Press

In 2025, Wasteland Weekend returned to the Mojave Desert for its 15th year, which SOLD OUT! The 5-day fully immersive post apocalyptic event was the meeting point for tribes from across the globe.

The event will return Sept 30th-October 4th, 2026.

Live bands like Escape From the Zoo, 2 Shadows, Dead Animal Assembly Plant, Militia Vox, Soldiers of Destruction, Xtine and the Reckless Hearts, Crossbreed, AHTCK, Athena, TheMxSFxT and Dayne the Gr8, Living Darkness kept the Mad Max inspired event rocking til the wee hours. Add in DJs, burlesque performers, and various other entertainment including Death Guild Thunderdome, International Film Festival, RC Car Death Race, Battlebotz, and much much more, 2024 was a banner year.

Not to mention the World Famous Post Apocalyptic Swimsuit Contest, Car Show, Costume Contest, and Car Cruise, which was perhaps their biggest to date.

You can find the official event gallery of images here.

Some key things:

Overall population in 2025 was 3500.
Appropriately themed costumes required for EVERYONE (vendors, performers, volunteers, staff, press, attendees)
The next Wasteland Weekend will take place September 30th-October 4th, 2026.
Tickets are on sale now, but will sell out.
Strictly 18+

Coverage

2025

YouTuber Just Lanchen visited again, participating in barter, LARP, being a judge for the Wasteland Car Show, and even letting lent an ATV to ride around!

2024

Warner Bros. Pictures brought Wasteland Weekend in to officially promote “Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” on Hollywood BLVD! (Read more about that here.)

Just Lanchen

YouTuber Just Lanchen experienced some of the LARP aspects of Wasteland Weekend 2024.

En Casa con Telemundo

Fanáticos de Mad Max han creado una experiencia en el desierto que se ha convertido en una fiesta anual que atrae a decenas de fans.

(Translation: Mad Max fans have created an experience in the desert that has become an annual party that attracts thousands of fans.)

Bloke’s World

2023

People Make Games on their experiences:
PeopleMakeGames

French TV coverage from a show called AutoMoto:
AutoMoto

Our friend Art Mann highlighting vehicles:
Art Mann YouTube

Official arial footage (drone reel):

2022

Two articles from The Sun:
The Sun
The Sun

Daily Mail

Nerdbot

2021

Rat Rod Magazine’s American Rust:

Art Mann:

The Apocalypse Post:

JobbieCrew:
https://jobbiecrew.com/wasteland-weekend/

Nerdbot:
https://nerdbot.com/2021/10/05/wasteland-weekend-2021-party-at-the-end-of-the-world-returns/

2020

Daily Mail UK:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10030839/Thousands-descended-Mojave-Desert-week-five-day-Wasteland-Weekend-Festival.html

2019

THE WASTELANDERS BALL 2019:
Bleeding Cool:
we-witnessed-wastelanders-ball

Popular Mechanics:
https://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/a29425838/wasteland-weekend-machines/

Daily Mail UK:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7519879/4-000-Mad-Max-fans-gather-California-desert-Wasteland-Weekend.html

Geek X Girls:
https://geekxgirls.com/article.php?ID=12184

Bored Panda:
https://www.boredpanda.com/mad-max-wasteland-weekend-2019/

Geek X Girls:
A look back at the ten year history of Wasteland Weekend:
https://geekxgirls.com/article.php?ID=12031

2018

LOS ANGELES CHANNEL 11 NEWS:

LA Weekly Wasteland Weekend Rages in the Face of Armageddon (September 2018)

The Guardian UK: https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2019/mar/12/wasteland-weekend-mad-max-post-apocalyptic-festival-photographs

Revolver Magazine:
https://www.revolvermag.com/culture/wasteland-weekend-see-insane-photos-epic-mad-max-desert-party

BleedingCool Wasteland Weekend 2018: Witness This Gallery From The Apocalypse (September 2018)
https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/09/28/wasteland-weekend-2018-witness-this-gallery-from-the-apocalypse/

Daily Mail (UK) Mad Max meets Burning Man: Thousands of people in hand-crafted costumes gather for post-apocalypse festival ‘beyond the grip of so-called civilization’ in California’s Mojave Desert (September 2018)

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6282699/Mad-Max-meets-Burning-Man-Awesome-photos-post-apocalypse-style-Wasteland-Weekend.html

The Sun (UK) GETTING WASTED Inside Weekend Wasteland – the world’s craziest music festival that mixes a Burning Man-style desert party with Mad Max (October 2018)

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/7521327/weekend-wasteland-music-festival-burning-man-style-party-mad-max/

Mother Jones At a Desert Festival, Costumed Campers Show Off Their Apocalypse Survival Skills (October 2018)

https://www.motherjones.com/media/2018/10/wasteland-weekend-mojave-desert-mad-max-apocalypse/

Mirror (UK) Wasteland Weekend festival brings Mad Max to life in post-apocalyptic world (October 2018)

https://www.mirror.co.uk/travel/usa-canada/wasteland-weekend-festival-brings-mad-13505887

