The world’s largest post apocalyptic festival Wasteland Weekend returned to the Mojave Desert for it’s 13th year this past weekend. The five-day event ran from September 27th through October 1st, and is a fully immersive experience you have to see to believe.

Over 3200 people gathered, dressed in post-apocalyptic “Mad Max” inspired garb to participate in a myriad of different activities. One of the unique things about Wasteland Weekend is that EVERYONE dresses up including vendors, performers, volunteers, staff, press, and attendees. Being in a desert, surrounded by thousands of people all dressed like the world has ended, is sure to keep anyone immersed.
Scheduled events during the festival include the World Famous Post Apocalyptic Swimsuit Contest, Car Show, Costume Contest, and Car Cruise. With the cruise being the biggest for the weekend to date! But it’s not all about distressed fashion and car culture, it is also a music festival.

Live acts included Jason Charles Miller, Militia Vox, FleishKrieg, Old Blood, ArnoCorps, Élishia Sharie, Soldiers of Destruction, Xtine and the Reckless Hearts, V2A, Living Darkness, AHTCK, and Athena. All of which kept the “Mad Max” inspired party going until the break of dawn. The five day festival is also strictly 18+, so no worries about keeping the kids up.

There were also DJs, burlesque performers, Death Guild Thunderdome, International Film Festival, RC Car Death Race, Battlebotz, and much much more. It seems like there is something for every end of days dweller at Wasteland Weekend.

But if you missed out this year, don’t fret, next year’s Wasteland Weekend is already set for September 25th-29th, 2024. So you have almost a year to get your wardrobe together and stock up on gas. Tickets for 2024’s event will be on sale sometime in spring. Wasteland World, owned and operated by Jared Butler, also has a cyberpunk science fiction sister event, Neotropolis, happens April 24th-28th, 2024. Tickets go on sale October 13th.
You can check out the website for more details.