To listen to the media (or your cousin Fred, who called to ask if you were still alive), Burning Man’s “Animalia” theme might as well have been “Lord of the Flies.” It was definitely a moment, and more eyeballs were on us for a few days than we’ve seen in a long while. Until, of course, nothing bad happened, and the mud dried, and we burned the Man.
The sensationalized coverage that inundated the social feeds failed to capture the magic that convenes, fuels and inspires the Burning Man community — on the playa and out in the world. And they totally missed it when it comes to explaining what Burning Man really is: a global nonprofit supported by a network of humans inspired by the 10 Principles, and united in the pursuit of a more creative and connected life.
Still, it’s nice to be noticed, so I’m going to take the win here and celebrate our moment: everything that didn’t happen, and all the things that did. Because, make no mistake, this was a point in our history that affirmed who we are, as a community and as a nonprofit. A group of people defined not by rain and mud but by generosity, civic responsibility, and communal effort. Because the truth is, and you know this if you were there, that we crushed it.
For more than 35 years the Burning Man community has been producing outdoor events under the open skies in all kinds of climates around the world — over 100 of them annually at last count. Being out in the great outdoors in random weather is baked into the Burning Man genome. Sure, you can Burn on an urban beach or in a sylvan glen, but there’s something special about sharing a weather event and living to tell the tale. It’s a feature, not a bug.
“All real communities grow out of a shared confrontation with survival.”
–Larry Harvey
As for the Burning Man Project staff, you know we train for this sort of thing, right? In order to get our permits for the event, we’ve had to write a bookcase full of contingency plans, and we play them out alongside our government agency partners every year in what are called tabletop exercises. And sometimes, like this year, in real life. Which in the case of a rain event like this one, consists mostly of staying cool, making sure everyone has all the things, and waiting for the mud to dry. Not to brag, but we are actually so good at this now that government agencies and NGOs have studied our methods. And it’s not just the staff, it’s all about amazing participants who consistently embody our 10 Principles by staying prepared and taking care of each other when things get weird. After Hurricane Katrina ravaged the Gulf Coast in 2005, a group of Burners drove straight from the Nevada desert to Mississippi to help out. That’s the origin story of Burning Man Project’s Burners Without Borders program, and we’re still hard at it doing community resilience work around the world.
At a certain level the 10 Principles can’t really be taught, they can only be learned. When it comes to either personal growth or positive social change, nothing is ever going to change unless you do. No assemblage of words and pictures, however lyrical and persuasive, are going to trigger that kind of transformation. You can’t read about it, or watch a video; you have to live it.
Take Radical Self-reliance, for instance. There’s a big difference between reading in the Survival Guide that you should bring extra trash bags and duct tape, and actually getting to use them to make a pair of stylish mud boots. Or taking the full recommended amount of water with you even though it seems like way too much, and then being able to gift a jug or two to your neighbor on day six of what he thought was going to be a four-day trip.
“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.”
–Hunter S. Thompson
At this year’s event, it’s safe to say that a lot of this sort of experiential learning took place. What we’re hearing is that people loved it. That it was the best year ever because of the deep and profound relationships they created or strengthened with their neighbors in Black Rock City. Because any year you go home with more friends than you came with is a win for everyone.
That’s what turned our quirky little desert camping trip into a cultural movement in the first place, and what keeps us moving forward. Twenty-five years of Burning Man Regional Events around the world don’t exist because we franchised the Burn, but because people teamed up with their friends to make more Burning Man happen in more places more of the year. To make more art, and create more opportunities for more people to step out of their comfort zones and realize their potential as humans. To keep growing the community and our global mission, to extend the culture, friend by friend by friend.
So as we chisel the last bits of dried mud from our boot-bottoms let’s keep telling cousin Fred that we really truly are ok, and maybe even better! It’s up to all of us to spread our stories of resilience and thriving out into the world — whether you were at the burn this year or not. Our moments of cultural connection, wherever we are in the world, define who we are as a community, and bond us to each other in enduring ways. Let’s go out and make more Burning Man happen, everywhere and all the time.
