Burning Man
Burning Man CEO Provides Detailed Update on Festival’s 2021 Edition
Marian Goodell, the CEO of Burning Man Project, has released a video providing an update on the decision to plan the festival’s 2021 edition. While it is still too soon to know whether or not there will be a gathering on the playa this year, Goodell did provide a timeline on when we can expect a definitive answer. New updates will be released weekly before the final decision, which she said will come between April 23-30. If the event is to happen, proof of vaccinations will be mandatory for attendees as per state requirements. There may be testing upon arrival as well. However, considering some countries do not have access to vaccinations, some will be unable to attend. There are also a number of countries that are not allowed to enter the US at this time, establishing an additi...
Burning Man Organizers Retitle Festival’s 2021 Theme Due to “Colonial History” Links
The organizers of Burning Man have remained hopeful of their ability to provide a 2021 event, announcing a theme earlier this month and issuing a “gentle nudge” to campsite organizers to start planning just last week. A post appeared in the Burning Man Project‘s blog on March 9th, revealing the theme as well as the meaning behind it. Originally titled “Terra Incognita,” a Latin phrase which translates to “unknown land,” the theme was intended to spark curiosity. Unfortunately, it was later realized that the name had negative connotations that poorly reference the country’s colonial history, according to the Reno Gazette-Journal. According to the post’s author, director of the Philosophical Center of Burning Man...
Burning Man Issues “Gentle Nudge” to Campsite Organizers, Spurring Speculation of 2021 Event
While large scale events for 2021 have generally remained on ice, Burning Man has sent out a signal to its theme camps to consider planning for a possible event this year. To be clear: Burning Man organizers have not yet officially indicated that a 2021 event is in the cards. In mid-February the festival communicated to fans via an official blog post that it was “simply too early to make the call.” In that same correspondence, they committed to deliver a final answer to stakeholders by no later than the end of May. Despite the indecision, an email from Burning Man’s placement team was recently sent to camp organizers suggesting they engage their camps. “Consider this a gentle nudge to start talking about your camp again,” the email reads. “Put out your f...
Burning Man Announces 2021 Theme: Terra Incognita
On February 18th, organizers of Burning Man 2021 released a highly anticipated update on the event via the Burning Man Project‘s blog. However, they were unfortunately unable to confirm many details regarding the prospects of the event’s 2021 edition, saying it was “simply too early to make the call.” A new post published today has announced the 2021 theme for the beloved Burning Man community: Terra Incognita. The Latin phrase, which translates to “unknown land,” traces back to the Egyptian scholar Ptolemy. While the possibility of reconnecting in Black Rock City remains unclear, the team has extended a spiritual invitation of sorts. “This year’s Burning Man theme is an invitation to emerge from our collective isolation, to ex...
Burning Man is Exploring New Sustainability Solutions on Fly Ranch Property
A 3,800 acre property located in Nevada’s Great Basin may hold secrets as to what the future of Burning Man could look like. Known as Fly Ranch, the property was purchased in 2016 by several high-profile donors for $6.5M. “The individuals that contributed funding for the purchase have one thing in common: they have been deeply moved and changed by their involvement in Burning Man, and they are invested in the future of this culture,” a journal published by the organization states. So what exactly will await at Fly Ranch? Burning Man Project and the Land Art Generator Initiative set out to find the answer by launching the LAGI 2020 Fly Ranch design challenge. The ask was for entrants to turn sustainable systems into works of art. Submissions included creative ene...
Burning Man 2021 Update: “We Just Don’t Know Yet, K?”
Following up on a January promise to provide Burning Man 2021 updates by mid-February, organizers have officially released a new statement via the Burning Man Project‘s blog. Posted on February 18th, the memo, titled “Look, We Just Don’t Know Yet, K?” speaks to the uncertainty surrounding the state of the event’s 2021 iteration. “A lot is resting on this decision, and it’s simply too early to make the call,” wrote the team. In the meantime, organizers have assured Burners that the essential procedures for an in-person event are already in the works and that they are in constant contact with the State of Nevada to review options. The statement also announced that the Burn Week dates will be the same, August 29th to September 6...
