2024 AfterBurn

The AfterBurn is our annual look back at the past year in Burning Man history — our ups, downs, and get-back-up-agains. Burning Man Project, the official name of the nonprofit Burning Man organization, is operated and supported by thousands of people who take responsibility for making Burning Man happen in the Black Rock Desert and around the world. The AfterBurn Report highlights what Burning Man Project’s various departments do, why we do it, what changes occur year to year, our successes and failures, and our vision for the future. Browse past years’ AfterBurns here. (We also annually publish the Dispatch, a richly-illustrated folio that tells the story of our year — as an event, an organization, and a global culture.)

Burning Man 2024: Curiouser & Curiouser

About the 2024 Theme

Burning Man Project is the nonprofit in service to the global Burning Man cultural movement. Its mission is to extend the culture from the Burning Man event into the larger world. For a full view into the year-round nonprofit’s work, check out the 2024 Dispatch.

Black Rock City is a temporary metropolis built by its 80,000 citizens — including YOU. This participatory city comes to life supported by Burning Man Project, the nonprofit that works year-round to advance a more creative, connected and thriving society. 

Today Burning Man is a global cultural movement whose participants create more than 80 official Regional Events in over 30 countries around the world.

When you ignite the spark of culture and community, whether in Black Rock City or your home community, Burning Man Project collaborates with you to nurture and cultivate it — facilitating and extending the Burning Man ethos and principles through gatherings, knowledge sharing, logistical and creative support.

38 Years of Cultural Evolution

40 people on Baker Beach at the first Burning Man event in 1986
480,000 unique individuals have participated in Black Rock City since 1990
87 Regional Events took place around the world in 2024, gathering 93,000 people
10 million people have encountered Burning Man values globally

In addition to collaborating with the community to produce Black Rock City, Burning Man Project exists to inspire and support local projects, providing guidance and leadership tools for self-organized, decommodified and participatory events and projects.

These include:

  • Official Regional Events organized by local community members
  • Resilience projects organized by Burners Without Borders chapters
  • Small local gatherings, campouts and creative projects and happenings
  • Art installations and projects organized by towns and municipalities

The Regional Network in 2024

  • 240 Regional Contacts in 106 regions in 34 countries and one virtual space
  • 87 official Regional Events
    • 49 in the United States in 28 states
    • 34 in 17 countries outside the U.S.
    • 4 virtual, hosted by Burn2
  • 5 leadership gatherings
  • $1 million+ funded by community members towards local art
  • Thousands of unofficial Burning Man-inspired gatherings

2024: A Year of Never-ending Curiosity

Every year in the Burnerverse has its own essence, its magic and its surprises. Curiouser & Curiouser, if we could give it a flavor, would emerge as a completely new profile — a rich and vibrant mix of salty and sweet, known and audacious delights. From the dusty expanse of the Black Rock Desert to the pampas of Argentina, the northern shores of Estonia to deserts in Western Australia, the year unfolded a series of whimsical yet very intentional adventures, each one lovingly created by community, for community. 

The AfterBurn, once upon a time just one page on this website, now furls out into an epic, multi-chapter telling of evolutions, learnings and progressions shared by the many teams that build Black Rock City, and support people in inspiring and transforming communities around the world.

Every cycle we iterate. The AfterBurn serves as our record, and as a map for those who are on similar paths. We, the individuals and crews who nurture Burning Man, are mere facilitators of something oh, so much bigger than all of us — a global cultural movement, with its own momentum and magic.

In equal measure with the phantasmagorical, Burning Man is pragmatic. There are early mornings, emails to write, shade structures to raise, and a gazillion moving parts that require focused and devoted attention. We’re a network of tinkerers who ask: “How do we make this… kinder, more resilient, more sustainable?” And “How do we bring what we know and love to life well beyond our favorite dusty sandbox?” We have hard conversations, make inside jokes, and nurture a global community that feels like family, year-round, whether we rise at dawn or adventure well into the night.

In Black Rock City 2025, participants celebrated near-perfect weather (with the exception of that end-of-week dust-up just as everyone struck camp). The vast playa came to life with a myriad of glowing, fire-breathing, kinetic marvels — from adorable two-human mutant vehicles to multi-story creative marvels — some of them moved about the playa, drawing crowds for mind-bending music, others offered space for exploration and contemplation. 

Artists conjured a dusty playground of larger-than-life whimsy, circuitous rabbit holes, and all manner of mind-bending structures to inhabit and climb — sparking an interactive experience of creative expression. Thanks to philanthropic support from the community, art grant funding grew from $1.3 million to $1.45 million, supporting a $150,000 Temple grant and $1.3 million in Honoraria grants to Black Rock City artists. 

Center Camp came to life as the vibrant heart it was always meant to be: drawing creative humans in through all its arteries, circulating them through art, shenanigans and theme camp wonders, before blasting them back out into the city or open playa.

NOW, let’s extend that Center Camp metaphor a little farther. Humans of Burning Man, YOU are the beating heart that incessantly draws humanity out of itself, to gather, to play, create and innovate. To the uninitiated it may look like a folly, as if we’re wrapping everything in blinky lights and putting on a furry hat. But the work underway is grand, the task is to imbue what can be a long, hard road with curiosity, connection and imagination in a way that makes the human journey so much brighter. 

Now let’s revisit a year of learnings, collaboration, passion and dust through the 2024 AfterBurn. Thank you for all that you do.

Table of Contents

For complete descriptions of the various Black Rock City teams, visit the Volunteer teams page.

1. Art & Civic Activation

Burning Man Arts
Burners Without Borders (BWB)
Community Events
Regional Network

2. Burning Man Project Staff & Year-round Operations

Education
Fly Ranch
Government Affairs
People Operations
Technology

3. Black Rock City (BRC) 2024 Operations

Airport
American Sign Language (ASL) / Community Services
Arctica
Black Rock City Event Operations
Burner Express Bus
Center Camp
Documentation (Doc)
Gate, Perimeter & Exodus (GP&E)
Media Mecca
Nevada Operations & NVO Specialty Construction
Placement / Camp Support / PEERS
Playa Info / Lost & Found
Playa Restoration & Highway Cleanup
Regeneration Dept. & NetZero BRC
Recycle Camp

1. Art & Civic Activation

Burning Man Arts

Katie Hazard writes:

Increased Funding for Artists
This year, with the financial support of our community, Burning Man Project was able to increase our grant funding to artists, reaffirming our commitment to supporting creative expression and community building. The Temple grant grew from $100,000 to $150,000, and the Honoraria grant fund rose from $1.2 million to $1.3 million. In total, annual funding for art increased from $1.3 million to $1.45 million.

Rather than using the additional grant funds to support more art projects, we focused instead on providing a greater percentage of their budget for each grantee. Building and transporting art to Black Rock City is an immense undertaking — physically, financially, and logistically — and it isn’t getting any easier. By increasing financial support, we aim to alleviate some of the stress on artists, allowing them to focus more on creation and less on fundraising.

Due to the current economic climate in the world, artists had a harder time fundraising for their art projects. While some had to cancel as a result of funding shortfalls, we were able to support others by helping them scale down their projects to decrease costs, and we brought artists together in a brown bag lunch format to share ideas about fundraising. Artists are also finding it increasingly difficult to secure affordable build spaces as costs continue to rise. To support them, we are actively sharing resources, facilitating connections, and helping artists collaborate to navigate these challenges.

What BRC Artists Said About Their Project’s Funding

Supporting the effort it takes to bring art to Black Rock City demonstrates Burning Man Project’s commitment to our principles of Radical Self-expression, Communal Effort, and Participation. We are thrilled at how this increased funding allows us to expand our support of artists, nurturing creativity and fostering connections that extend far beyond Black Rock City.