Because this is what we do.
Cover image of a double rainbow over Black Rock City, 2023 (Photo by Dr. Tre DPW)
Yes.
This is what we do, and we’re all better for it.
Thank you, Stuart.
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Everything was cool until the hippies ran out of vegan cheese, then all hell broke loose
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What you do? You described putting yourself in conditions to suffer for art while people are suffering in the same conditions daily. At the moment it is a privileged mockery. Every person has the capacity to create magical things given the opportunity. Thanks for reiterating why the big burn should end. Read humanity. We do not need this.
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Such a perfect comment.
*chef’s kiss*
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Interesting perspective. I’d add that the burning man org actually did very little to ensure the safety of BRC citizens during the storm. As a 5 year TCO, what we leaned on was our other theme camp organizers. Within an hour of realizing that the rain was going to shut down city services, our camp had spoken to two other sister camps to organize which resources we had extra of between water, gas, and food, and what we could share in a pinch. At no point did anyone from the Org come by and ask how we were on water, food, and power. Which is fine: theme camp organizers are used to getting zero support outside of a plot of land. The challenge with articles like this is that they continue to allow the BMorg to act like it is a nonprofit when it is convenient, a community when it is convenient, and an event when it is convenient. Nonprofits transparently publish their budgets, program details (ticket sales), and treat their volunteers (TCO’s) with respect. This celebration doesn’t belong to the org–it belongs to the actual community who work to keep 30,000+ people in BRC alive, safe, and well each year while paying for their ever increasingly priced tickets in the process. Well done, Mayors. Keep up the good work.
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What you aren’t seeing is that the org maintained the critical infrastructure you didn’t need to need. Things like fueling generators to maintain coms for emergency services. So yes, your camps did y’all’s part to look out for each other. And I’m sorry you didn’t have anyone from the org coming by to personally check on your camp hahahaha.
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except for keeping the porto’s emptied and cleaned…. and providing ice to sell (for those folks relying on it to keep their food from spoiling).
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Nailed the whole experience. Well done!
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Awesome!
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Great article! However, There were some folks that struggled, and this article glossed over them. I stayed at the Mobility Camp, and folks who rely on wheels to get around really struggled. Meaning, if you rely on w wheelchair, you were stuck for days; as evidenced by a gentlemen in our camp who was stuck in the camp kitchen for 4 days. He simply couldn’t get out because of the mud. It was heartbreaking. And there wasn’t a solution.
So, as usual, people privileged with mobility crushed it. And some of those without it really suffered.
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Well said and so true. As resto begins my heart is fill with hope and gladness as the attendees truly embrace the principles of Burning Man and society experiment we do every year. Thank you
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“So as we chisel the last bits of dried mud from our boot-bottoms let’s keep telling cousin Fred that we really truly are ok, and maybe even better! “
I am definitively better and stepped way outside my comfort zone this year… I’m so happy to have been a part of this epic gathering
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We crushed it!!
Thank you, Stuart!
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So very proud of the Burning Man community. Our only burn so far is the 2022 heatwave. Sorry we missed 2023.
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Brilliant, I expected nothing less from the Burning Man staff and organizers. and our beautiful brothers and sisters in the Burning Man community.
Showed themselves more than equal to meet the challenges of Mother Nature. I must admit I was a bit nonplussed by the initial reports from the mass media regarding the
weather and the initial negative effect it had on the community but as we all know the media tends to sensationalize and emphasize the negative on events of this type.Looking back on it it was a learning experience making all stronger and more dedicated as a community.
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I will say that I did see several occasions of people throwing “mud balls” and Verbal slurs at cars, that while shouldn’t have been driving on the streets, were, and it felt pretty sad to witness.
Obviously those cars knew they shouldn’t have been driving on the roads during the mud, but maybe it was an emergency, and slurs and mud balls didn’t help.
