed a perpetrator.

The 2026 investigation remains ongoing, with officials continuing to determine the circumstances and cause of the latest attendee’s death.