Dip Your Mind Into the Great Unknown: Experiences Not to Miss This Week in Virtual Burn

Virtual Burn 2021 kicked off today — and oh lordy, it’s delightfully raw and wily in all the right ways. As I poured over an entire week of event listings across seven Worlds, a familiar feeling nestled itself in my belly. It felt a little like I had arrived in Black Rock City, albeit less tired and dusty, and I was pouring through the WhatWhereWhen booklet, trying to wrap my mind around the “Woah, Why, and How” of it all. 

The familiar feeling, I realized, was FOMO. 

How the heck am I going to be able to remember, travel to, and fully participate in SO many phantasmagorical, mind-bending, enlightening community events, all within the span of one week? 

It will require some recommendations, a shortlist, and a plan. We figured you might need one too. And so we’ve gathered WhatWhereWhen links, a handful of “not-to-miss” experiences, and links to available support services for Virtual Burners.

But there’s oh, so much more. You’re heartily encouraged to dive in and savor the vast smorgasbord of experiences Burners just like YOU have co-created for the sole purpose of sharing with the global community. Here are instructions for accessing each and every Virtual Burn World. We’d love to see your shortlist of not-to-miss Virtual Burn experiences. Drop them in the comments below!

Handy WhatWhereWhen Links

• Virtual Burn WhatWhereWhen: See all events submitted to our WhatWhereWhen.
• SparkleVerse: Create an account or log in. Click on ‘What’s On” for a list of all events.
• BRCvr: Browse the BRCvr What Where When. Peruse ALL the BRCvr Worlds.
• Build-A-Burn: Create an account, then click on the globe on the top left of the screen.
• vPlaya Info: Accessible via Zoom and live chat; also in all Worlds via a highly visible, clickable “i” icon.
• Our guide to accessing ALL the virtual Worlds.

Week-long Experiences

1. The Sparkle Pony Express

WHERE: Build-A-Burn, next to Gate
WHEN: Throughout Burn Week, 24/7

Find the schoolbus as soon as you come off Gate Road; then click on the unicorn and be teleported from one adventure to another, all while learning about the 10 Principles.

2. The Solar Shrine World

WHERE: BRCvr
WHEN: Throughout Burn Week, 24/7

Experience a magnificent VR rendering of The Solar Shrine, Antwane Lee’s 2021 Honoraria project, which explores the magical realism of Ancient Egypt and Nubia.

3. Sunrise and Sunset EVERY DAY

WHERE: Deep Playa in Build-A-Burn:  Sunrise | Sunset
WHEN: Daily, throughout Burn Week

Experience a wondrously unique sunrise and sunset tableau every day, complete with a rotating selection of playa art — because the sun is always rising and setting somewhere. 

4. Temple Museum

WHERE: BRCvr
WHEN: Throughout Burn Week, 24/7

Rising from the ashes of yesteryear is the virtual Temple Museum. A retrospective of Black Rock City Temples, these are sacred spaces to celebrate, mourn, reflect, or just be.

5. Incendia

WHERE: Dusty Multiverse
WHEN: August 30-September 5, starting daily at 3pm PT / 5pm CT / 6pm ET / 12am* CEST

Burnify your avatar and gather beneath a stunning rendition of Black Rock City’s infamous fire dome sound camp to experience a daily lineup of great music.

6. Szentek

WHERE: SparkleVerse Camp Szentek
WHEN: Drop in throughout Burn Week

File under: a great place to hang out. In Scotland, Szentek hosts a series of eclectic music and art events. In SparkleVerse, expect DJs, virtual art, sound healing, and a radio show.

7. Talk to God

WHERE: Talk to God website
WHEN: Throughout Burn Week, 24/7

Burners have had the supernatural ability to talk to God since waaaay back in 2003. Now you can do it virtually. Click on the Talk to God button and an angel will put you through.

