Wasteland: The Mad Max Festival

If Disneyland is too soft for you maybe, you can consider a trip to the Wasteland the Mad Max Festival, the ‘Burning Man’ for steampunk, apocalyptic doom thinkers, and futuristic artists. Do not be mistaken Wasteland is not your typical vacation destination; it is brutal, dark and even dangerous.

The name ‘Wasteland’ derived from the series of cult movies with Mel Gibson in the leading role. This character made him into an instant Hollywood star. Wasteland is today the biggest post-apocalyptic festival in the world, so you know exactly what to expect.

During four days in September, the Mojave Desert is the setting for a glorified version of hell on earth. Thousands of participants walk through the dust and the heath in Bakersfield, California to indulge in an orgy of violence and compete in real battlefields and in the Thunderdome, an arena post- world war III.

Wasteland is truly a mix of the Mad Max movies, a series of other science fiction flicks, seasoned with ingredients from the better horror films and a futuristic vision that is darker than the night. It is role-playing as a survivor in the last days of civilization and it is happening annually. Enthusiasts participate every year in the Olympics of the doomed.

Wasteland thrives on several subcultures like the oriental cosplay, the cyberpunk society, and the Steampunk community but wasteland is a league on its own, it looks like a gigantic movie set for the next film about the end of the world.

You have to admire the creativity that you can find in the homemade costumes and the vehicles, but it stays a marginal phenomenon. It gets an A+ for originality and it is not boring, but for most of them, it is just a hobby and a way to ventilate the frustrations of their daily lives.

Photo Credits: Tod Seelie for Wired.

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