Burning Man
Annual experimental festival based in Nevada, United States / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Burning Man?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Burning Man is a week-long large-scale desert event focused on "community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance" held annually in the western United States.[1][2] The event's name comes from its culminating ceremony: the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy, referred to as the Man, that occurs on the penultimate night, the Saturday evening before Labor Day.[3] Since 1991, the event has been at Black Rock City in northwestern Nevada, a temporary city erected in the Black Rock Desert about 100 miles (160 km) north-northeast of Reno. According to Burning Man co-founder Larry Harvey in 2004, the event is guided by ten stated principles: radical inclusion, gifting, decommodification, radical self-reliance, radical self-expression, communal effort, civic responsibility, leaving no trace, participation, and immediacy.[4]
Burning Man | |
---|---|
Begins | August 25, 2024 |
Ends | September 2, 2024 |
Venue | Black Rock City |
Location(s) | Black Rock Desert, Pershing County, Nevada, US |
Coordinates | 40°47′6″N 119°12′18″W |
Years active | 37 |
Inaugurated | June 22, 1986 (1986-06-22) |
Founders | Cacophony Society Larry Harvey John Law Jerry James |
Participants | 2019 (official): 78,850 2021 (unofficial): 20,000 |
Organised by | Burning Man Project |
Website | burningman |
At Burning Man, there are no headliners or scheduled performers. Instead, the participants design and build all the art, activities, and events.[5] Artwork includes experimental and interactive sculptures, buildings, performances, and art cars, among other media. These contributions are inspired by a theme chosen annually by the Burning Man Project.[6] The event has been called "countercultural revelry" and described by its organizers as an "excuse to party in the desert".[7] However, NPR said of Burning Man in 2019, "Once considered an underground gathering for bohemians and free spirits of all stripes, Burning Man has since evolved into a destination for social media influencers, celebrities and the Silicon Valley elite."[8]
Burning Man originated on June 22, 1986, on Baker Beach in San Francisco as a small function organized by Larry Harvey and Jerry James, the builders of the first Man. It has since been held annually, spanning the nine days leading up to and including Labor Day. Over the event's history, attendance has generally increased. In 2019, 78,850 people participated.[9]
Burning Man is organized by the Burning Man Project, a nonprofit organization that, in 2013, succeeded Black Rock City LLC, a for-profit limited liability company. Black Rock City LLC was formed in 1999 to represent the event's organizers and is now considered a subsidiary of the nonprofit organization. The Burning Man Project endorses multiple smaller regional events guided by the Burning Man principles, in the United States and internationally.
1980s
Burning Man began as a bonfire ritual on the summer solstice. Sculptor Mary Grauberger, a friend of Larry Harvey's girlfriend, Janet Lohr, held solstice bonfire gatherings on Baker Beach for several years before 1986, some of which Harvey attended. When Grauberger stopped organizing it, Harvey "picked up the torch", with Grauberger's permission, and ran with it.[10] He and Jerry James built the first wooden effigy on June 21, 1986, cobbled together using scrap wood, to be torched that evening. On June 22, Harvey, James, and a few friends met on Baker Beach in San Francisco[11][12] and burned an 8-foot-tall (2.4 m) wooden man and a smaller wooden dog. Harvey later described his inspiration for burning these effigies as a spontaneous act of "radical self-expression".[10] In 1987, the Man grew to 15 feet (5 m) tall, and by 1988, it had grown to 30 feet (9 m).[13][14]
By 1988, Harvey formally named the summer solstice ritual "Burning Man" by titling flyers for the happening as such. This was apparently done to ward off references to "wicker man", the reputed Celtic pagan practice of burning live sacrifices in human-shaped wicker cages. Harvey has said that he had not seen the 1973 cult film The Wicker Man until many years after and that it did not inspire the action.[13][15]
1990 to 1996
In 1990, a separate event was planned by Kevin Evans and John Law on the remote and largely unknown playa, known as the Black Rock Desert, about 110 miles (180 km) north of Reno, Nevada.[16] Evans conceived it as a dadaist temporary autonomous zone with sculptures to be burned and situationist performance art. He asked John Law, who also had experience on the dry lake and was a defining founder of the Cacophony Society, to take on central organizing functions of the events. In the Cacophony Society's newsletter, it was announced as Zone Trip No. 4, A Bad Day at Black Rock (inspired by the 1955 film of the same name).