“The Black Rock City art grant enabled me to create a large-scale sculpture with creative freedom. I often make commissioned or public art sculptures which come with their own parameters and limitations. I was able to design something that celebrated my culture and share it with an audience who appreciated the work. A couple was married on the playa in front of my sculpture, which was such a tremendous honor. I’m really grateful for the experience.” – Luis Varela-Rico, “Organic Study No. 4”

“Receiving an honorarium makes the financial portion of building so much lighter of a task and that makes building art so much more enjoyable, allowing us to focus on the creation first and foremost.” – Rebekah Stetson, “The Silence of TENGRI”

“Finally having the resources to create something at this scale was incredibly gratifying for me. It gave me a much better understanding of what I am capable of, and also showed me what areas of my work that I need to improve upon. Seeing the smiles on people’s faces as they interacted with my art was something special that I will never forget.” – Nate Holben, “Reclamation of a Stolen Heart”

ART HIGHLIGHTS

  • What a smooth year! After 2 years of post-pandemic recovery, with all of our year-round staff returning, the Art Department was firing on all cylinders. Our team, including seasonal staff and our six ARTery volunteer teams, worked together more closely than ever, thanks to our efforts to reduce siloing. We unified our volunteer recruitment efforts within the VolQ, resulting in a fantastic group of new recruits. We launched a program of pre-event “Art Scoop” presentations for all Art Dept. volunteers, giving them sneak peeks of the art, behind-the-scenes processes, and how their fellow volunteer teams function. And we successfully modified the ARTery layout to be more conducive to our teams working better together.
  • The Temple of Together was a huge success. It was the first BRC Temple led by a BIPOC woman. It was one of the most sustainable Temples yet, run almost completely on solar power supplied in part by a Burning Man “unicorn” solar array, and in part by an array provided by the Temple Builders Guild. And it was incredibly inclusive, integrating artists and participants of all types who worked on textiles, lighting, pillows, and soundscapes in addition to carpentry. Not to mention that it was gorgeous!
  • Artists were inspired to be extra playful and whimsical; we saw so much lightness and joy! There was an abundance of rainbows, unicorns, prisms, and playgrounds. The inspiration may have come from this year’s theme, Curiouser & Curiouser, or from BRC always being a place to celebrate awe and fun and whimsy. Want to ride a jackalope? Yes, please!
  • We continued to expand our educational outreach to artists, including creating knowledge sharing opportunities with other artists, to support their efforts to build and bring art to Black Rock City. For example, we hosted a more robust series of monthly artist Brown Bag lunches, adding new topics like “Talk to FAST.” The Fire Art Safety Team created a new “FAST Blasts” newsletter focused on educating artists interested in flame effects, pyro, or burning their art. And we completed a two-year overhaul of art-related content on the Burning Man website, with the intent of making it more current, useful, and easily navigable by artists wishing to bring their art to BRC.
  • Out with the (very) old, in with the new! We got a refresh on our ARTery sign, making it easier to locate both day and night.
  • We embraced the effort to revitalize the Center Camp Plaza by placing much more art in the 6:00 keyhole and around the canopy, attracting participant interest and fostering greater engagement.
  • We successfully welcomed various politically-themed artworks from Israel, Ukraine, and Russia.
  • The volunteer teams ARTerians and Art Support Services both faced volunteer personnel shortages due to last-minute cancellations just before the event. In response, we streamlined processes and collaborated effectively to maintain a high quality of service for the artists.

ART BY THE NUMBERS

  • Second year of offering Q&A/AMA sessions in Fall 2023 for potential applicants to the 2024 art grant programs:
    • 57 people attended the Temple Q&As
    • 254 people attended the Honoraria Q&As
  • 386 art projects total in BRC:
    • 76 Honoraria artworks selected
    • 40 international artworks
    • 23% of projects had international crew members
    • Artworks came from 21 countries (including the U.S.)
    • Artworks came from 31 U.S. states
    • 9 projects that burned (7 plus Man and Temple)
    • 15 projects with flame effects
  • 45 projects with flame effects in camps (inspected by FAST)
  • 214 Art Department volunteers:
    • 75 ARTerians
    • 54 Art Support Services
    • 32 Fire Art Safety Team
    • 20 ARTery Ops
    • 21 Eyes on Art
    • 12 Quartermasters
  • Art Dept staff on playa for 34 days
  • Art Discovery Engagement:
    • Mobility Tours: 344 participants (including 35 American Sign Language participants and translators)
    • Bicycle Tours: 954 participants
    • Walking Tours: 22 participants
    • Art Speaks (artist talks): 233 participants
    • Self-Guided Tour Maps: 1,500 copies distributed
    • Audio Art Guide: 1,995 listens on SoundCloud
  • Hosted 24 Artist Tea Talks at BMHQ in SF, with different artists highlighted & speaking each week, open to the community
  • Art Dept staff had 1,000+ individual phone calls/zooms with artists to support their journey to BRC
  • 2024 Desert Arts Preview:
    • 210 live participants at the virtual event
    • 10,320 views on YouTube as of December 2024

LEARN MORE

IN THE JOURNAL:

Burners Without Borders (BWB)

The BWB team writes:

Burners Without Borders: 2024 Accomplishments

  • Prototyping Biochar & the Start Towards Regenerative Agriculture

This year, Burners Without Borders made a significant step toward realizing our years-long dream of creating sustainable, closed-loop systems that connect Black Rock City, Fly Ranch, and the larger Northern Nevada community. At the BWB Spring Summit, we took a major leap forward by incorporating biochar production into our event — laying the groundwork for regenerative agriculture practices. Held at Fly Ranch, artists Ray Cirino and Michael Whitman collaborated with us at the annual summit to build a biochar effigy using reclaimed materials. Unlike traditional burns, this effigy burn was designed to produce biochar — a valuable material for soil remediation, long-term carbon storage, and compost management. The biochar was mixed into compost brought from Black Rock City and applied to an experimental agricultural plot at Fly Ranch. We also kept one 5-lb. bucket of biochar to bring back to playa and gift to the compost teams. This small but powerful prototype of a closed loop cycle demonstrates the potential of regenerative systems where waste from one part of the event becomes nourishment for our community.

This effort represents the culmination of years of collaboration between Burners Without Borders, Fly Ranch, and the sustainability teams at Burning Man Project. It’s a tangible step toward a larger vision of sustainability, where the community stewards closed-loop systems that benefit both people and the environment. 

  • Launching a New Website

We successfully launched a new and improved Burners Without Borders website. This platform now serves as a hub for resources, event updates, and storytelling, making it easier for volunteers and partners to connect with our work. This aligns with our mission to extend Burning Man principles into the world by creating a more accessible, user-friendly, and collaborative platform for global engagement. The website design allows for Chapter leads to have more direct control over their content, announcements, news, and event updates, improving communication throughout our distributed network from the grassroots to the BWB team at HQ.

  • The Return of the Civic Ignition Grant Program 

The 2024 Civic Ignition Grant Program demonstrates Burning Man Project’s commitment to extending Burning Man principles into the world by empowering communities to address issues where they see a need. With a consensus-driven decision-making process, conducted at locally organized leadership gatherings, BWB supported nine projects across seven regions (Europe, southeast, northern Nevada, Reno/Tahoe, Sacramento, Australia, and New Zealand.). These projects focused on a variety of issues, yet each project utilized innovative approaches grounded in the Principles of Burning Man. This program also strengthens the connections between the Regional Network and the BWB network. Each funded initiative exemplifies how the Burning Man ethos can inspire meaningful civic action, creating lasting change in communities around the world. Read more here.