Time-bound Experiences

(Listed in chronological order)

1. Marketplace of Human Experiences

WHERE: SparkleVerse Co-Reality Main Stage
WHEN: Tuesday, August 31 @ 9pm PT / 11pm CT / 12am* ET (Sept. 1) / 6am* CEST (Sept. 1) and Friday, September 3 @ 6pm PT / 8pm CT / 9pm ET / 3am* CEST (Sept. 4)

Experiences are the gift and creativity is the currency in the Marketplace of Human Experiences as you connect with other travelers from across the Burner-verse.

2. Stories From the Man

WHERE: BRCvr Philosophical Center
WHEN: Wednesday, September 1 @ 1pm PT / 3pm CT / 4pm ET / 10pm CEST 

Join us for this rare opportunity to hear Man stories from Haggis, longtime Man Base designer and Stuart Mangrum, Director of Burning Man Project’s Philosophical Center.

3. Special Update from Fuego Austral

WHERE: Burn Week, Global Live Stream
WHEN: Thursday, September 2 @ 3pm PDT / 5pm CT / 6pm ET / 12am* CEST (Sept. 3)

Drop in and connect with the Fuego Austral community, Argentina’s official Burning Man Regional Event. There will be music, and a live streamed art installation burn.

4. Fire Conclave Dance Dance Night

WHERE to WATCH: Fire Conclave on Twitch
WHERE to PARTICIPATE: Virtual Burn Live Participation Form
WHEN: Thursday, September 2 @ 7pm PT / 9pm CT / 10pm ET / 4am* CET (Sept. 3) 

This is a fire dance for the sake of fire dancing night. It’s a chance to let your freak fire flame. Come hang out or dance, we will appreciate the audience as well as the dancers. 

5. Sinesteria VR Dance Party

WHERE: BRCvr in Sinesteria
WHEN: Friday, September 3 @ 7pm PT / 9pm CT / 10pm ET / 4am* CEST (Sept. 4) 

Immerse yourself and play in a luscious tiltbrush world where all participants wear animal masks in celebration of nature. Then shake some virtual booty to some booty-shakin’ beats.

6. Mixed Reality Hot Tub Party

WHERE: SparkleVerse Co-Reality Main Stage
WHEN: Saturday, September 4 @ 12pm PT / 2pm CT / 3pm ET / 9pm CEST

Join us from your nearest body of water: bath/shower/lake/hot tub for the world’s largest Mixed Reality Hot Tub. There will be music. There will be chatting. There will be no nudity.

7. Burning Man the Musical 

WHERE: Burn Week: Live Global Stream
WHEN: Saturday, September 4 @ 3:30pm PT / 5:30pm CT / 6:30pm ET / 12:30am* CEST (Sept. 5)

You’ve heard the rumors. There’s a new musical parody, all about Burning Man. And it’s wacky. This is your chance to gather your crew and watch it via live stream on Burn Night.

8. Psychopod

WHERE:Burn Week, Live Global Stream
WHEN: Saturday, September 4 @ 5pm PT / 7pm CT / 8pm ET / 2am* CEST (Sept. 5)

Psychopod is renowned for being one of the most out-there acts on the psychedelic scene. Tune in on Burn Night to experience a formative set from their first time on playa in 1996.

Support Services for Virtual Burners

1. Virtual Event Support Team (VEST)

WHERE: In all Worlds. Learn more here.
WHEN: Throughout Burn Week, 24/7

VEST is a dedicated global group of volunteers committed to improving the safety and wellbeing of the greater Burning Man virtual community. They provide services through VEST Rangers and Harm Reduction Volunteers, vPlaya Info Volunteers, and Temple Guardians.

2. Fireside Project

WHERE: Call 62-FIRESIDE (623-473-7433)
WHEN: August 29 – September 5, daily from 3pm-3am PT / 5pm-5am CT / 6pm-6am ET / 12pm-12am CEST

VEST has partnered with the Fireside Project to bring free, confidential peer-to-peer support by phone and text message to people who are altered or may be processing past psychedelic experiences.

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Cover image: Man Base in The Infinite Playa designed by Michael Christian