Meanwhile, the solstice burn at Baker Beach was interrupted by the park police for not having a permit. After striking a deal to raise the Man but not to burn it, event organizers disassembled it and returned it to the vacant lot where it had been built. Shortly thereafter, the legs and torso of the Man were chain-sawed and the pieces removed when the space was unexpectedly leased as a parking lot. The Man was reconstructed, led by Dan Miller, Harvey's then-housemate of many years, just in time to take it to Zone Trip No. 4.[17]
Michael Mikel, another active Cacophonist, realized that participants unfamiliar with the environment of the dry lake would benefit from knowledgeable persons helping to ensure they did not get lost in the deep dry lake and risk dehydration and death. He took the name Danger Ranger and created the Black Rock Rangers to assist them. Thus, Black Rock City began as a fellowship, organized by Law and Mikel, based on Evans's and Grauberger's ideas, along with Harvey's and James's symbolic man. Drawing on experience in the sign business and with light sculpture, Law prepared custom neon tubes for the Man starting in 1991 so it could be seen as a beacon to aid navigation at night long before there were any planned roads.
In its early years, the community grew by word of mouth alone, all were considered (and generally not invited until they could be expected to be) participants under their contribution to the cacophonous situationist vibe. There were no paid or scheduled performers or artists, no separation between art and life nor art-space and living-space, no rules other than "Don't interfere with anyone else's immediate experience" and "no guns in central camp".
1991 marked the first year that the event had a legal permit through the BLM (the Bureau of Land Management).[18] It was also the year that art model and fire dancer (and later Burning Man's first art director) Crimson Rose attended the event.[19] 1992 saw the birth of a smaller, intensive, nearby event named "Desert Siteworks", conceived and directed by William Binzen and co-produced (in 1993 and '94) with Judy West.[20] There were about 20 participants the first year, and approximately 100 in the second and third year. The annual, several weeks-long event, was held over summer Solstice at various fertile hot springs surrounding the desert. Participants built art and participated in self-directed performances.[21]
Some key organizers of Burning Man were also part of Desert Siteworks (Law, Mikel) and Binzen was a friend of Harvey. Hence, the two events saw much cross-pollination of ideas and participants.[22] The Desert Siteworks project ran for three years (1992–1994). 1996 was the first year a formal partnership was created to own the name "Burning Man" and was also the last year that the event was held in the middle of the Black Rock Desert with no fence around it.
Before the event opened to the public in 1996, a worker named Michael Furey was killed in a motorcycle crash[23] while riding from Gerlach, Nevada, to the Burning Man camp in the Black Rock Desert. Harvey insisted that the death had not occurred at Burning Man, since the gates were not yet open. Another couple were run over in their tent by an art car driving to the "rave camp", which was at that time distant from the main camp. After the 1996 event, Law broke with Burning Man and publicly said the event should not continue.
1997 to 2013
1997 marked another major pivotal year for the event. It had to be moved because the permit for Black Rock was denied for the 1997 event. A team conducting land speed trials had a conflicting permit that took precedence. Fly Ranch, with the smaller adjoining Hualapai dry lakebed, just west of the Black Rock desert, was chosen as the alternate location. This moved Burning Man from Pershing County/federal BLM land into the jurisdiction of Washoe County, which brought a protracted list of permit requirements.[24]
To comply with the new requirements and manage the increased liability load, the organizers formed Black Rock City LLC with the assistance of "Biz Babe" Dana Harrison. Will Roger Peterson and Flynn Mauthe created the Department of Public Works (DPW) to build the "city" grid layout, a requirement so that emergency vehicles could be directed to an "address", designed by Rod Garrett, an architect. Garrett continued as the city designer until his death, in 2011, at age 76. He is also credited with the design of all of the Man bases from 2001 through 2012, the center camp café and first camp.[25] 1998 saw a return to the Black Rock desert, although not to the deep playa, along with a temporary perimeter fence. The event has remained there since.