France 24 (France) Post-apocalypse now: the end of the world at the movies (March 2018)

https://www.france24.com/en/20180703-post-apocalypse-now-end-world-movies

The Mice Time (Asia) Wasteland Weekend: wild-festival in the desert (October 2018)

http://micetimes.asia/wasteland-weekend-wild-festival-in-the-desert-photo/

Style Out There Mad Max Fanatics Have Created a Burning Man of their Own (March 2018)

https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/post-apocalyptic-clothing-dystopian-fashion-trend

Redbull Apocalyptic Fun at Wasteland Weekend

https://www.redbull.com/us-en/theredbulletin/apocalyptic-fun-at-wasteland-weekend

2017

GeekxGirls Wastelanders Ball – Geek Girls Review (March 2017)

http://geekxgirls.com/article.php?ID=8384

GeekxGirls Wasteland Weekend 2017 – Geek Girls review (October 2017)

http://geekxgirls.com/article.php?ID=9106

Spectrum News Wasteland Temporarily Transforms Desert into World’s End (Sept 2017)

http://spectrumlocalnews.com/ca/antelope-valley/news/2017/09/29/wasteland-temporarily-transforms-desert-into-world-s-end

Digimapps Wasteland Weekend is Basically Mad Max IRL (Oct 2017)
https://www.digimapps.com/wasteland-weekend/

Thrillist This Ridiculous Desert Festival is Basically a Mashup of Burning Man and ‘Mad Max’ (September 2017)
https://www.thrillist.com/news/nation/wasteland-weekend-in-mojave-desert-celebrates-post-apocalyptic-cosplay

LifeOutThere Wasteland 101 (Sept 2017)

http://www.lifeoutthere.co.uk/2017/09/09/wasteland-weekend-101/

2016

LA WEEKLY: Postapocalyptic Partiers Get Dirty in the Desert at Wasteland Weekend 2016

GREAT BIG STORY: Wasteland Weekend Is the Real Life ‘Mad Max’

UPROXX: MAD MAX in RL? APOCALYPTIC WASTELAND WEEKEND

UPROXX: Finding Equality in the APOCALYPTIC MAD MAX WASTELAND WEEKEND

NerdCaliber Wasteland Weekend 2016 is a Wonderland of Fun (Oct 2016)

http://www.nerdcaliber.com/wasteland-weekend-2016-wonderland-fun/

ComicBooked.com Wasteland Weekend 2016 (Oct 2016)

https://comicbooked.com/wasteland-weekend-2016/

Great Big Story: Mad Max meets Burning Man: Welcome to Wasteland (Oct 2016)

https://www.greatbigstory.com/stories/welcome-to-the-mad-max-of-weekend-festivals

Sydney Morning Herald Wasteland Festival draws record crowd thanks to George Miller’s Mad Max: Fury Road (Oct 2016)

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/wasteland-festival-draws-record-crowd-thanks-to-george-millers-mad-max-fury-road-20161003-grtj88.html

Wired.com Wasteland: The Mad Max Festival that Makes Burning Man Look Lame(Sept 2016)

https://www.wired.com/2016/09/wasteland-mad-max-festival-makes-burning-man-look-lame/

Las Vegas Review Journal Wasteland Weekend brings ‘Mad Max’ to the Mojave Desert (Sept 2016)

Maxim The ‘Mad Max’-Inspired Wasteland Weekend is our Favorite Apocalyptic Party (Sept 2016)

https://www.maxim.com/entertainment/wasteland-weekend-mojave-2016-9

ABC News – Australia Mad Max: Thousands of road warriors converge for Wasteland Weekend (Sept 2016)

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-23/max-max-wasteland-weekend/7873098

LA Weekly

http://www.laweekly.com/slideshow/postapocalyptic-partiers-get-dirty-in-the-desert-at-wasteland-weekend-2016-7427993

Uproxx:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vfLt6oD2gM

KCET Wasteland Weekend, An Immersive Post-Apocalyptic Experience (October 2016)

https://www.kcet.org/shows/artbound/wasteland-weekend-california-city-post-apocalyptic-festival-cars-costumes

NY Daily News Revelers flock to Wasteland Weekend, a post-apocalyptic desert festival (September 2016) (Gallery)

https://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/wasteland-weekend-post-apocalyptic-desert-festival-gallery-1.2803754

2015

WALL STREET JOURNAL:
‘Mad Max’ Fans Await Sequel

Pop Sugar
https://www.popsugar.com/tech/Mad-Max-Costume-Ideas-38603994

BLASTR:
Mad Max Fans Have Their Own Burning Man – and It’s Awesome

Telegraph (UK) http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegalleries/howaboutthat/11896265/Mad-Max-craze-California-hosts-post-apocalyptic-Wasteland-Weekend-event.html?frame=3456020

Alex Cullen’s favorite story of 2016 (Sunday Night) [Australian show on Ch. 7] (coverage is of the 2015 event)

https://au.news.yahoo.com/alex-cullen-s-favourite-story-of-2016-33617648.html

Wall Street Journal ‘Mad Max’ Films Come to Life at Wasteland Weekend (May 2015) (Video)
https://www.wsj.com/video/mad-max-films-come-to-life-at-wasteland-weekend/9FE44D98-3657-4337-87A8-7B69776EFFC3.html