Also, while I completely understand the misinformation of saying “gate is closed”, to prevent people from trying to exit, the gate was not closed, and people could leave well before it officially opened. Maybe the messaging could have been “gate is closed except for emergencies only by capable 4wd vehicles only”. That would have gotten mostly the same message across and been far more accurate.
Otherwise yes the media is whack and this is was another strong data point to prove that.
Just some thoughts!
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So people were free to leave. I see no problem with that.
Should the Org have turned people around rather than letting them leave? My impression was is they delayed the announcement that the gate was open for departures in order to avoid a flash mob showing up and creating gridlock. Consider this the reverse of their policy in recent years of the “soft opening” to ease ingress.
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The Real Burners stuck it out and did they shine . It never felt more like community ,than it did this year too me. During the rain and afterwards I witnessed the the real heart and soul of the true Burners. Generosity, concern, and caring pored out in all fashion. We made the best of the situation. During my childhood I had to walk every where with my mother she never learned to drive and was my only parent ,if it rained we sang ,singing in the rain all the way to our destination. We never dwelt on the poor situation, we rose above it. In memory of my mother not only did I go out a sing a few bars , I rose above it ! Thanks Mom. Your loving Son.
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One comment:
Dry socks-Sneakers-Superfeet insoles_Glad forceFlex trashbags-3″gorilla tape-crappy wallmart socks-3″gorilla tape.
Worked perfectly all day.
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Such a great Burn and shared experience. I almost feel like I’m letting my friends in Defaultia down when I tell them how great it was.
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We were so touched by our community of non-Burner friends who reached out to make sure we were ok, and listened to our stories describing the scenario you described in your excellent article. We are grateful for both the opportunity to share the intimate stories and spaces that the storm provided with our treasured campmates, and to take those experiences back home with us to reassure, enchant and inform our concerned default world dear ones about the communal magic, awesome moments and the ‘lotus rising from the mud’ (along with those pesky brine shrimp!) that the Playa provides.
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Thank you for this lovely reminder of what happened and what will continue to happen. Love this community and loved watching new burners in our camp take it all on with enthusiasm and grace. What a year!
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Thanks for this great article. I loved this year’s burn! It was the best I have ever been to, hands down, in the seven years that I have been since 2014. It was so nice to be able to build and strike camp with crystal clear weather. It seems like every other year has had a major dust storm either when we are trying to build or strike camp. One Burner commented that this year was his favorite because after the rain dried up some, when people were walking about, they made more eye contact and more effort to connect with others.
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thank you Stuart for your comments. All 14 people in our Healing Foot Wash camp agreed that this was our best burn ever!! when it rained enough to stop bicycles, we had two friends from the opposite side of the city who happened to be visiting a camp near us and they came to our camp instead of the impossible trip back to theirs. Ended up spending the night along with a third itinerant whose companions left Burning Man without him. He had only the pack on his back and no sleeping bag. He left our camp the next morning after a couple of hearty meals. He made good on his promise to let us know how things were turning out when he came back later and told us he found to ride back to his home state.
I personally feel totally cared for at Burning Man. I am retirement age and gray-headed. And found myself being looked after, watched over, offered several times to be accompanied back to my camp when I was out on the Esplanade alone. This was my seventh burn and I hope to come back every possible future year that I can!!
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Perfectly said. Each time it rained, it all became a little bit more difficult and each time venturing forth yielded a bit more magic. And then the last rain came, so heralding a new fresh aura which enveloped everything.
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Yes, Very well put, I wholeheartedly agree! Thank you for putting it into words and sharing.
x, DecadeOfLove
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Do you think you could possibly be any more Pollyanna about this if you tried really really hard? “Best burn ever”????
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It was certainly a very emotional year where Unity and the sense of community touched our hearts. Knowing you are cared for and protected by your neighbors and supported by others is not easy in the world these days and bunring man reminded us this year of the beauty of being a tribe. Thank you incredible 2023
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Although I was not able to participate physically with all of you at BRC this year, I still lived through those moments hoping that the Burning Man Spirit would prevail when the rain fell and horror stories were spread. I am glad to hear and read that for many it was the best year ever.