  • Bringing Compost Program into GTCC and creating 2 drop-off points

This year, Burners Without Borders supported the playa-wide Compost Program in becoming more integrated within both the Green Theme Camp Community and the Green Corridor. This year there were two compost drop-off points (La Calaca & Ocean Beach) with over 10,500 individuals composting, resulting in over 6,000 pounds of organic matter being composted.

  • Responding to Hurricane Helene

This year, BWB had an important role in the immediate disaster relief after Hurricane Helene. Leveraging our network of volunteers, we were able to support and amplify our partner organizations on the ground: Grassroots Aid Partnership (GAP) and Footprint Project. We helped deploy response volunteers as requested, and supported the organizing efforts of a newly formed SE Burners Disaster Relief-BWB. This response underscored our mission to promote, amplify, and support the civic action that comes out of community and Burner- driven initiatives in times of crisis.

  • Onboarding Our New BWB Program Manager 

Ryan Rising joined BMP Year-Round Staff as the Burners Without Border Program Manager. Our new Program Manager was hired June 19th and began onboarding July 10th, just 28 days before our Fly Ranch Weekend prepping for Black Rock City, and 40 days before arrival to BRC. The team worked quickly to onboard Ryan to camp operations in time for BRC, as well as to a comprehensive set of year-round operational orientations pre-and-post-event. 

Ryan is the former director and founder of the Permaculture Action Network, as well as having held the Executive Director position with the Rhize nonprofit at The Mushroom Farm, and brings a wealth of experience in community organizing, ecological education, and land regeneration.

  • In-person BWB Advisory Board Meeting + Adding 2 New Advisory Board Members 

This year, our operations adapted in several key ways to ensure the organization’s long-term success and strengthen our impact as we prepare for Burners Without Borders’ 20th anniversary. One significant milestone was holding an in-person, multi-day, BWB Advisory Board meeting. This gathering allowed us to engage deeply with board members, aligning priorities and discussing special projects that reflect our mission.

Additionally, we onboarded two new members of the Advisory Board to support succession planning. This move ensures continuity of leadership and brings fresh perspectives to guide us into the future.

This combination of in-person engagement, strategic project development, and leadership expansion shows how we came together, shifted roles, and worked differently to adapt to both current needs and future aspirations.

BWB BY THE NUMBERS

  • Green Corridor: Successfully hosted 20 camps working toward the goals of the 2030 Sustainability Roadmap, doubling the number of participating camps from 2023
  • BLAST: Grew to 85 camps in 2024, marking a 35% increase from 2023, and covering 6% of placed camps in BRC. (Read the BLAST AfterBurn here).
  • RAT: Supported 39 projects in 2024 (35 projects + 4 theme camps). 
  • Nine Civic Ignition Grants distributed a total of $10,600 across 7 regions.
  • BWB hosted 99 participants at Fly Ranch for the BWB Spring Summit 2024.
  • Engaged 99 BWB campers in producing the BWB Esplanade camp in BRC, hosting various offerings for the public and amplifying the civic impact of Burners around the world.
  • Hosted 30 speakers’ interactive workshops & talks on the BWB stage in Black Rock City. 
  • BWB hosted 24 Educational (BWBxEDU) opportunities in 2025.
  • Engaged with 14 projects through the BWB Project Proposal Form.
  • Coordinated 16 BWB Chapters as well as 30 BWB Working Groups for a total of 46 activated groups across the globe.
  • Celebrated bringing on 1 new chapter (BWB Colombia), and re-activated the Heartland Working Group. 
  • Reactivated 2 new Working Groups (BWB Heartland and BWB Philly) 
  • Hosted two BWB Worldwide Calls:
  • Sent 4 BWB newsletters in 2024 to over 9,600 subscribers.
  • We’ve expanded our reach on social media: 43,000 Facebook followers and 8,900 followers on Instagram

BWB AROUND THE WORLD

Across continents, Burners are tackling issues ranging from environmental sustainability and food insecurity to education and cultural preservation. These efforts underscore the profound impact that localized initiatives can have when supported by a global community, demonstrating what is possible when individuals are called to action, driven by a shared vision of a better future.

CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA

BWB Brazil: Bringing Dignity Through Infrastructure

In a remote indigenous village in Brazil, four families once lived without access to basic sanitation. Children relieved themselves in open fields, and visiting ceremonial participants had no facilities to use. Initially, the goal was to construct a kitchen to serve as a communal hub. However, due to budget constraints, the project pivoted to something equally vital: a bathroom.

Now completed, this facility not only serves the village’s families but also supports a vibrant cultural space that hosts traditional Pataxó ceremonies and rituals. The project stands as a symbol of resilience and adaptability, showing how BWB’s support can meet pressing needs while respecting cultural traditions.

“The bathroom has met the needs of families and visitors who come to participate in our ceremonies. This has been transformative for our village.” – Karine Porto, Corumburn Leader

Guatemala: Driving Innovation Through NOISE Maker Space

In the small town of San Marcos La Laguna, Guatemala, the NOISE Maker Space is cultivating a new kind of learning environment. Locals have expressed interest in learning English, a need that will soon be met as the upper floors of the Maker Space building are finalized to host this.

However, the most exciting development is their electric tuktuk project. A tuktuk — a small motorized vehicle often used for public transportation — was purchased, albeit in a less-than-ideal condition. Despite skepticism from local drivers, the maker space’s team is working to transform it into an electric vehicle. Using parts staged openly, to pique curiosity, the team is slowly engaging locals in learning about building and maintaining electric vehicles.

Guided by a crew of Mayan Warrior builders, the project is introducing a novel concept: vehicles that charge like a phone. This shift in perspective is paving the way for sustainable transportation in the region. NOISE Maker Space demonstrates how BWB’s ethos of innovation and education can ripple outward, creating opportunities for empowerment and sustainability.

BWB Colombia: Building Community and Protecting Ecosystems

Colombia’s BWB chapter, officially recognized in 2024, exemplifies how Burners can address both environmental and social challenges. Below is a list of some of the projects they have executed that span diverse areas of impact:

  • The Germinator Reforestation Project

High in the Andes Mountains, BWB Colombia collaborates with the Ancestral Foundation to protect the páramos, unique alpine ecosystems that supply water to over 15 million Colombians. Volunteers plant fragiel trees, which take decades to mature, in a longterm effort to restore this vital landscape.

“Standing here, it feels like we’re fighting for something much bigger than ourselves,” said Danna Valentina, a 12-year-old volunteer described as a “Colombian Greta Thunberg.” “If we don’t protect this place, what will happen to our future?” The Germinator highlights how grassroots action can safeguard critical natural resources while empowering future generations.

  • Food Security in Medellín

Amid Medellín’s bustling streets, Burners have tackled the city’s growing food insecurity problem. Over the past two years, local activist Steve has distributed more than 200,000 lbs (90,000 kg) of food to vulnerable populations. Operating in gang-controlled areas, he gained the trust of community leaders, ensuring that aid could reach those in need.

Beyond food, Steve has launched initiatives like mobile health clinics, micro-loans for traders, and coding classes for youth. With support from BWB Colombia, he turned an initial challenge into a holistic approach to community development. Steve shares, “Once you’ve been through endless blinding dust storms trying to get your tent not to blow away, you can do anything. It strengthens your resolve.”

  • Ikigai Explorers and Bee Safe

Ikigai Explorers helps low-income children rediscover their purpose through hands-on skills training and mentorship, while Bee Safe focuses on protecting pollinators vital to the ecosystem. Both projects reflect how BWB’s principles of participation and sustainability can foster resilience and hope in underserved communities.