There’s a New Music and Arts Festival Planned in Black Rock Desert—But It’s Not Burning Man
Organizers of a new festival event have set their sights on Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, the long-time home of Burning Man. Operating at a similar intersection of music and art, The Everywhen Project describes itself as a nonprofit organization aimed at building community by way of supporting artists, individuals, groups, culture, and philosophy. The group is taking its mission to the desert for the launch of their inaugural event, The Electric Universe, which promises to be a “transformative experience.” “We are building a new playa family for 2021 and beyond,” the group’s website reads. “We fund artists, dreamers and builders who want to create reusable art and experiences to be enjoyed in the beautiful Black Rock Desert in Nevada.” While it...
Burning Man 2021 Still in Limbo, Organizers Promise Official Update in February
While nothing compares to summertime in Black Rock City, the definitive status of Burning Man 2021 has yet to materialize, despite a successful November fundraising campaign that crowdsourced over $5 million to keep the dream alive. A January 21st update from Dominique Debucquoy-Dodley, Burning Man Project’s Associate Director of Communications, revealed that due to the uncertainty of the impact of COVID-19 in the future, “it’s impossible to say right now if Black Rock City can happen in 2021.” “Public health and safety is our top priority,” Debucquoy-Dodley continued. “We will only inhabit Black Rock City with the appropriate safety protocols and permits in place.” He also promised that more conclusive information will be announced ...
Elon Musk Tweeted a Burning Man Meme Referencing Man Who Stormed Congress In Horned Helmet
Following the storming of the United States Capitol Building this week, the Internet was rife with memes of a man—identified as Jake Angeli—who had reportedly infiltrated the legislative chamber donning a horned helmet. However, it was one shared by Elon Musk that caught the attention of the electronic music community. The Tesla CEO chimed in on the conversation via Twitter, publishing a tweet with a meme that referenced famed arts and music festival Burning Man. “This is what happens when you cancel Burning Man,” the meme’s caption reads. Check out the tweet and photo below.
Burning Man Launches New Series with Jennifer Cardini as Debut Guest
Burning Man Project‘s live media platform Kindling has launched “Incandescence,” a monthly curated program focusing on driving “enlightened conversations” through the perspective of creators. The new virtual series has a mission to bring fans closer to artists of all types through deep dive explorations of their respective experiences and motivations to change the world. The series kicks off with a conversation between producer Jennifer Cardini and Pablo González Vargas, creator of the Mayan Warrior art car, a staple of Burning Man. Cardini is an internationally recognized techno tastemaker and owner of two labels, Correspondant and Dischi Autunno. Cardini additionally became the first female signee to Kompakt Records, a Cologne-based...
Old Burning Man Sculptures Find a Home at New “Area 15” Art Complex
Since the Burning Man festivities were brought to a screeching halt in 2020, one man is keeping the festival’s spirit alive by featuring a number of its awe-inspiring sculptures with a new art complex called “Area 15.” The mysterious Las Vegas bunker opened in the desert last week as the brainchild of Michael Beneville, a 10-year Burning Man veteran whose dream was to bring the ineffable communal spirit of the festival to the outside world. “Burning Man is its own very special thing,” Beneville told Artnet News during a virtual tour last week. “It’s 68,000 of the most creative people on the planet coming together to build something that’s just extraordinary. I’m humble enough to know that we would never try to recreate Burning Man.” Art I...
Look Inside the 2020 Virtual Burning Man Multiverse
In the midst of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, it’s no longer a surprise when a music festival decides to host an online event. While many have opted for run-of-the-mill livestreams hosted on platforms like YouTube and Twitch, some organizers have devised clever ways to spice up the experience. Always one for both technological and artistic advancements, The Burning Man Project introduced a virtual Burn to give fans a way to connect and experience the event from the safety of their homes. Users created avatars and were able to explore a virtual Black Rock City, traversing a digital recreation of the playa in full 3D. On the Burning Man website, organizers shared a video showing how to get involved with the online event. On Twitter, DJ Nick Warren shared a...