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What does a pile of 100,000 trash bags look like? After being used as foot coverings, most were not usable for carrying trash, but rather became trash.
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Wow?!
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Chaos by Oxford definition:
(1) “complete disorder and confusion”
(2) “behavior so unpredictable as to appear random, owing to great sensitivity to small changes in conditions”
if one is not ready to accept and appreciate the -changes in conditions- nature unpredicts,
better go to Coachella.
ANIMALIA 2023 was meant to be a wild one.
“Playa provides, playa decides”
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As we had internet at our camp it was amusing to be in the thick of experiencing an international news event: While watching from the inside how the outside was reporting it, the media was a parody of itself.
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You guys are amazing!!! My son has gone 8 years in a row and seen all kinds of crazy stuff…and each year was great….I was there in 2017 for 12 days and 11 nights…Loved every minute…now 77 years old and wanting to go back…ho ho ho…KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK. Chad (son) and I at the ORGANIC FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CAMP(since 2011) at 3 and K….that is where the 55-foot tower stands as a great land-mark….also the two GIANT swings there too.
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I watched burners attacking people trying to leave in the mud. It looked like a zombie movie. Violence was taking place in a way I have never seen in BRC. The ten core principles ( a fairly new concept for BRC) are being treated more like Ten Commandments these days.
People were lied to and told gates were closed when in fact the gates to exit were never closed. This lead to panic and mistrust. I see the motivation to put out misinformation to control the crowds. Lost trust is hard to regain.
How close was this to disaster? Another few tenths of rain would have made this event a humanitarian crisis. Disease spreads fast in mud and human waste, many toilets were already overflowing on Saturday night.
A lot of attention is focused on media coverage. Why feed the corporate trolls?
I think we should be honest and practical and look at how close this was to an actual emergency.
I watched an interview with BM CEO. She said she was in contact with state and federal authorities including the national guard. That’s not a normal BORG phone call. How often does BORG talk with the national guard on the weekend of the burn? Never.
Let us at least be honest with ourselves. 2023 was a close call.
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How often does the BORG talk to the National Guard? Hopefully any time they call. With all the widespread panic and misinformation, they were probably ready to sweep down from the sky and save us all. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with saying, “Thanks so much for your concern, but we have it under control. If things change and we need your help, we’ll let you know.”
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We missed this year and as an 8 time Burner at a level we know we missed something magical. Friends, neighbors, gym rats, and family asked questions, I shared our hearing from our friends there in the moment and hailed the opportunity to share what our our Principles mean and not just on The Playa but practiced in the Default World. I loved the pic of the giant Playa Mud Penis :-).
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Best. Year. EVARRRRR!
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On Saturday morning after the rain, my camp, full of first-second year burners, were demoralized. As a 13-year burner I knew that “this is not the burn” they signed up for. Well, you get what you get. I was the “old guy with the RV” so I did what I’d prepared years for — giving out food and drink to those who need it. Just like Stuart notes above. I’ve brought extra food for 7 years . . . But never needed it. Pancakes, bacon and a little drank got people up. Soon folks were laughing and playing. Being a good burner means preparing for disaster when there seem to be none on the horizon. Extra fat tire inner-tubes also, for the wayward burner with fat-tire flat. It felt wonderful for my wife Rocket and I to give back. I could have taken the easy way out: A friend was so terrified by the news he offered to have my wife and I helicoptered out of Black Rock City . . . When all we really needed was more vodka.
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Hi All,
First of all, thanks and kudos to all those put their time and good faith to solve the situation we had this year.
That being said is time for reflexion and try to reflect on some of the things that could be improved if another “situation” like this happen in the future.
For that I have two questions:
1- Why the ORG (through the Radios 95.1 and 94.5) lied to us from Saturday thru Monday saying the gates were closed when it wasn’t true? I do understand the rationale behind it: trying to stop people to hit the roads and the whole “getting stuck” mess… But why don’t tell the truth meaning “take the road at your own risk of getting stuck that eventually will cost you thousands of dollars in the future, etc…” Was it a question of liability? Why lie to us?