As the population of Black Rock City grew, more restrictions were added by the BLM, and changes were made in how people were invited to the event, notably the addition of publicized online ticket sales to all comers, further rules were established concerning its survival. Some critics of the later phase of the event cite these rules as impinging on the original freedoms and principles, diminishing the scope of the experience unacceptably, while many newer attendees find the increased level of activity more than balances out the changes:
- A grid street structure.[26]
- A speed limit of 5 mph (8 km/h).[27]
- A ban on driving, except for approved "mutant vehicles" and service vehicles.[28]
- Safety standards on mutant vehicles.[27]
- Burning of any art must be done on an approved burn platform.[29]
- A ban on fireworks.[30]
- A ban on animals.[31]
Another notable restriction to attendees is the 9.2-mile- (14.8 km) long[32] temporary plastic fence that surrounds the event and defines the pentagon of land used by the event on the southern edge of the Black Rock dry lake.[33] This 4-foot- (1.2-meter) high barrier is known as the "trash fence" because its initial use was to catch wind-blown debris that might escape from campsites during the event. Since 2002, the area beyond this fence has not been accessible to Burning Man participants during the event.[34]
One visitor who was accidentally burned at the 2005 event unsuccessfully sued Black Rock City LLC in San Francisco County Superior Court. On June 30, 2009, the California Court of Appeal for the First District upheld the trial court's grant of summary judgment to Black Rock City LLC on the basis that people who deliberately walk toward The Man after it is ignited assume the risk of getting burned by such a hazardous object.[35]
2013 to 2019
In December 2013,[36] Black Rock City LLC was made a subsidiary of a new nonprofit entity known as the Burning Man Project, though this was a controversial move among the founders.[37]
On September 3, 2017,[38] a 41-year-old man, Aaron Joel Mitchell, fought his way past a safety cordon of volunteers and firefighters and threw himself into the flames of the Man. Mitchell died the next day due to cardiac arrest, bodily shock, and third-degree burns to 98% of his body. His death was ruled a suicide.[39][40][41]
2020 to 2021
On April 10, 2020, the Burning Man Project announced that Burning Man was canceled for 2020[42] due to the COVID-19 pandemic, making 2020 the first year Burning Man did not happen since its inception. They then decided to offer ticket refunds despite the tickets being sold explicitly as non-refundable.[43]
On September 7, 2020, an estimated 1,000 Burners celebrated on San Francisco's Ocean Beach. San Francisco Mayor London Breed tweeted about the event, "This was reckless and selfish. You aren't celebrating, but are putting people's lives and our progress at risk. No one is immune from spreading the virus."[44] Several thousand also showed up in the Black Rock desert for an unofficial event and some described it as a return to the "old days".[45][46]
The 2021 event was canceled on April 27, 2021, due to the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite progress on vaccination, organizers said that "uncertainties that need to be resolved are impossible to resolve in the time we have".[47] On May 14, 2021, the Burning Man Project released tickets on their website for online events slated between August 22 and September 7, 2021.[48]
The unofficial event was larger than 2020 with an estimated 20,000 attending. It was loosely coordinated by a variety of groups including Black Rock Plan B and Rogue Burn. The Bureau of Land Management implemented restrictions including no structures other than shade structures and no fires other than campfires. There was a massive illuminated drone display outlining the Man instead of the burning of a Man effigy.[49]
2023
The 2023 Burning Man had rains and subsequent flooding on Labor Day weekend, with a lockdown preventing vehicle movement throughout the site.[50][51] Organizers arranged for some cellular service and shared a 2023 Wet Playa Survival Guide: "no driving is permitted until the playa surface dries up, with the exception of emergency services… Participants are encouraged to conserve food, water, and fuel, and shelter in a warm, safe space" and told attendees about Burning Man Information Radio (BMIR) 94.5 FM and Gate Information Radio Station (GARS) 95.1.[52] One person died following the flooding, with thousands more stranded.[53]
The statistics below illustrate the growth in both the scale and scope of Burning Man in terms of location, height of the central Man sculpture, population, ticket price, and several registered camps and art.
After starting at 8 ft (2.4 m) and growing taller each of the next three years, the height of the titular Man remained at 40 ft (12 m) between 1989 and 2013. During those years, changes in the size and form of the base on which the wooden Man stood accounted for the differing heights of the overall structures.[54] In 2014 the construction of the Man changed to a 105 ft (32 m) tall figure standing directly on the ground with no base. From 2015 to 2019 the Man returned to 40 ft (12 m) in height.
