Wasteland Weekend Is the Mad Max-Themed Festival We Deserve

This bizarre Mojave Desert blowout was straight outta the apocalypse—and beats the hell out of Burning Man.

The only thing missing was that dude playing the flamethrower guitar from Mad Max: Fury Road.

California’s Mojave Desert just hosted a Mad Max-inspired Wasteland Weekend, billed as the “biggest post-apocalyptic themed festival in the world”, according to the event’s website.


The four-day dystopian dust-up drew costumed mutants, souped-up cars, topless dancers, firebreathers, death metal bands, bounty hunting games, stick fighting, and armored combatants battling in a makeshift Thunderdome. 

Revelers at the annual event must go without electricity or running water—unlike the cushier VIP shindigs at Burning Man—and, from the looks of attendees, they have a far more sinister vision of post-apocalyptic fun. Here’s a fairly riveting video from last year’s event: 

The first Wasteland Weekend since the release of Mad Max: Fury Road  drew about 2,500 post-apocalyptic obsessives to a desert encampment in California City, California.  


Sadly, there were no sightings of a leather-clad Tina Turner belting out “We Don’t Need Another Hero”. But hey, there’s always next year.

Photos by Mario Anzuoni / Reuters / Landov