The Burning Man event is a week-long, large-scale desert event focused on "community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance" held annually in the western United States. It takes place in the Black Rock Desert, Pershing County, Nevada, and is organized by the Burning Man Project. The event has been active for 37 years, with its inaugural year being 1986. The name "Burning Man" comes from its culminating ceremony, the symbolic burning of a large wooden effigy referred to as "the Man," which occurs on the penultimate night of the event, the Saturday evening before Labor Day.
Key details about the Burning Man event include:
- Dates: August 27, 2023, to September 4, 2023.
- Location: Black Rock City, a temporary city erected in the Black Rock Desert, approximately 100 miles (160 km) north-northeast of Reno, Nevada.
- Participants: In 2019, the event had 78,850 official participants, while the 2021 unofficial participation was 20,000.
- Themes: Each year, the event has a specific theme. In 2023, the theme is "ANIMALIA".
- Principles: The Burning Man community is guided by 10 practical principles, which include radical inclusion, gifting, decommodification, and leaving no trace.
Burning Man is not a traditional festival but a community and global cultural movement. The event is known for its unique and vibrant atmosphere, where participants are encouraged to actively engage in various forms of self-expression and creativity.