EUROPE

Burners Without Borders (BWB) had a significant global impact through its European Leadership Summit (ELS) and Civic Ignition Grant Program in 2024. The ELS, held in Tallinn, Estonia, brought together community leaders to explore sustainability, civic engagement, and cross-cultural communication. The 2024 Civic Ignition Grant Program, launched at the summit, funded the grassroots initiative’s Temple of Re:Creation in Ukraine. This land art project, created by women affected by war, symbolizes resilience and healing while using natural and recycled materials. Selected through the consensus-driven workshop, the project exemplified BWB’s support for creative, community-driven solutions that tackle complex issues.

The ELS also strengthened ties among leaders from across Europe, enhancing BWB’s global network. These efforts highlight BWB’s commitment to empowering communities and fostering cross-cultural collaboration for positive change.

LEARN MORE

IN THE JOURNAL:

Community Events

Justin Katz writes:

Co-Production of BRC Ops Summit 2024 with Event Ops Team

In 2023, the Community Events and Event Ops teams came together to reimagine the BRC Ops Summit. We aimed to move away from a hotel-style conference and into a space that reflects our cultural values. We chose The Generator because it is an active hub of Burner and artist activity, and by putting our resources there we were keeping more in the community. Also, gathering inside of a place like The Generator is an inspiring reminder of why we work so hard to produce BRC in the first place!

  • Partnered with The Generator, a community art space
  • Activated, supported a space that Burners already use, showcasing and supporting culture
  • Supported additional Burner-owned small businesses
  • Successfully supported goals of Event Ops for this convening (information sharing + social connection)
  • Executed the event on budget
  • Inspired and supported staff heading into BRC 2025
  • Engaged local volunteers

2024 Community Events Highlights

  • Co-produced a successful BRC Ops Summit, an event which supported an art/maker space that also brings the art and culture of Burning Man into Reno’s civic environment and beyond.
  • Successfully facilitated volunteer leadership of SF Community Events (Burnal Equinox + Decompression). These events unite people and stimulate transformation and creativity, which helps us advance Burning Man culture. Hosting an event that embodies our mission outside of Black Rock City allows our story to be told to a new demographic and sparks innovation and creativity in new spaces.
  • Co-produced the 2024 European Leadership Summit with Regionals in Tallinn, Estonia. Facilitated an international convening of community builders, bringing people together to support co-learning, skill sharing, storytelling, creativity, and innovation.
  • Our team shifted the majority of Burnal Equinox and Decompression event production and operation to the Community Events volunteer team. This was done to address staff capacity limitations and also to empower volunteers to learn and increase their skills and responsibilities.
  • In March, the team quickly pivoted a planned leadership retreat from New Mexico to San Francisco due to unforeseen site readiness issues. With just two weeks’ notice, they successfully designed and executed a meaningful gathering across multiple SF locations.
  • The Events team was given two days notice of an event that was to take place at a small business located within the Decompression closure area, during Decompression from 7-9pm. This event was a part of the SF Dance Festival’s programming and was a ballet movie showing at a gallery right next to our loudest stage. We worked with the sound camps to reposition them and collaborated with the gallery to offer their attendees comped tickets to Decompression. Ultimately, patrons from both events ended up attending the other and we were able to expose a community of people to Burner Culture who may never have given it a second thought.

COMMUNITY EVENTS BY THE NUMBERS

San Francisco’s Burnal Equinox:

  • 1,367 participants
  • 102 performers & artists
  • 78 volunteer shifts
  • 43 community events team leads

European Leadership Summit (ELS): 

  • 247 participants from 30 different countries

SF Decompression

  • 40 art pieces
  • 23 theme camps
  • 11 mutant vehicles
  • 9 stages
  • 7,737 tickets issued
  • 6,000 attendees
  • 10 city blocks
  • 12+ hours of civic activation

Thanks to all our community for bringing our culture and 10 Principles to life year round!

Regional Network

Iris Yee writes:

The Burning Man Regional Network continues to thrive as a global community, embodying the 10 principles in action year-round. In 2024, the Regional Network connected Burners from over 34 countries through over 87 official Regional Events, five leadership gatherings, and initiatives that bring the Burning Man experience to life fostering a global cultural movement. Together, these efforts strengthened our global community and inspired action across the world.

European Leadership Summit 2024: BEing & Bridging – A Global Celebration of Connection and Creativity

These global connections and shared efforts reached a pinnacle at the 2024 European Leadership Summit. This summit showcased the Regional Network’s ability to unite and inspire Burners worldwide, creating a powerful platform for collaboration, creativity, and resilience.

The Burning Man European Leadership Summit: BEing & Bridging: Together We Gather, held in Tallinn, Estonia from April 4-7 celebrated coming together to celebrate our differences and discover our strength in creativity and resilience. The summit brought together 247 participants and volunteers, including Regional Contacts, event producers, artists, camp organizers, and community builders from 30 countries including Canada, China, India, Israel, and Taiwan.

As co-hosts, the Estonian Burner community brought an infusion of art and performance from 18 artists representing multiple countries, enriching the experience for everyone. Highlights included the EGGsiztence installation by Lithuanian Burners, originally created for AmberBurn, and the Oasis exhibit from Danish Burners. The Traveling Hedgehog, a beloved mutant vehicle at Burning Man events, made a memorable appearance, while SLOW, an art project by 2024 BRC Honoraria recipients Estonian Burner Eva Reiska and Estonian Academy of Arts students invited everyone to create a part of their art project. Eva and local volunteers also set up a maker station for participants to print their own ELS upcycled swag from existing materials in a commitment to sustainability.

The content team from six countries developed an ELS program of three plenaries and 30 breakout sessions covering a range of topics including art, community events, philosophy, communication and storytelling, conflict resolution, sustainability, succession planning, diversity and inclusion, and the evolution of the Regional Network.

Plenary sessions included lightning talks about Romania’s RoBurn event, Maker Faire and community events in Ukraine during the war, exploring transformative experiences and insights from story collections at burns, the emerging Burner community and Flamingalo event in Portugal, and updates on the Alversjø Land Project in Sweden. Talks, panels and fireside chats included learning about Estonia’s leading work as a digital nation, Radical Horizons — a large-scale exhibition in a publicly accessible 1,000-acre park in the United Kingdom — and the power of community engagement through art, the importance of building cultural bridges between Burners and local communities as new regional events develop, and nurturing sustainable leadership.

Volunteers traveled from countries such as Finland, Lithuania, Iceland, Canada, and the US to lend their expertise and energy to the event. This cross-cultural collaboration exemplified the spirit of inclusivity and communal effort that defines the Burning Man community and the power of coming together across borders to create meaningful experiences together.

Significant 2024 Successes: Showcasing the Spirit of Creativity, Community, and Resilience

In 2024, the Burning Man Regional Network strengthened global connections and fostered impactful collaborations. From visionary initiatives to powerful storytelling, our efforts not only supported Burners around the world but also expanded the reach and positive influence of Burning Man culture. Here are some of this year’s most .