Year | Location | Theme | Man height | Population | Bureau of Land Management population limit | Ticket price(s)[55] | Number of theme camps, mutant vehicles, and placed art |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1986 | Baker Beach | None | 8 ft (2.4 m) | 35 | Not on BLM land | Free | None |
Larry Harvey and Jerry James burn a wooden effigy of a man at Baker Beach on the summer solstice, following a tradition begun by Mary Grauberger of burning art at Baker Beach on the summer solstice.[56] | |||||||
1987 | Baker Beach | None | 15 ft (4.6 m) | 80 | Not on BLM land | Free | None |
Whereas the previous year's effigy was assembled from scrap wood on the morning of the solstice, the 1987 Man was built over several weeks from cut lumber.[57] | |||||||
1988 | Baker Beach | None | 30 ft (9.1 m) | 200 | Not on BLM land | Free | None |
Larry Harvey first names the annual event "Burning Man."[58] | |||||||
1989 | Baker Beach | None | 40 ft (12 m) | 300 | Not on BLM land | Free | None |
First listing of Burning Man in the San Francisco Cacophony Society newsletter, "Rough Draft" under "sounds like cacophony". | |||||||
1990 | Baker Beach & Black Rock Desert |
None | 40 ft (12 m) |
|
None | $15 (requested donation) | None |
The Man was erected at Baker Beach on the summer solstice but not burned. The Man was then "invited" to the San Francisco Cacophony Zone Trip No. 4 on Labor Day weekend in the Black Rock Desert. | |||||||
1991 | Black Rock Desert | None | 40 ft (12 m) | 250 | None | $15 (requested donation) | None |
The Man was decorated with neon lighting in 1991 for the first time, and it has been decorated with neon every year since. | |||||||
1992 | Black Rock Desert | None | 40 ft (12 m) | 600 | None | $25 (requested donation) |
|
First year amplified music appeared at Burning Man. Craig Ellenwood and TerboTed set up a camp, approved by Larry Harvey one mile from center camp and launched the first EDM camp.[59][60][61] | |||||||
1993 | Black Rock Desert | None | 40 ft (12 m) | 1,000 | None | $40 |
|
"Christmas Camp" becomes the first theme camp, with its two members dressing up as Santa Claus and giving out fruitcake and eggnog. | |||||||
1994 | Black Rock Desert | None | 40 ft (12 m) | 2,000 | None | $30 |
|
First year of wooden spires and lamp lighting. | |||||||
1995 | Black Rock Desert | 40 ft (12 m) | 4,000 | None | $35 |
| |
The Center Camp Cafe began selling coffee. | |||||||
1996 | Black Rock Desert | heLLCo | 48 ft (15 m) | 8,000 | None | $35 |
|
Theme was a satire referencing Dante's Inferno, heLLCo (a corporate takeover of Hell). First year the Man is elevated on a straw bale pyramid. First fatality in motorcycle collision. Three people seriously injured in a tent run over by a car.[62] 10 of 16 BLM stipulations violated, putting BM on probationary status for next year. An injury claim drives liability coverage up by a factor of 6. Featured in an article in Wired magazine.[63] | |||||||
1997 | Hualapai Playa | Fertility | 50 ft (15 m) | 10,000 | Not on BLM land |
|
|
Burning Man's founders form a management structure, and created the DPW to meet strict permit requirements newly imposed. The first year the city has grid streets and a driving ban. Washoe County officials impounded gate receipts to ensure payment after the fire and protection fees along with more than 100 new fire and safety conditions are imposed before the event.[64] | |||||||
1998 | Black Rock Desert | Nebulous Entity | 52 ft (16 m) | 15,000 | None |
|
|
Burning Man returned to the Black Rock Desert although much closer to Gerlach than before. The "Nebulous Entity" was Harvey's satirical concept of alien beings who thrive on information – who consume it but do not understand it. The First Doodle from Google to Celebrate. | |||||||
1999 | Black Rock Desert | Wheel of Time | 54 ft (16 m) | 23,000 | None |
|
|
Listed in the AAA's RV guide under "Great Destinations." | |||||||
2000 | Black Rock Desert | The Body | 54 ft (16 m) | 25,400 | None |
|
|
First active law enforcement activity, 60 Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and police arrests and citations. Most are for minor drug charges following surveillance and searches. | |||||||
2001 | Black Rock Desert | Seven Ages | 70 ft (21 m) | 25,659 | None |
|
|
See Seven Ages of Man. Over 100 BLM citations and 5 arrests. | |||||||
2002 | Black Rock Desert | The Floating World | 80 ft (24 m) | 28,979 | None |
|
|
First year for FAA approved airport. 135 BLM citations and 4 Sheriff citations. | |||||||