2- Why tell people (even on the website for the outside woirld) that wi-fi was implemented when in actuality was a shitty connection at Center Camp that remind me the days of old modems connections! We couldn’t even go to websites for info and it was even harder to send texts or emails to our worried families that happened to read the inflated news about what was happening… C’mon gals/guys, you cash millions and can’t afford for a few days a Starlink (or other) decent connection for people to get info about the situation and connect with each other? I’m pretty sure that in headquarters at the burn you had really fast connections, right?
Ok, I took it out of my system. See you next year on playa if there is a next year…
Thanks,
Solar
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Why didn’t YOU bring a starlink, if you felt connection was vital?
And people panicking and leaving when no driving was supposed to be happening actually destroyed the playa surface, if you can picture that. Gate was closed. What do you think that means? There’s no wall stopping ya from leaving! Of course you CAN actually drive out if you wanted. No one was trapping you in. But is it a good idea? No.
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Excellent writing and true words, Stuart!
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Fabulous story, love the headline. My daughter celebrated her 33rd birthday there and reported it was an enjoyable time. Survival skills, comraderie, and resilence was just the prescription for a lifelong experience. She invited me to come along next year.
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Thank you! These comments are so right-on and make me so happy, Burning Man makes me so happy! I went for the first time in 2022 at the age of 75. I was invited by my son and daughter-in-law! How lucky is that? I went again this year, and again it was wonderful.
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You hit it on the nose. This was an extraordinary experience. Like really all of my experiences Burning man
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Quote: As for the Burning Man Project staff, you know we train for this sort of thing, right?
Perhaps, yes, but the level of communication from the Org with the Black Rock City populace felt abysmal and lacking any modicum of worthwhile information.
I’ve been a Burner for 24 years and this was the first time I’ve experienced rain on this level. Our camp was over-prepared (as we always are) and had plenty of food, water, fuel, and supplies to support us and those around us for many days post-Burn if needed.
What felt lacking was concrete information we could rely upon from BMIR and GARS. Since my first Playa visit I’ve always brought a battery powered radio, but for many around us they didn’t even think to turn to BMIR for information. They all got online and looked to BM website as BMIR instructed. But neither source of info mattered since any updates were many hours old. Sunday morning was still playing 9am Sat updates. Like, really? GARS was even worse, playing repetitive AI voices basically saying gate road is closed with no other context. That’s fine but using a human to say WHY roads are closed would have been helpful for anyone, especially virgins or those who weren’t experienced. Telling people vehicles *will* get stuck and why. A little science behind the playa and what happens when it gets that wet.
In fact, we had an oversized RV come barreling down our 6:45 pedestrian road at Midnight Saturday night and promptly got stuck in the muck. For HOURS they were trying to get going, spinning their wheels. We tried to tell them to wait until it dries a little, to which they promptly told us: F your burn. So we cracked some beers, poured cocktails, put on some tunes and watched the entertainment unfold of them hopping around, shoving stuff under wheels, and then finally it happened near dawn they got enough traction to move and off they went roaring down the pedestrian road and leaving tarps and ladders embedded in the playa. Who left no trace? Us. WE pulled their crap out and took it home.
What’s lame is now we find out the Org plans for this, but missed huge opportunities to communicate these plans. They didn’t think or want to communicate any real, viable info with the city, except “gate is closed,” or “don’t use 5:30 road.” We had friends who left on Monday because GARS said Exodus was 4 hours from Greeters. It took them 30 mins from camp to Greeters and then 9 hours to pavement. GARS still kept saying 4 hours and not updated until hours later.
What would have been helpful was at a minimum hourly BMIR updates on the hour, with 15 min notices that next update would be at top of next hour. Include current info about expected weather, anticipated road openings, ANY updates. But I feel like the Org acts like they can do no wrong and can’t accept constructive criticism. Not saying they lie, but withholding pertinent information is wrong. Knowing the optics of saying Exodus is taking 8 hours wouldn’t look good so easier to say 4. Twitter, er, I mean X, was same dearth of info. And then finally repetitive bleating tweets (Xs?!) after Monday declaring Exodus is 20 mins like it was an accomplishment of the Org’s planning was ridiculous.