  • The 25 to Thrive project reached a major milestone, completing two transformative phases to guide the next 25 years of the Burning Man Regional Network. This initiative began with listening — gathering extensive feedback from Regional Contacts, event organizers, and community members to identify key needs like better resources, stronger connections, more ways to engage in person and all year long, and more accessible community building and event planning tools. Workgroups then developed solutions focused on decentralization, scalability, and inclusion, engaging over 100 participants through forums and leadership summits across the U.S., Europe, and Oceania. These efforts are already creating a movement toward a more resilient, self-sustaining network, ensuring Burning Man culture thrives worldwide.
  • The Regional Event Lead Co-Learning Program connected 16 leaders from 10 countries with Black Rock City staff across 11 departments. This annual initiative brings together Regional Event leaders and BRC teams across the global Burner community, supports mutual learning, and inspires personal growth, carrying Burning Man’s principles into the world to foster community, creativity and human connection. Participants gain practical tools, exchange ideas, and form meaningful relationships that strengthen their events and communities.
  • The Burning Man Regional Network used storytelling to inspire and connect Burners worldwide, demonstrating the power of shared experiences to extend Burning Man culture far beyond the playa. The Beyond Black Rock: A Burning Man Global Showcase exhibit at Reno-Tahoe International Airport ran from August 14 to November 1 and was curated by Burning Man co-founder Crimson Rose. Reaching tens of thousands of travelers, it featured contributions from the Regional Network team, including images and QR codes linking to podcasts, videos, and online content. The exhibit showcased the worldwide impact of Burner communities and invited viewers to engage with Burning Man culture on a deeper level.
  • On the BRC radio airwaves and streaming online to listeners everywhere, the BMIR Exodus Radio Show highlighted transformative stories from Regional leaders under the theme “What the heck just happened, and what do I do next?” This program encouraged Burners to reflect on their Black Rock City experiences and bring those lessons back to their communities. Public service announcements from Regional Contacts reinforced this message, informing people how to find people from their part of the world and encouraging year-round participation.

This year brought a few unexpected challenges, starting with the return of the European Leadership Summit (ELS). Despite strong enthusiasm for the return of the ELS after it last pivoted to an online event during the pandemic in 2020, registration for the return of an in-person event was slower than expected. Due to a compressed timeline, announcing the event only four months ahead led to slower registration, as participants faced scheduling and budget constraints. We broadened participation by inviting registrants to recommend other leaders.

Efforts to welcome cultural diversity in Black Rock City were hindered as fewer international Burners used directed tickets we were able to offer in 2024, citing economic challenges and high travel costs. This highlights the need for new strategies to sustain the international diversity that helps make Black Rock City special.

Staffing limitations in Black Rock City also impacted our team. One team member stayed home, and when another contracted COVID-19 on playa, the smaller team quickly adapted to ensure Regional Network programming and meetings on playa ran smoothly.

These challenges tested our creativity and resilience, strengthening our ability to adapt and foster Burning Man culture globally.

REGIONAL NETWORK BY THE NUMBERS

  • The Regional Network is composed of 240 volunteer Regional Contacts in 106 regions in 34 countries and one virtual space.
  • 24 Regional Contacts retired from their role in 2024.
  • 22 new Regional Contacts were added to the Regional Network in existing regions. No new regions were added to the Regional Network in 2024, as we continue the 25 To Thrive project of self-reflection.
  • The number of official Regional Events grew from 40 in 2021 to 77 in 2022 and 91 in 2023 but decreased to 87 in 2024, remaining below the pre-pandemic peak of 108 in 2019.
  • There were 83 in-person official Regional Events:
    • 49 in the U.S. across 28 states — Arizona (2), California (7), Colorado (4), Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas (2), Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri (3), Nevada (2), New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York (3), North Carolina (2), North Dakota, Ohio, Oregon (2), Pennsylvania (2, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington (2), West Virginia (2)
    • 34 held outside the U.S. across 17 countries — Argentina, Australia (4), Austria, Canada (8), Finland, France, Germany, Japan, Lithuania, Netherlands, New Zealand, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom (3)
  • There were four online official Regional Events — all were held in the long-established cyberspace region of Burn2 in Second Life.
  • The smallest official Regional Event in 2024 was Melting Man held in North Dakota in February with under 25 people.
  • The largest official Regional Event in 2024 was AfrikaBurn held in South Africa 30 April – 5 May, with an estimated 10,500 participants.
  • A new official Regional Event in 2024 was The Third Degree Burn in Kariong, Australia.
  • The 2024 BRC Regional Event Lead Mentorship program had 16 leaders from 10 countries with Black Rock City staff across 11 departments. Leads were offered additional learning opportunities with 10 other teams in BRC and access to year-round Hive training courses.
  • Official Regional Event art grants given are expected to once again exceed one million in U.S. dollar equivalent.

LEARN MORE

IN THE JOURNAL:

(Return to Table of Contents)

2. Burning Man Project Staff & Year-round Operations

Education

KJ writes: 

Our team’s biggest story in 2024 is one of Collaboration and Support. Burners around the world have stories to tell and knowledge to share. Whether they are Staff Members of Burning Man Project or community leaders in Black Rock City or in their local node in the Regional Network, whether they are seasoned veterans or brand new to our culture — they have the goods. In this third event cycle since the disruption of the pandemic years, the Education program had even more opportunities to connect with and amplify the wisdom and experiences of Burners around the world. Our work has often been digital, but 2024 brought many new opportunities for in-person connection and learning, to our delight and to our hope that there will be more chances in the future.

Our team and our program are humbled to be in proximity to the passion and intelligence of Burners, and honored to be charged with the responsibility of figuring out how to support connections throughout the global community so that Burners can keep learning from each other, and so the world can learn about Burning Man. The work continues.

  • Spreading the word! Our team was excited to appear on the Into the Fire podcast to talk about the Education Program’s mission and the community learning opportunities available on Burning Man Hive.
  • Nurturing learning! Our team found our footing in collaborations and support of the learning efforts of our colleagues and community members. We were honored to support the learning content planning, curation, and dissemination for:
    – BRC Operations Summit (February)
    – Camp Symposium (March)
    – European Leadership Summit (April)
    – Multi-Regional Summit (June)
    – The Way It Is (August)
    – Annual training for BRC teams including Box Office, GPE, DPW Utilities (Fuel, Power, Plumbing), BRC Census, Placement, Fly Guardians (Event Season)
    – 25 to Thrive analysis (Regional Network / Civic Engagement), Strategic Planning (Office of the COO), Onboarding (People Operations), Camp Symposium 2025 (Placement)
  • Supporting our community! Our team streamlined the user experience and developed tools like Build a Course in Burning Man Hive (link in #7) to make the platform easier for Burners to navigate.

This year, our team developed a new monthly report called Education at a Glance. We also added a course in Difficult Conversations to the Core Courses curriculum in Hive; the course content was developed by a volunteer member of the Peer Support team. In 2024 our team developed and implemented a new annual process for auditing Hive, to ensure learning content is up-to-date and relevant. In support of the organization-wide efforts for the Cultural and Operational Roadmap, our team developed an internal dashboard that lets us document and track our activities throughout the year, and also participated in SOP creation for our team.

After hearing repeated feedback from the community and from our internal colleagues regarding their perspective on Hive’s impact and relevance, our team shifted our branding and messaging about Hive. Our ongoing work here will be to rebrand Hive away from the notion that it is a social media platform akin to traditional social media, and towards an understanding of Hive as a community learning network that all Burners can participate in and contribute to.

EDUCATION BY THE NUMBERS

  • Number of active members on Hive: 450-2,200 distinct users per month
  • Registered members of Hive (as of Nov 2024): 16,867
  • Number of US states represented by Hive members: 50
  • Number of countries represented by Hive members: 114
    Popular programs in Hive:
  • Burning Man Then and Now: 433 learners
  • Touching Down: A BRC Orientation (produced by Burning Man Project): 1,086 learners
  • New Burner Guide (hosted by a community member): 1,308 members

LEARN MORE

Fly Ranch

Matt Sundquist writes:

A few years ago, a few folks from the Ripple team from LAGI at Fly Ranch joined with other Fly Ranch Stewards to initiate a project focused on bee conservation and honey production. They began with two hives, and when Big Chris joined our team, he expanded the project. Today, we’re proud to maintain eight beehives, producing dozens of jars and multiple buckets of organic honey each season. Because our neighboring farms are organic, our honey is free from contaminants, making it truly clean and organic — a rare find.