2003 | Black Rock Desert | Beyond Belief | 79 ft (24 m) | 30,586 | None |
|
|
Dogs are banned for the first time. 177 BLM citations, 9 police citations, 10 arrests and 1 fatality.[65] | |||||||
2004 | Black Rock Desert | The Vault of Heaven | 80 ft (24 m) | 35,664 | None |
|
|
218 BLM citations, some issued from decoy 'art car'. Camps giving away alcohol subject to state law compliance examinations and 1 arrest. Pershing County Sheriff's office: 27 cases, 4 arrests, 2 citations. Nevada Highway Patrol: 2 DUI arrests, 217 citations, and 246 warnings were issued. | |||||||
2005 | Black Rock Desert | Psyche | 72 ft (22 m) | 35,567 | None |
|
|
The Man, perched atop a "funhouse" maze, could be turned by participants, confusing those at a distance who use it to navigate. Dream related artwork. 218 BLM citations, 6 arrests and 1 fatality. | |||||||
2006 | Black Rock Desert | Hope and Fear | 72 ft (22 m) | 38,989 |
|
|
|
The Man goes up and down reflecting a hope/fear meter. Voting stations were set up around the playa, allowing residents to cast a Hopeful or Fearful vote for the future of Man. If the vote was hopeful he would burn with his hands in the air, otherwise with hands down. They voted hopeful, and his arms were raised until the end. 155 BLM citations and 1 arrest. Pershing County Sheriff's office: 1 citation and 7 arrests. Nevada Highway Patrol: 234 citations, 17 arrests, and 213 warnings. | |||||||
2007 | Black Rock Desert | The Green Man | 72 ft (22 m) | 47,097[67] |
|
|
|
The Man was prematurely set on fire around 2:58 am, Tuesday, August 28, during a full lunar eclipse. A repeat Burning Man prankster, Paul Addis, was arrested and charged with arson,[68] and the Man was rebuilt for regular Saturday burn. Addis pleaded guilty in May 2008 to one felony count of injury to property, was sentenced to up to four years in Nevada state prison, and was ordered to pay $30,000 in restitution.[69] 331 BLM citations. | |||||||
2008 | Black Rock Desert | American Dream | 90 ft (27 m) | 49,599[70] |
|
|
|
First year that tickets are not sold at the gate.[71] The size and layout of the city is enlarged to accommodate a larger central playa and a longer Esplanade. Because of excessively high winds and whiteout conditions on Saturday, the burning of the Man was delayed for over an hour and a half and the fire conclave was canceled. Many longtime contributors opted out allegedly due to the chosen theme ("The American Dream"), the jailing of dissenter Addis, and the founders' rift. The perimeter of BRC extended to 9 miles. The BLM made 6 arrests and issued 129 citations. | |||||||
2009 | Black Rock Desert | Evolution | 75 ft (23 m) | 43,558[72] |
|
|
|
As the result of some criticism, the size and layout of the city were returned to roughly the same as the 2007 event. The BLM officials said that as of noon Saturday, 41,059 people were at Burning Man, and the crowd peaked at 43,435 at noon Friday, a noted decline after years of steady attendance growth, due mainly to the 2007–2008 financial crisis. BLM issued 287 citations and 9 arrests. | |||||||
2010 | Black Rock Desert | Metropolis[73] | 104 ft (32 m) | 51,525[74] |
|
|
|
Attendance over 50,000 mark, for the first time. The gate opened early, at 6 pm Sunday, for the first time. Coincided with the inaugural Black Rock City Film Festival. BLM issued 293 citations and 8 arrests. | |||||||
2011 | Black Rock Desert | Rites of Passage[75] | 90 ft (27 m) | 53,963[76] | 50,000[77]: 1 |
|
|
According to Black Rock LLC, 27,000 tickets (all discounted tiers) were sold by midday the day following the opening of ticket sales.[78] For the first time in Burning Man history, tickets sold out before the event on July 24, 2011.[78] | |||||||
2012 | Black Rock Desert | Fertility 2.0[79] | 85 ft (26 m) | 56,149[80] | 60,900[81]: 1 |
|
|
Due to the sellout of the event in 2011, Burning Man Project opted for a complex multi-round, random selection system of ticket sales with a separate low-income program. On January 27, Burning Man Project announced that the number of tickets requested in the Main Sale was around 120,000 vis-à-vis the 40,000 that were available. In consequence, a significant number of registrants would not be awarded tickets in the Main Sale. The Main Sale was originally planned to be followed by a secondary open sale of 10,000 tickets. However, as the huge demand from the Main Sale left many veteran burners and theme camps without tickets, Burning Man Project opted for a "directed ticket distribution" (DGS) instead, i.e., "manually redirect them to some of the vital groups and collaborations that make up Black Rock City" rather than an open sale. | |||||||
