What’s happening at under the wraps at the AlienStock festival is just as much a mystery as what goes on behind the barbed wire and closed doors of the US air force base at the infamous Area 51.
AlienStock was billed as a festival to celebrate aliens and UFOs to be held in the small Nevada desert township of Rachel (Population 50) that lies on the fringes of the base.
But what’s happening at the festival seems almost as secret as the goings-on at Area 51.
The question is will there be a festival?
No, says organiser Matty Roberts, 21, has bowed to pressure and decided to move his weekend event for 10,000 people to the fun city of Las Vegas.
Drumming up business
Yes, says Rachel bar owner Connie West, who is desperate to drum up some business from the conspiracy geeks expected to turn up for AlienStock, even though the venue has changed.
Roberts says the festival can’t go ahead in Rachel because the town lacks infrastructure, has poor planning and risk management and does not want to show a blatant disregard for anyone attending.
“The critical infrastructure needed was not provided for this festival. With the festival coming up soon we believed it would be best to announce our departure and analysis of the venue’s current infrastructure. We just don’t want anyone to get injured or stuck in the middle of the desert,” says the AlienStock web site.
Humanitarian disaster
“We foresee a possible humanitarian disaster in the works, and we can’t participate in any capacity at this point.
“AlienStock is a brand that stands for unity and concern for like-minded people. It’s grown into much more than a location. It’s a phenomenon that can only promise absolute safety and peace, and we need to move the Festival to guarantee that.”
The revamped show is at the Las Vegas Event Center on September 21.
Area 51 is renowned by UFO hunters and conspiracists as the US government’s secret research centre. Speculation claims the US Air Force keeps aliens and extra-terrestrial space craft at the base.