Grammy Nominated Artist Paul Oakenfold Performs For Area 51 Event

Thanks to a viral Facebook event created earlier this summer, this weekend is all about them [...]

By Nicole Drum

Thanks to a viral Facebook event created earlier this summer, this weekend is all about them aliens with multiple events and gatherings taking place around Area 51 in Nevada. While some people did "storm" the once-secret military base's gates -- including a man wielding a plunger -- others were being entertained with music, including Grammy Award-nominated DJ Paul Oakenfold. The electronic dance music DJ and recording artist appeared as the headliner at the Area 51 Basecamp event in Hiko, Nevada.

In a short video clip shared on Twitter, you can check out a brief part of Oakenfold's performance at the event located near the Alien Research Center in the rural town. Oakenfold was the headliner for the gathering. You can check out the video clip below.

One of the things you might notice in the video clip is the small-looking crowd. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, only a few dozen people actually showed up for Oakenfold's performance. The low turnout for Oakenfold, the event in general, and low presale tickets for the Saturday portion of events led event executive producer Keith Wright to cancel Area 51 Basecamp. People who purchased tickets to the event for Saturday through Ticketmaster will be refunded.

In contrast to the low attendance of the Area 51 Basecamp event, there was an estimated crowd of around 2,000 people at Alienstock in rural Rachel, Nevada on Friday with similar numbers expected for Saturday. That festival was set up after the Facebook event took off, a way to make the "joke" raid something that would be both fun and profitable for rural Nevada, according to Facebook event creator Matty Roberts.

"I want to make this something as positive, enjoyable, safe and profitable for the rural area of Nevada," Roberts previously said. He later shifted his event to the Area 51 Celebration in the Downtown Las Vegas Events Center, though Alienstock has continued on without him in Rachel.

In addition to Oakenfold, the Area 51 Basecamp event had been set to feature other alien-themed attractions, such as visits to the Alien Research Center as well as presentations and exclusives screenings as well as appearances by the cast of Jeremy Kenyon Lockyer Corbell's Netflix documentary Bob Lazar: Area 51 & Flying Saucers. Arby's even had a food truck presence at Area 51 Basecamp offering a special "top-secret" alien-themed menu. For Wright, who reportedly made a six-figure investment into the event along with Alien Research Center owner George Harris, the event's cancellation means a failure to recoup that investment, but it's something he says he will be able to move on from.

"It hurts, but it won't kill me," Wright said.

What do you think about the Area 51-related events this weekend? Let us know in the comments below.

area 51 basecamp
(Photo: Area 51 Basecamp)
0comments
Start the Conversation

of