2013 | Black Rock Desert | Cargo Cult[82] | 85 ft (26 m) | 69,613[83] | 68,000[84]: 1 |
|
|
The year's theme was based on John Frum and Cargo Cults.[85] Ticket tiers were eliminated and a flat rate price structure was adopted (except for low-income ticket program).[86] | |||||||
2014 | Black Rock Desert | Caravansary[87] | 105 ft (32 m) | 65,922[88] | 68,000[89]: 1 |
|
|
This year, the Burning Man Traffic Mitigation Plan went into effect. All vehicles entering Black Rock City needed a $40 vehicle pass. Only 35,000 passes were available.[90] A woman is killed in a vehicle collision.[91] | |||||||
2015 | Black Rock Desert | Carnival of Mirrors[92] | 69 ft (21 m) | 67,564[93] | 70,000[94]: 1 |
|
|
First time in nearly 10 years that the Man base is on the ground (vis-à-vis a raised base). Only 27,000 vehicle passes were made available this year.[95] | |||||||
2016 | Black Rock Desert | Da Vinci's Workshop[96] | 70 ft (21 m) | 67,290[97] | 70,000[98]: 1 |
|
|
Tying in with the 2016 theme – the works of Leonardo da Vinci, the Man was a large-scale interpretation of the Vitruvian Man on a circular frame; contained within its base was a wheel and gear system that was to allow groups of visitors to manually rotate the Man.[99] The gear system was damaged during setup, however, and was not functional during the event.[100] | |||||||
2017 | Black Rock Desert | Radical Ritual[101] | 105 ft (32 m) | 69,493[102] | 70,000[103]: 1 |
|
Theme Camps: 1395[104]
Mutant Vehicles: unknown Placed art: 317[104] |
A 41-year-old man, Aaron Joel Mitchell, died after running through the security cordon into the already ignited Man.[105] | |||||||
2018 | Black Rock Desert | I, Robot[106] | 85 ft (26 m) | 70,248[107] | 70,000[108]: 5 |
|
Theme Camps: 1472[109]
Mutant Vehicles: 618[109] Placed art: 383[109] |
Due to ticket overselling, the population of Black Rock City exceeded the 70,000 participant limit, and on Thursday of event week the BLM requested that the gate be closed. New participants were only let in once another had left.[110] | |||||||
2019 | Black Rock Desert | Metamorphoses[111] | 61 ft (19 m) | 78,850[112] | 80,000[113]: 1 |
|
Theme camps: 1545[114]
Mutant vehicles: 632[114] Placed art: 415[114] |
The BLM's definition of "population" was changed to include BRC staff and volunteers in addition to paid participants.[113]: 1 The maximum population limit was increased by 10,000 to accommodate, accordingly.[115]: 2 | |||||||
2020 | Black Rock Desert | The Multiverse[116] | N/A | 5,000[117] | N/A | N/A | Unknown |
Burning Man was canceled in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.[118] On July 2, 2020, the eight virtual Universes were announced as The Infinite Playa, Multiverse, SparkleVerse, MysticVerse, BRCvr, BURN2, Build-A-Burn, and The Bridge Experience.[119] Approximately 5,000 people showed up in the Black Rock desert for a ticketless, unofficial burn.[117] | |||||||
2021 | Black Rock Desert | The Great Unknown[120] | drone display | 20,000 | N/A | N/A | Camps: 500+[121] |
The theme was originally announced as "Terra Incognita" then later changed to "The Great Unknown".[122] The event was canceled for the second year due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.[123] An estimated 20,000 showed up for a loosely organized "rogue" burn.[49] | |||||||
2022 | Black Rock Desert | Waking Dreams[124] | Not yet public information | 75,069[125] | 87,000[126]: 2 |
|
Not yet public information |
On December 15, 2021, the Burning Man Project announced that the 2022 event would take place in person.[127] | |||||||
2023 | Black Rock Desert | Animalia[128] | Not yet public information | Not yet public information | 87,000[129]: 3 |
|
Not yet public information |
The event experienced inclement weather and flooding for the first time, forcing the gates and the roads leading to Black Rock City to be closed for a period of time. A death was also reported.[130] |
Population counts
The population count is a stipulation of the Special Recreation Permit (SRP) granted to the Burning Man Project, formerly Black Rock City, LLC (BRC), by the BLM, for the event each year. Originally used to calculate fees, it's now used to ensure that the event does not exceed the maximum authorized population as specified in the SRP. Not everyone at the event is included in the population count. Exempted from the count are government personnel and government contractors; however, this has changed over time.
