Burning Man is not just a concert-festival, party, or vacation. It is something far more raw, more primal, more soul-shaking. It is a place where lost souls can be found and where the broken go to be healed. Burning Man serves as a pilgrimage for those who long for self-expression and community. Every year, thousands of people journey to Nevada’s Black Rock City with their hopes, their dreams, their vulnerabilities, and their open hearts to awaken creative spirits. At least, that’s what Burning Man used to be about.
In 1986, two friends, Larry Harvey and Jerry James, stood on Baker Beach with a small crowd in San Francisco and set fire to an eight-foot human wooden effigy. There was no stage, no tickets, no phones — only release. At the time, these men didn’t know that in doing so, they’d be starting a generations-long movement of spontaneity. They had no idea that this simple act would soon hold meaning, birthing a city in the middle of the desert. All they knew was the longing to feel alive.
The first burn of the wooden effigy released all the grief, love, and longing the crowd felt into the sky, releasing all the pent-up feelings no one could bring themselves to say out loud into atmospheric clouds of rising smoke. Word spread of this occurrence, and people started flocking to Baker Beach to participate in the movement. Eventually, the amassed crowds grew too big, forcing San Francisco’s officials to shut down the public crusade due to concerns of a fire hazard. However, that wasn’t going to stop anyone. By 1990, Burning Man had been moved to the Black Rock Desert in Nevada, where nothing grows, and the cracked Earth stretches for hundreds of empty and indifferent miles.
What started as a small gathering of artists evolved into an annual temporary metropolis born to die. It’s customary that for nine days, those who attend Burning Man would contribute to building the city by letting go of their materialist roots. The city was founded on 10 radical principles: inclusion, gifting, decommodification, self-reliance, self-expression, communal effort, civic responsibility, leaving no trace, participation, and immediacy. These aren’t rules to follow but reminders of who we can be when we step away from the outside world.
People dance, eat, and enjoy the visually stunning art installations throughout the desert for nine days before burning the traditional wooden man on the penultimate night. Then, they vanish. I would say without a trace, because that’s what Burning Man was meant to do, but in this day and age, that statement no longer stands true. What used to be a festival of expression and creativity has now become a playground for billionaires, celebrities, and influencers, leaving behind the true meaning of what the Burning Man movement stood for.
Believe it or not, Burning Man used to be completely free to participate in. After all, it was meant to be a place of peace and welcoming for those with inhibitions needing release. Somewhere along its history, the meaning of Burning Man became misconstrued. Now, tickets range anywhere from $575 to $3,000, with the option to add a vehicle pass for another $150. As the rich flock to hop on the trend of Burning Man’s legacy, many have begun to show their distaste for them.
In 2019, Burning Man CEO Marian Goodell stated that she was “stunned” by the growing “commodification and exploitation of Black Rock City and Burning Man culture.” She continued to say, “Whether it’s commercial photo shoots, product placements, or Instagram posts thanking ‘friends’ for a useful item, attendees including fashion models and social media ‘influencers’ are wearing and tagging brands in their playa photos. This means they are using Black Rock City to increase their popularity; to appeal to customers and sell more stuff.” Goodell has even gone as far as to withdraw invitations from one camp that set itself up next to Burning Man, “Humano the Tribe,” which had accommodations for patrons costing up to $100,000 and included two bedrooms and a powerful AC unit.
One of the ethos of Burning Man is to leave no trace, but lately, this ideology has not been followed. Athena LameBull is a Nevada resident who lives on Pyramid Lake Paiute Reservation, about 70 miles from the Burning Man site. LameBull expressed her concern over Burning Man’s trash pollution when she told The New York Post, “There are people who leave abandoned trailers along the highway; they break down, leave them and don’t even come after them.”
LameBull further explained how many Burning Man attendees leave the venue in a blur, often neglecting the messes yet to be picked up, adding, “I heard from people that they left their vehicles behind because of the mud. I’ve never seen so many people hitchhiking out of Burning Man. I saw them riding six to a truck this year.” In recapping last year, it was reported that people left items behind such as dressers, mattresses, camping equipment, blankets, trash, and even cars. As the number of attendees grows, so does the mess left behind, completely ignoring one of the main principles on which Burning Man is built.
The history of Burning Man is beautiful, but it seems like somewhere along the way, the true meaning of the movement lost its touch over the years. Perhaps this can be credited to the rise of social media, perhaps not. There is no exact explanation for this, but I know that Burning Man was not created as a form of capitalization. It was a festival that served as a reminder that even in the middle of nowhere, we can build something beautiful — together. It was created to allow for a sense of freedom, even if for a limited time. Hopefully, one day, it can restore itself to those 10 radical principles again.