Burning Man is one of the world’s most unique art events. For a week, people from all over the world join forces to create a thriving experimental community called Black Rock City, where the two main factors of ‘self-expression’ and ‘self-reliance’ are highly encouraged behaviours.
In 1986, ideas and festivities for Burning Man were born on San Francisco’s Baker Beach. The name of the event comes from the tradition of burning a huge wooden effigy on the Saturday night before Labour Day. The tradition started as a small bonfire ritual between event founder Larry Harvey and his friends, and thus Burning Man was born. Throughout the years, the event has been cultivated, shaped and moved to the Black Rock Desert. It continues to grow today, holding onto its reputation for being an inclusive cultural celebration.
Since the whole idea of relying on oneself is highly stressed, participants must actively get involved to create the experience they desire. All the entertainment, art installations, musical performances, and camps are brought along by the attendees of Burning Man and not arranged by the event organizers. This kind of involvement encourages unlimited interaction between participants and adds to the overall growth and success of Burning Man.
The coolest thing is, at the end of Burning Man, everyone makes sure to pick up after themselves and leave no trace of Black Rock City or anything to indicate that a lively event occurred at all.
However, no amount of explanations will help anyone understand Burning Man to its full capacity. Engagement and participation is key, so remember these three points:
1) This year, Burning Man will be held north of Reno, Nevada in the Black Rock Desert.
2) Burning Man will be held during the last week of August up until and including Labour Day weekend.
3) Tickets can be accessed here: www.tickets.burningman.com