The population count was originally used to calculate fees owed to the BLM. It was not long until the BLM began considering putting a limit on the number of people that would be allowed to attend the event. This became a point of contention as early as 1998 when the BLM proposed a complicated usage formula, effectively limiting the size of the event to that of the previous year.[131][132]
Starting in 2006, the SRP stipulated that BRC manage "ticket sales in a manner to keep the maximum population of the event from increasing more than 6% above the highest population recorded in a previous year."[66]: 1 Fees were based on the daily population counts of Black Rock City at noon.[66]: 12 This was the first year where fees were explicitly exempted for BRC staff.[66]: 12 .
In 2011, the fee structure changed to be based on adjusted gross income and was no longer tied to daily population counts.[133]: 5
The 2012 SRP further defined who was to be counted in population counts. The term "participant" was introduced, as defined in that year's Environmental Assessment (EA), to include "all attendees of the event, including paid participants and volunteers. The population does not include government personnel, Humboldt General Hospital emergency service providers, vendors and contractors."[134]: 2–1 The maximum authorized population now applied to "participants".[81]: 1
In 2014, volunteers were explicitly exempted from the population count and the population cap was further refined to now apply to "paid participants".[89]: 1
In 2019, the definition of "population" changed again, this time to include BRC staff and volunteers, now collectively referred to as "attendees".[113]: 1 This coincided with the necessity of a new Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the 2019-2028 SRP application which introduced this change in definition.[135]: ES-1 The Burning Man Project reported a population of 78,850 for that year, an increase of about 8,600 people from the previous year, noting that "everyone" was now being counted in the maximum population count.[136] This roughly correlates with the Burning Man Project's 2019 Form 990 disclosure which states it employs 986 people and has 10,000 volunteers.[137]: 1
In 2022, an additional restriction on the total number of attendees for the entirety of the event was introduced. "The cumulative maximum authorized population for the 2022 event is 87,000 total attendees." The maximum number of attendees on the playa at any one time remained as it was in 2019 at 80,000.[126]: 1
This section contains too many or overly lengthy quotations. (September 2023) |
Because of the variety of goals fostered by participatory attendees, known as "Burners," Burning Man does not have a single focus. Features of the event are subject to the participants and include community, artwork, absurdity, decommodification and revelry. Participation is encouraged.[138][139]
The Burning Man event and its affiliated communities are guided by 10 principles meant to evoke the cultural ethos that has emerged from the event. They were originally written by Larry Harvey in 2004[140] as guidelines for regional organizing, then later became universal criteria of the general culture of the multifaceted movement. The 10 Principles are:[141]
- radical inclusion
- gifting
- decommodification
- radical self-reliance
- radical self-expression
- communal effort
- civic responsibility
- leaving no trace
- participation
- immediacy
The descriptions in quotes are the actual text:
Radical inclusion
"Anyone may be a part of Burning Man. We welcome and respect the stranger. No prerequisites exist for participation in our community." This was written with a broad stroke for general organizing, meaning anyone is welcome to the Burning Man culture. Prerequisites for the Burning Man[141] event are: participants are expected to provide for their own basic needs, follow the guidelines in the annually updated event "survival guide", and purchase a $475 ticket to get in.[142]
Gifting
"Burning Man is devoted to acts of gift-giving. The value of a gift is unconditional. Gifting does not contemplate a return or an exchange for something of equal value." Instead of cash, burners are encouraged to rely on a gift economy, a sort of potlatch. In the earliest days of the event, an underground barter economy also existed, in which burners exchanged "favors" with each other. While this was originally supported by the Burning Man organization, it is now largely discouraged. Instead, burners are encouraged to give one another gifts unconditionally.