The bees play a critical role in sustaining Fly Ranch’s ecosystem. A single bee can fly up to five miles from its hive in search of nectar, covering up to 12 square miles. This foraging radius allows bees to pollinate a wide range of plants, supporting local biodiversity and the health of nearby organic farms. Bees are essential to plant life and agricultural systems worldwide; in fact, about one-third of all food consumed globally depends on pollinators like bees. By fostering these hives, we are not only producing honey but also reinforcing the ecological balance and resilience of the entire area and furthering Burning Man’s 2030 goal to be regenerative.

Engagement and Community Building

We welcomed 50 to 400 visitors weekly for eight months, providing a gateway experience for many new community members. Our structured public events, including weekly labyrinth walks and nearly 30 Friends Nature Walks, offered immersive opportunities for reflection and connection with nature. These gatherings introduced new audiences to Burning Man’s values and ideals, helping foster an inclusive, environmentally conscious community. The Burners Without Borders (BWB) campouts further connected Fly Ranch and BWB community members, generating ideas that support BRC initiatives such as the Renewable Art Team (RAT) and the Green Theme Camp Community.

Innovation and Land Stewardship for Black Rock City

Fly Ranch serves as a pilot site for sustainable living practices that are implemented at BRC, including ecozoic systems, solar-powered trailers, electric vehicles, and electric bikes. Our commitment to sustainable land management extended to grazing 150 cows to promote soil health and biodiversity. We became a redistribution point for compost from the BRC staff commissary, enriching soils for community gardens in Gerlach and Pyramid Lake. These initiatives contribute to Burning Man’s 2030 Environmental Sustainability Roadmap, informing BRC’s approaches to waste, water, and carbon management in response to the global climate crisis.

Growth of Campouts, Membership, and Stewardship

Fly has now hosted 103 campouts, including 15 this year. Those included six Stewardship Campouts and two Friends & Family Campouts open to our nearly 2,000 members. These gatherings deepened ties within our community and provided recharging opportunities for BRC teams, who accessed our community soaks up to four times a week during peak season. These events allow our community to recharge and renew their commitment to Burning Man’s mission while also setting a foundation of long-term stewardship and environmental responsibility.

We hosted the Burning Man Board retreat, bringing in the Board and LAGI team members to connect with the land chart a path for the future.

Sustainable Art and Public Engagement

Our art park showcases large-scale BRC works, offering the public a chance to engage with the creativity of Burning Man art and LAGI projects all year. This year, Fly Ranch saw over 10,000 unique visits from people in over 3,000 cities worldwide, with visitors spending an average of 1 minute and 47 seconds exploring our online content. This online engagement reinforces Fly Ranch’s role in sharing Burning Man’s values and projects beyond the playa, spreading awareness about sustainable art and land management practices on a global scale.

Supporting Local and Regional Partnerships

Our work has led to strong collaborations with local stakeholders, including the Great Basin Water Network, and Pyramid Lake communities. These partnerships have helped bring folks into regional issues that affect BRC, such as water management and environmental advocacy, and help strengthen Burning Man’s relationships with local communities.

FLY RANCH BY THE NUMBERS

  • 50 – 400 people / week at Fly Ranch
  • ~30 Friends Nature Walks
  • Weekly Labyrinth Walks
  • Dozens of Community Soaks
  • 2-4 soaks a week from Golden Spike to Resto
  • ️103 total campouts, 15 in 2024
  • ~2,000 Members
  • 150 Cows grazing
  • We currently have 68 active Fly Guardians

Government Affairs

Cailen Caplan writes:

Government Affairs collaborated with the Bureau of Land Management to revise and simplify fuel storage requirements for camps. These revised requirements were easier to understand and implement, fostering safer and more responsible liquid fuel storage practices, and contributing to environmental goals. This simplification subsequently reduced the number of visits to camps needed to satisfy storage requirements.

Over the past several years, Government Affairs coordinated with environmental non-profit organizations, the Summit Lake Paiute Tribe, and Gerlach residents to understand and eventually oppose Ormat Technologies, Inc.’s plans to develop 19 geothermal well pads and ultimately a utility scale power plant in Gerlach. After many months of thoughtful and collaborative meetings among these stakeholders, Burning Man was pleased to reach an agreement with Ormat Technologies, Inc. that will advance renewable energy development in Nevada, support conservation efforts, and benefit the community of Gerlach. Under the agreement, Burning Man will purchase Ormat’s geothermal leases for a proposed exploration project in the immediate vicinity of the Black Rock Desert – High Rock Canyon Emigrant Trails National Conservation Area, and Ormat will support Burning Man’s efforts to support sustainable habitat and local tourism.

Government Affairs leveraged our learnings from the 2023 rain event to refine and enhance our communication protocols with government agencies, as well as our internal communication channels. When rain temporarily closed Gate Road on the morning of August 24th, 2024, we were able to quickly update and coordinate with stakeholder agencies. Burning Man especially appreciates the collaborative communication among Nevada Department of Transportation, the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, the Nevada State Police, and Burning Man’s onsite teams during this brief storm. This collaboration and coordinated public messaging helped ensure that traffic was ready and able to proceed to the playa once Gate Road reopened.

Government Affairs was successful in casting spells for mild and favorable weather conditions. The team coordinated with NOAA to ensure the weather was excellent.

GOVERNMENT AFFAIRS BY THE NUMBERS

  • Number of fuel or blackwater spills necessitating reports to the Nevada Division of Environmental Protection: 0
  • Fuel storage compliance issues decreased by 38%
  • Number of agencies on site: 6
  • Number of government agency personnel GA interacted with in 2024: 232

IN THE JOURNAL:

People Operations

Bandit writes:

This year, we celebrated strengthening our sense of community and collaboration with Nevada Operations.

  • In-Person Engagement in Gerlach: Members of the PO team visited Gerlach to partner with NVO on a series of three interactive training sessions. These in-person collaborations not only provided valuable learning opportunities but also expanded our on-site presence and engagement with the Gerlach staff community.
  • Virtual Training Opportunities: In addition to in-person sessions, Zoom-based training workshops were offered to NVO staff at the ranch. Feedback: Positive responses. We received some suggestions of specific areas folks would like to continue practice in.
  • Expanded On-site Support Services in Gerlach: NVO/PO and members of our Employee Assistance Program successfully expanded on site services this year; therapists were in Gerlach and available to staff two six-hour days per month (May – November).
  • These efforts underscore Burning Man’s mission to cultivate connection, showing how even internal structural changes and support initiatives can ripple outward to create a stronger community.

Facilitation and Training: Building Skills Through Storytelling

Manager Bootcamp: This year, we introduced a new approach to facilitation training. We designed role-playing exercises rooted in real challenges shared by staff, creating an engaging and relatable learning experience. By using staff’s real stories to guide our content, we empowered managers to develop their facilitation skills in a way that directly connects to the realities of their roles, fostering stronger leadership and problem-solving capabilities.

Innovation Through Systems and Process Improvements

  • Cross-Departmental Collaboration: Tech/NVO/DPW/PO/Volunteerism teams collaborated on enhancing personnel management systems, integrating cross-departmental processes for a more streamlined experience.
  • Compliance Library: Structure and content have been added to a comprehensive compliance library which will support People Operations and Payroll teams with federal and multi-state obligations.
  • Workflow Transition to Asana: All members of the PO team completed Asana training with two members becoming advanced users. Team has applied new skills in an ongoing effort to transition more of the department’s workflow to Asana. This transition enabled the team to gather valuable metrics and enhance productivity, interdepartmental collaboration, and efficiency within the department, leading to more effective processes.

