‘IMPACT X NIGHTLINE’ TO COVER MURDER AT 2025 ANNUAL BURNING MAN FESTIVAL, STREAMING THURSDAY, OCT. 23, ON DISNEY+ AND HULU

THURSDAY, OCT. 23
IMPACT x Nightline: “Burning Man: Death in the Desert” (407) — Streaming on Disney+ and Hulu
Logline: A man with a fatal stab wound to his neck is found at the Burning Man gathering on the night of the symbolic burn, shocking this art and music community in the Nevada desert. Exclusive interviews include members of the victim’s camp and police. 

Extended Logline: “IMPACT x Nightline” investigates a shocking homicide that took place at the 2025 Burning Man festival, where nearly 80,000 attendees gathered in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert for a week of art, community and radical self-expression. During the ritualistic burning of “The Man” — a massive wooden figure set ablaze at the conclusion of the festival — 37-year-old attendee Vadim Kruglov was fatally stabbed by an unidentified person. Law enforcement discovered his body at the scene, and now, his friends, family and fellow “burners” are left asking: How, and why, did this happen?

The Inside Scoop:

• “IMPACT x Nightline: Burning Man: Death in the Desert” begins streaming Thursday, Oct. 23, on Disney+ and Hulu.
• This new episode, led by “Nightline” correspondent Ashan Singh, features an exclusive interview with Sgt. Nathan Carmichael of the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office, who was among the first officers on the scene. Singh also speaks with Anna Rodé and Sofiia Shcherbakova, influencers and friends of the victim, who attended the festival with him; law enforcement, who are working to solve the case; and artists and influencers who are part of the Burning Man community.
• Additional new interviews include the following:

• Preston Smiles, influencer, embodiment coach and author
• Amanda Riley Ferree, influencer and fashion entrepreneur
• Bryce Shields, district attorney of Pershing County
• Katie Bain, senior music correspondent at Billboard
• Josh Margolin, ABC News senior investigative reporter
• Dan Abrams, ABC News chief legal analyst
• Brian Buckmire, ABC News legal contributor

• Now in its fourth season, ABC News Studios’ award-winning streaming newsmagazine “IMPACT x Nightline” investigates the topics dominating American culture, stories in the zeitgeist, and conversations around the globe. Eman Varoqua is executive producer.

Media Contacts

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