Decommodification
"To preserve the spirit of gifting, our community seeks to create social environments that are unmediated by commercial sponsorships, transactions, or advertising. We stand ready to protect our culture from such exploitation. We resist the substitution of consumption for participatory experience." No cash transactions are permitted between burners. Cash can be used for a select few charity, fuel, and sanitation vendors as follows:[143]
- Café beverages such as coffee, chai, lemonade, etc., which are sold at Center Camp Café, operated by the organizers of the event.[144] Citing cost, decreased need, environmental impact, and decommodification, beverage sales were halted in 2022.[145]
- Ice sales benefit the local Gerlach-Empire school system.[146]
- Tickets for the shuttle bus to the nearest Nevada communities of Gerlach and Empire which is operated by a contractor not participating in the event: Green Tortoise.[147]
- A reentry wristband, which allows a person to leave and reenter the event and may be purchased at the gate upon exit.[148]
- An airport use fee, payable at the airport upon first entry.[149]
- Diesel and biodiesel sold by third-party contractors.
- RV dump service and camp graywater disposal service.[150]
- Private portable toilets and servicing, which can be arranged with the official contractor.
Radical self-reliance
"Burning Man encourages the individual to discover, exercise, and rely on his or her inner resources." The event's harsh environment and remote location require participants to be responsible for their subsistence. Since the LLC forbids most commerce, participants must be prepared and bring all their own supplies with the exception of the items stated in Decommodification.[151] Public portable toilets are also available throughout the city; some of these are, like art cars, decorated in imaginative ways by volunteers.[152]
Radical self-expression
"Radical self-expression arises from the unique gifts of the individual. No one other than the individual or a collaborating group can determine its content. It is offered as a gift to others. In this spirit, the giver should respect the rights and liberties of the recipient." Burners are encouraged to express themselves in a number of ways through various art forms and projects. The event is clothing-optional and public nudity is common, though not practiced by the majority.[153][154][155]
Communal effort
"Our community values creative cooperation and collaboration. We strive to produce, promote and protect social networks, public spaces, works of art, and methods of communication that support such interaction." Burners are encouraged to work with and help one another.[156]
Civic responsibility
"We value civil society. Community members who organize events should assume responsibility for public welfare and endeavor to communicate civic responsibilities to participants. They must also assume responsibility for conducting events in accordance with local, state and federal laws."
Leave no trace
"Our community respects the environment. We are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather. We clean up after ourselves and endeavor, whenever possible, to leave such places in a better state than when we found them."
Participation
"Our community is committed to a radically participatory ethic. We believe that transformative change, whether in the individual or in society, can occur only through the medium of deeply personal participation. We achieve being through doing. Everyone is invited to work. Everyone is invited to play. We make the world real through actions that open the heart." People are encouraged to participate, rather than observe.
Immediacy
"Immediate experience is, in many ways, the most important touchstone of value in our culture. We seek to overcome barriers that stand between us and a recognition of our inner selves, the reality of those around us, participation in society, and contact with a natural world exceeding human powers. No idea can substitute for this experience."