Attendees of California’s “Lightning in a Bottle” festival in Buena Vista Lake in late May may have been exposed to a deadly fungal infection called Valley fever. Several cases of valley fever have already been reported among the attendees, raising concerns that the fungal infection may have spread to thousands of festival-goers.
According to the California Department of Public Health, five Valley fever cases have been identified, and three infected people required hospitalization. Health officials are now warning those who attended “Lightning in a Bottle,” an outdoor music festival held in Kern County May 22-27, as there are likely more cases as 20,000 people attended the festival.
One festival attendee, Kyle Lewis, shared how the fungal infection has had a “huge impact” on his life, experiencing symptoms that Lewis said made him feel like he had a broken rib. Lewis had to have fluid drained from his chest cavity, as it was preventing his lungs from properly expanding, and the festival-goer also lost 40 pounds as a result of the illness.
Valley fever is contracted when spores of the Coccidioides fungus become airborne and are inhaled. The spores can be found in Arizona’s deserts and soil of the lower San Joaquin Valley in California. When the soil has been disturbed, the spores become airborne and can be inhaled by humans – ultimately affecting one’s respiratory system.
Symptoms of the fungal infection can range in severity, with infected persons possibly experiencing flu-like symptoms, including chest pains. Valley fever can pose such severe threats to a person’s respiratory system that it can sometimes lead to hospitalization or death.
While the disease is not contagious, it can spread through an infected person’s body, with symptoms sometimes taking weeks to appear. Unfortunately, there is still no vaccine for valley fever, but treatments exist that can help those who become sick.
The incidence of Valley Fever has increased substantially over the past 20 years in the West, mainly due to climate conditions changing. California health officials stated, “Overall, cases of Valley fever in California have increased substantially over the last two years.” There are expected to be between 7,000 and 9,000 Valley fever cases in California this year, with approximately 5,400 cases already confirmed.
Although various activities can cause the spores to become airborne, like farming, construction, and strong winds, health officials believe the dancing at Lightning in a Bottle kicked up the fungal material most recently.
This California festival has been held at the Buena Vista Aquatic Recreation Area since 2019. After a pause during the pandemic, it restarted in the same location in 2022. Yet, despite the growing numbers of Valley fever cases, thousands are still drawn to the Bakersfield area each year for the EDM festival.
Lightning in a Bottle draws over 20,000 people to its venue at the Buena Vista Aquatic Recreational Area near Bakersfield every year and is often referred to as “Burning Man lite.” Known for its immersive electronic music and camping experiences, with recent headliners including Skrillex, M.I.A., James Blake, and Labrinth, the festival’s 2025 event is already sold out. However, without preparation and potentially a change in the venue, 2025 could become a Fyre Fest 2.0.
The organizers have acknowledged the severity of the situation, sharing that they are working with state and local health officials to prepare and prevent widespread infections at future events.
“We prioritize the health and safety of all our patrons and are in communication with the California Department of Public Health and Kern County Public Health Department to learn more about Valley fever and any preventative measures we can take to reduce Valley fever risk for future festival events, and to make information available to this year’s attendees,” the festival organizers said.