Achieving More with Less: Streamlining Hiring and Supporting Growth

  • Upgraded Seasonal Hiring Tools and Processes: The seasonal hiring team successfully overhauled hiring tools and processes, completing improvements weeks earlier than the previous year. Drawing on feedback from the 2023 season, the team implemented new systems that streamlined the thousands of hiring requests across multiple departments. These upgrades improved the onboarding experience for staff and simplified the administrative workload for hiring managers.
  • Processed Record Hiring Requests: Despite several mid-season pivots, our team processed a record-breaking 2,387 hiring requests — a 13.5% increase from 2023. This increase reflects the growing scale of Burning Man operations and the dedication to ensuring the right talent is in place to support both the event and year-round programs.
  • Enhanced Efficiency Through Data-Driven Preparation: New metrics and tracking tools, developed in 2023, provided critical insights to help the SH team better anticipate and prepare for the 2024 season. These tools enabled the team to plan effectively, ensuring smooth operations and a successful hiring season.
  • Staff Resources: collaborated with People and Learning departments, Education and Volunteerism to expand the scope of the BRC Manager Toolkit, which provides managers with helpful resources (forms/ processes/ policies/ training) to support them as they navigate the challenges and responsibilities that come with managing a team on playa.

Expanded Partnership and Presence On Site

The People Operations team was on-site in Gerlach / playa from July through the end of September. This year, we restructured our workspace in the Business Park, positioning the NVO Personnel Office adjacent to our own. The People Pod, which included People Operations, NVO Personnel Management, Volunteerism, and Peer Support, benefited from this new placement. The physical and operational alignment streamlined workflows and improved in-person support for our teams.

PEOPLE OPERATIONS BY THE NUMBERS

Seasonal Hiring:

  • Number of hiring requests processed in 2024 = 2,387
    Increased by 13.5% (from 2,103 in 2023)
  • Number of seasonal employees hired in 2024 = 1,053
    Decreased by 2.8% (from 1,083 in 2023)
  • Number of seasonal roles filled in 2024 = 1,455 (*many employees choose to work more than one role during the season)
    Increased by 5.6% (from 1,378 in 2023)

This data highlights a significant rise in the overall volume of hiring requests and roles filled, despite a slight decline in the total number of employees hired; indicating more employees took on multiple roles in 2024.

Technology / IT

Lauren Klein writes:

The Technology team has continued our shift towards wireless technologies in Black Rock City, a trend we kicked off in 2023. With over 220 wireless access points now deployed, we’re supporting more than 3,000 operational users. This transition has allowed us to significantly reduce our reliance on copper cabling – we’re talking a reduction from 26 miles to just a few thousand feet. This is a win for efficiency, cost savings, and, importantly, for the environment.

A reliable, high-speed network is critical for moving 80 terabytes of operational data on and off the playa. This infrastructure not only boosts our operational efficiency but also enables us to leverage cloud-based services, reducing our reliance on physical hardware on the playa.

Our systems are working hard behind the scenes too. We logged 1,400 Salesforce tickets for lost and found items, and our Fulcrum mapping app tracks 420 assets, helping us keep critical operations like petrol, placement, and art running smoothly. We’ve also used GPS tools to precisely place 397 artworks. In collaboration with other teams, we’ve mapped out hazard zones and incident areas, enabling faster emergency response times.

Our robust, connected network has empowered our User Success team to leverage a suite of tools for seamless ongoing support. During the event itself, they successfully managed nearly 300 user service requests, showcasing their efficiency and dedication. Additionally, by building out our Inventory truck and refining our inventory systems, we’ve been able to facilitate greater technology use across all operational teams on the playa.

Over the past two years, we’ve implemented a powerful combination of integrated software solutions, including Salesforce, MaintainX, and Fulcrum. These integrations, which were previously unattainable, have unlocked new levels of efficiency in a wide range of areas. From streamlining art placement to optimizing service routes for critical infrastructure and providing essential information for our 1,800+ camps, these tools are making a tangible difference

As a globally engaged organization that leverages technology year-round and as our reliance on tech grows, we’ve adapted by optimizing our human and technical resources for maximum efficiency. We’re committed to refining our processes, ensuring smoother interactions for everyone who engages with our tech systems.

Over the past few years, we’ve restructured our Tech team for increased productivity. Despite being smaller than in 2019, we’re delivering more, with greater reliability. We’ve also enhanced our ability to tackle year-round projects with less effort and more consistency. This past year, our engineering capacity has allowed us to take on new, well-defined, and prioritized work, directly addressing long-standing challenges.

Let me give you a snapshot of our productivity: we’ve successfully completed 45 software projects, with an additional 18 either in progress or ready to go. And that’s just the software side of things! We’re constantly juggling a multitude of network and DevOps projects throughout the year. The Tech team is no stranger to a challenge, whether it’s navigating the unique operational demands of Black Rock City or finding innovative solutions that minimize our environmental impact. Our commitment to efficiency is unwavering, and we’re constantly seeking ways to improve our operations across the board.

For instance, we’ve recently implemented a streamlined process at our DMV that significantly reduces wait times for Mutant Vehicle inspections, allowing these amazing creations to get out onto the playa faster. This is just one example of how we’re leveraging technology to enhance the overall experience for everyone involved.

Our team touches lots of areas of the event and the community. Through the FUEL program we produce data for sustainability reporting. We provide the LNT for the MOOP map which helps camp leaders and members to build awareness around their impact. Working with PETROL we have setup renewable fuels up front in the application process so that people think about that as a new option.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2025

We’re engaged in several strategic, multi-year initiatives that are crucial for both sustaining our current operations and driving future innovation. These initiatives, tracked in Asana, focus on key areas like infrastructure development, year-over-year process improvement, automation, and the establishment of specialized program areas and technical centers of excellence. We’re also committed to strengthening our volunteer and community engagement. Ultimately, this work translates to a better experience for everyone. For example, we’ve revamped our art placement apps, slashing the artist check-in process from a potential 6-hour ordeal down to a target of 20 minutes. This makes the Artery experience more efficient and enjoyable for all.

We are being mindful of things that take a lot of resources and are working toward improved architecture, systems for staff and volunteers. Ultimately, our goal is to harness the power of technology to increase accessibility and positively impact our entire community.

 

(Return to Table of Contents)

3. Black Rock City (BRC) 2024 Operations

Airport

Simon Hill (aka Trash Dad) writes:

The big story for the Black Rock City Municipal Airport in 2024 is subtle and may seem mundane, but the impact is far reaching. It’s a simple story of stability: 2024 was the second year that Slayer, our beloved Airport Manager, and much of our management team have worked in their roles. With a history of high turn-over, the benefits of that consistency of leadership cannot be overstated. It allowed us to expand our focus from just doing the thing, to considering how we do the thing. We were able to use the experience of our team to refine our systems and to focus on supporting the unique culture of 88NV and the interconnectedness of our multifaceted community. The result of this was an airport that warm, welcoming, and sweet in a way that was remarkable. We received unsolicited feedback from multiple 88NV old heads, folks that have called the airport home for decades, who wanted to let us know that the vibes this year were unprecedented in immaculateness. This was no accident and it was beyond gratifying that our human-centric efforts were noticed so profoundly.

We have a responsibility to ensure unauthorized traffic stays well clear of our runways at all times. In 2024 our airport tech wizard built custom tracking devices to put in our vehicles that allow us to visualize them on our aircraft tracking display. Additionally, we expanded our collaboration with Perimeter to share the location of our various staff and ensure that we are protected from runway intrusions.

