The final 2025 episode of Trainwreck, Netflix’s series, focuses on a disaster that was successfully avoided.
Releasing on July 29, Trainwreck: Storm Area 51 investigates the events that unfolded when conspiracy theorists gathered in rural Nevada, believing it to be the site of classified UFO research by the government.
A humorous Facebook post initiated these gatherings. Matty Roberts of Bakersfield, California, created the public Facebook event “Storm Area 51,” scheduled for September 20, 2019, at 3 a.m., never anticipating its viral spread. The event garnered millions of RSVPs, suggesting a potential catastrophe for Rachel, Nevada, and its 56 inhabitants. However, ultimately, only a few hundred individuals appeared, while a concurrent event in Las Vegas attracted over 10,000 participants. Both occasions were ultimately deemed successful, given that no fatalities occurred and attendees enjoyed themselves.
This details how the event generated numerous memes and what actually transpired at Area 51 on September 20, 2019.
What is Area 51?
Area 51, a confidential testing site for the U.S. Air Force, was established in 1955.
According to Annie Jacobsen, author of Area 51: An Uncensored History of America’s Top Secret Military Base, , the facility has been involved in developing and testing U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, intended for Soviet Union surveillance, which civilians frequently mistook for UFOs.
The base’s presence remained largely concealed throughout the Cold War. President Barack Obama was the initial U.S. President to publicly acknowledge its existence in 2013, during a humorous remark in a Kennedy Center speech.
How ‘Storm Area 51’ went viral
Matty Roberts, a 20-year-old mall worker from Bakersfield, California, encountered an interview on Joe Rogan’s show with an Area 51 employee. This prompted Roberts to question the extensive security surrounding Area 51, pondering if the government was concealing information.
With a Facebook account boasting 40 followers, where he shared memes, satire, and miscellaneous thoughts, he created a public Facebook event titled “Storm Area 51” one insomniac night, set for 3 a.m. in three months, accompanied by the slogan “They can’t stop all of us.”
“It struck me as a really funny idea,” Roberts states in the documentary. “I never imagined it would gain traction.”
Upon waking the following morning, thousands had already responded to the event. Within a month, more than a million individuals had marked themselves as attending, with people creating alien-themed memes for the occasion. Roberts thoroughly enjoyed giving television interviews, explaining he conceived the idea as a joke while gaming.
“I felt as though I was on the cusp of celebrity, and all that was required was to knock,” Roberts recounts in the documentary.
Roberts sought assistance from a promoter named Disco Donnie to transform the Facebook event into an actual festival in Rachel, the nearest town to Area 51. This event was christened “Alienstock,” a reference to the iconic 1969 Woodstock music festival. However, the situation proved to be a “mission impossible”; the region surrounding Area 51 was entirely desert, necessitating the transportation of all supplies.
The logistical challenges became excessively burdensome for Roberts. As he expressed, “I cannot have my reputation linked to something that could turn into a disaster.” He and Disco Donnie consequently shifted their focus to organizing an “Area 51 celebration” in Las Vegas, delegating any remaining arrangements in the Rachel area to local business owners who felt frustrated and deserted.
Nevertheless, a significant number of people did arrive in the Rachel, Nevada, vicinity on September 20, 2019.
The scene at Area 51
Leading up to the event, YouTubers visited Area 51 to observe the bus transporting employees into the base, streaming the footage on their channels. The military allocated an estimated $11 million to secure Area 51, marking the most extensive defense in the base’s history.
Authorities anticipated individuals would charge towards the base at 3 a.m. While some did run towards the gate, they halted before reaching it to take pictures. Ultimately, only a few hundred people—a stark contrast to the 3.5 million expected—converged in the Rachel area, primarily to dance and don “sexy alien” costumes. Social media influencers live-streamed the activities, attracting more viewers online than physical attendees. A popular jest circulated that there were more portable toilets than actual participants.
A local sheriff did intercept a man traveling to the event, seizing multiple weapons found in his vehicle. Despite this, the gathering at Area 51 remained largely peaceful—energetic, but non-violent.
Real-time footage of the event depicts a social media influencer named Unicole Unicron leading a prayer for extraterrestrials. In the documentary, she expressed her view of the event as a triumph, stating, “I felt as if the aliens were dancing alongside us.”
Roberts mentions in the documentary that the scene near Area 51 “looked quite cool” and aligned with his initial vision for the event. He has since returned to his job at a mall, reflecting on his brief period of fame as “the most surreal and thrilling experience of my life.”