Is AlienStock still happening near Area 51?
12 September 2019
Mysterious goings-on are nothing new for Area 51 in the USA. The top secret US airbase has long been associated with aliens and government conspiracies. Which is why the nearby town of Rachel seemed a good place to hold AlienStock - a music festival to celebrate aliens and UFOs. But is it happening? We've got a mind-warping "yes" but not quite "no". You might remember the Storm Area 51 Facebook event which went viral back in July.  A "hoax" or "satirical" call to gather at the airbase. It seems the "hoax" message may not have got through to two Dutch YouTubers, who were arrested and charged with trespassing in the Nevada National Security Site on Wednesday. Govert Charles Wilhelmus Jacob Sweep and Ties Granzier said they saw the "no trespassing" signs but wanted to look at the facility, according to the Nye County Sheriff's Office. The creator of the Storm Area 51 event was due to launch a music festival, called AlienStock, in the town of Rachel - with a population of 87. On seeing his social media prank turn into an internet sensation, Matty Roberts, 21, decided to create an actual event scheduled to take place on 20-22 September. Now he says it's cancelled and claims it's for safety reasons and wanting to avoid creating another Fyre Fest - the world's most infamous festival flop. This view was repeated in a statement on the organiser's website that claimed there was a "lack of infrastructure, poor planning, risk management and blatant disregard" for the safety of the expected 10,000 attendees. "We foresee a possible humanitarian disaster in the works, and we can't participate in any capacity at this point," they wrote. "We just don't want anyone to get injured or stuck in the middle of the desert," they added. The official event isn't going ahead. But Connie West, a bar owner in the town who signed up as a key partner, says a festival is "still happening". "I'm going to do it on my scale," she told KVVU-TV - a television news outlet in Nevada. "It is what it is... if [Matty Roberts] chooses to go somewhere else, that's his choice." "I'm still having a party because people are still coming to Rachel." And according to Connie West's event site, there will be a line-up of local bands looking to beam attendees into musical space. Matty Roberts has decided to help host an alien-themed club night in Las Vegas on 19 September instead. He revealed on Facebook that his event had been renamed the "Area 51 celebration". So yes, that's two pieces of top-secret alien entertainment taking place in Nevada. Hopefully though, they all come in peace... Follow Newsbeat on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. Listen to Newsbeat live at 12:45 and 17:45 weekdays - or listen back here.
You might remember the Storm Area 51 Facebook event which went viral back in July.  A "hoax" or "satirical" call to gather at the airbase. It seems the "hoax" message may not have got through to two Dutch YouTubers, who were arrested and charged with trespassing in the Nevada National Security Site on Wednesday. Govert Charles Wilhelmus Jacob Sweep and Ties Granzier said they saw the "no trespassing" signs but wanted to look at the facility, according to the Nye County Sheriff's Office. The creator of the Storm Area 51 event was due to launch a music festival, called AlienStock, in the town of Rachel - with a population of 87. On seeing his social media prank turn into an internet sensation, Matty Roberts, 21, decided to create an actual event scheduled to take place on 20-22 September. Now he says it's cancelled and claims it's for safety reasons and wanting to avoid creating another Fyre Fest - the world's most infamous festival flop. This view was repeated in a statement on the organiser's website that claimed there was a "lack of infrastructure, poor planning, risk management and blatant disregard" for the safety of the expected 10,000 attendees. "We foresee a possible humanitarian disaster in the works, and we can't participate in any capacity at this point," they wrote. "We just don't want anyone to get injured or stuck in the middle of the desert," they added.
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What is AlienStock?
The official event isn't going ahead. But Connie West, a bar owner in the town who signed up as a key partner, says a festival is "still happening". "I'm going to do it on my scale," she told KVVU-TV - a television news outlet in Nevada. "It is what it is... if [Matty Roberts] chooses to go somewhere else, that's his choice." "I'm still having a party because people are still coming to Rachel." And according to Connie West's event site, there will be a line-up of local bands looking to beam attendees into musical space.
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So it's clearly off?
Matty Roberts has decided to help host an alien-themed club night in Las Vegas on 19 September instead. He revealed on Facebook that his event had been renamed the "Area 51 celebration". So yes, that's two pieces of top-secret alien entertainment taking place in Nevada. Hopefully though, they all come in peace...
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Any other ways to get your supernatural freak-on?