Will I still go? Of course, ain’t nothing else like being on the Playa, but I’ve lost the last dregs of any respect for the Org.
Pumping out “feel good” stories for positive PR is one thing but it’s quite obvious the Org wasn’t prepared for this level of rain either and didn’t want that to be revealed. Do better, please.
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shouldnt come if you dont respect and modicum of it anymore XD
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Sounds like you wanna volunteer for BMIR!
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“For more than 35 years the Burning Man community has been producing outdoor events ……”
Have we?
Co-creating or shaping or setting a high bar would be languaging that is closer to what is experienced.
I have produced nothing personally.
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So GREAT! So AWESOME! So AMAZING! It’s always nice to hear from the experience of the ones who were there than those watching from a distance. Otherwise we’d never hear the real story. To all who were at burning man, you will be the ones who survive and be there for others. I’m so glad my son Zachary made a burning man event a few years ago, his first experience. I’m know he would have been there this last time if he were with us today. I have great photos othered shared after his passing so that I could see what an amazing time he had and how everyone appreciated him. He was that ONE who was helping others in many aspects. Keep doing what you’re doing and keep communicating to people about Burning Man. ✌ In memory of my son Zak, PeaceNotGreed ❤️
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wonderful job Stuart!
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Despite the media reportsm I was certain burners were having a ball. Because, community. A heap of my friends from Western Australia, all blazers here (Blazing Swan is our burn) reported back to us daily and they totally loved it.
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The good and the bad thing about burning man is that it’s inclusive. This means hundreds, possibly thousands of malcontents, people who could care less about the 10 principles, and scammers among some of the greatest people I have ever met. We were given the chance this year to learn so much, especially about ourselves. It brought out the best in us burners. Not so much in people paying no attention to the advice of those in the know and the terminally selfish. It makes me angry to hear the critical posts of people who don’t have a clue what it takes to get every over medicated, party animal out of there in 1 piece. It’s not easy. So if you think you can do it better, volunteer for years, get a paid job, and listen to all your critics. See what that feels like.
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Crushed it is right, and two-3 extra days of BM cause of the rain!? yes please!!
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Jennifer said it just right above. Its a shame that the weekenders that came totally unprepared for such an evert were able to paint such a terrible experience across the media. The media dwells on disasters as it sells soap. Personally I and my fellow camp mates made the best of it and stayed home and enjoyed each others company more than we had in the previous week. We did what true Burners do best. Work together, share and enjoy each others company. I say close the gates Tuesday night to keep those who come unprepared and with only the intent of living off the city out. It was rain, not meteorites or comets falling from the sky. If you did not have a good burn because of a little rain don’t go back. The real burners will not miss you.
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i think one of the things that made it so great was weekenders not getting in cuz “gates were closed” def made a big impact imo… but im also partial to the saying Get off of my lawn!! lol
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I had a good time. It was wonderful to have so many interactions with people. Yes, the mud was a logistical nightmare but it also provided the opportunity for the reset many of us experienced.
While the messaging on BMIR could have been more clear at times, overall it was solid. They explained the stop-driving order (many of the commenters seem to have forgotten about that) in addition to having our new pal Butthole Steve explain how NOT to do it.
The weather before and after the rain was magical. It wasn’t dusty, it wasn’t hot (although the heat doesn’t bother me). During the rain we had those righteous sunsets and rainbows — the late-day light on Razorback and other surrounding mountains was glorious. The playa without cars? Even more glorious.
Black Rock City was so phenomenally good this year it’s difficult to describe.
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I had no doubt that burners were having a good time, despite what the media said. Simply put, community. Blazers in Western Australia (Blazing Swan is our burn) sent daily reports of how much fun they were having at the event.
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