In collaboration with ESD and many other stakeholders, we built new infrastructure and procedures to facilitate the transition to rotor-wing (helicopters) medevacs at 88NV. Historically the medevacs were supported by fixed-wing aircraft (airplanes).

88NV worked extensively with aviator artists in our community to bring the first airborne laser-and-pyro display ever to BRC, and to the US! Starting in January of 2024, we worked hand-in-hand with the team creating this art to find a pathway for the Black Rock City Air Force (informally dubbed “Laser Plane”) performance that was safe and compliant. Through countless hours of meetings with an army of stakeholders, we were able to support this unique creative expression that exemplifies the kind of whacky experimentation that makes BRC so magical.

Adverse weather conditions always have the potential for significant impacts for 88NV. In 2024 we had to adapt to both rain, which shutdown our operations completely on one of our busiest days of ingress, and extended white-outs, which also closed our runways during our highest demand for egress. However, the experience we gained with the dust in 2022 and the rain in 2023 gave us the tools to pre-emptively make effective contingency plans for both of these events. We were able to adapt smoothly and proactively, minimizing the impact to our operations. This included a pre-planned collaboration with the Burner Express Bus to move Burner Express Air passengers out of the city when the blowing dust made it unsafe to take-off.

AIRPORT BY THE NUMBERS

  • Total staff and volunteers: Approximately 390
  • Total Flight Operations (takeoffs/landings): 2,953
  • Total scenic flight passengers: 1,326
  • Total Burner Express Air passengers: 2,184

American Sign Language (ASL) & Community Services

Thomas Duran writes:

As a team we all spent a night at the Thunderdome together with a group of Deaf Burners. Two of our interpreters had the opportunity to interpret the instructions and one other lucky interpreter was invited into the dome to fight by one of the Deaf Burners. It was a wonderful opportunity for us to spend some quality time with many of the Deaf Burners and grow closer as a community.

This year we were able to establish camp guidelines to set the tone for an atmosphere at camp that was reasonable for a staff camp. This allowed everyone on the team to be better prepared to do their role. In prior years we didn’t have anything agreed upon by everyone in camp.

We have started putting together a team handbook to help members that join in years to come. Setting earlier expectations and informing new recruits earlier will help our team stay strong year after year. This is with the inspiration of team handbooks from other teams at Burning Man. We want something that we are proud to use in our recruiting process for new team members.

We were also able to be more hands on for the recruitment process this year. Going out into the world and finding members that are a good fit for the team is a priority. This can be a challenge and we are figuring out a process that is as smooth and efficient as we can.

Team morale this year was as high as ever! Coming from a tough year last year, we brought in Peer Support to help us out. With their advice and guidance we were able to communicate with each other and feel heard.

Communication: This year, we made meaningful strides in how we communicate and support each other—both in the context of our on-playa roles and while sharing space in the desert for eight days. In the past, communication had been a challenge, but this year we addressed situations proactively before they could escalate. With help from Peer Support, we created space for open dialogue and received helpful guidance on how to uplift and encourage one another as a team.

Logistics: Each year brings unexpected changes, and this year was no exception. When one team member had to leave midweek, the rest of the team rose to the occasion to ensure that Deaf Burners continued to receive consistent and thoughtful support. It was a testament to our adaptability, commitment, and shared sense of purpose.

Workload Balance: Heading into the event, we collaborated as a team to plan work schedules in advance, ensuring everyone had clearly defined time off to experience and enjoy the Burn. This intentional coordination was appreciated by all and contributed to a more balanced and positive experience for the entire crew.

ASL BY THE NUMBERS

  • We grew to 10 interpreters (from 6 in 2023) and provided services to 30 requests over 12 days on playa.

Arctica

Christina Pearson writes:

After multiple years of operationally challenging conditions and adapting our procedures to meet the worst case scenarios, we were tossed a soft ball and got to put all of those improvements to work in a relatively “normal” year. Our story for the year is “no story!” Our team is dialed, has been put to the test and has come out a group grounded in respect and collaboration and we got to enjoy the fruits of those efforts this year.

Between our core crew (”Polar Bears”) and participant volunteers (”Penguins”) we brought more than a thousand people from 20 countries around the globe together to dance, share community, problemsolve, and sell ice. We also donate a large portion of the tips received during the event to various causes. 

In 2024, we improved on playa real-time communication with Reno ice supplier which resulted in the following:

  • Formalizing communication streams between off-playa vendor, their outside contractor vendors/drivers and Arctica on-playa personnel made for a much better response times if problems arose, streamlined collecting paperwork and documentation, and generally gave a us much better picture of what was happening, rather than figuring out what had happened.
  • Better positioning to pivot as conditions changed, to manage our on playa inventory much closer to real time.

Our logistics manager was on playa earlier this year, helping land trucks and get our infrastructure set and coordinating with other departments earlier resulting in the following:

  • Adjust placement of Ice staging to facilitate GP&E needs around city borders portals
  • Much smoother ramp up of Arctica infrastructure load on other departments (Power, Plumbing, HeAT, IT, Special Projects)
  • Spotting issues related to the new city centre layout and addressing them early in the city build phase
  • Establish face-to-face comms with outside department contacts early, get needs/expectations communicated while everyone still has bandwidth and time to plan accordingly
  • Closed our two satellite locations on Temple Burn Sunday to address lower ices sales, low volunteer signup/turn out, and to give our wrench team a head start. The result was considerably smoother teardown with more availability from teardown vollies, and less burnt out build crew at the end of the event.
  • A few mechanical incidents with ice trailers that might have been big trouble in the past were dealt with quickly and easily, with no loss of ice, because of plans/processes put in place over the last few years. Had the right equipment and knowledge to deal with issues that in seasons past could have resulted in entire lost loads and slowdowns of service to the city.

ARCTICA BY THE NUMBERS

  • Volunteers engaged: 968 individual volunteers signed up via shift board over 1,375 shifts

TOTAL TIPS DONATED in 2023
(*Total donation numbers for 2024 are not yet available):

  • Great Basin Outdoor School —$9,793.82
  • Gerlach High School—directed to teacher fund per their request: $9,793.82
  • Planned Parenthood—$9,793.82
  • Washoe Family Planning—$9,793.82
  • Surf Rider Foundation in memory of long time Polar Bear Erik Hefflefinger—$10,000

LEARN MORE

Black Rock City Event Operations

Charlie Dolman writes:

After the 2023 event, we reflected on when and how our teams engage with the community in upholding Burning Man’s values. When thinking about this core idea, we saw that we could break it down into two separate work streams. 

Firstly, we realized we could lean even more into empathy, flexibility, and collaboration. So, we focused on encouraging staff and volunteers to approach each interaction with kindness and curiosity, while still supporting the Principles that guide our culture.

Secondly, we examined each team’s on-the-ground activity, specifically the parts where Burning Man Project teams visited participants on the playa in the participants’ space. What was the work that was done in that interaction? Was it needed? Is there another way to do it? Can we share the load with another team? We aimed to reduce the time participants were required to engage with staff and volunteers at the event. Twenty-five separate teams participated in the exercise. As a result, adjustments were made to workflows, information-gathering processes, and a wide range of work functions.

Overall, the project was a success, and we heard a lot of appreciation from participants. We saw a 30% decrease in the time staff were in participants’ camps (which we see as a success indicator), and we are excited to build on that for 2025. 

Following the rain events of 2023, we revisited our major incident response plans—especially the bad weather plan. We prepare for many scenarios and improve our plans each time we use them. The Major Incident Action Plan (MIAP) was a major upgrade to our internal communications and team activation protocols. The weather plan also received a significant overhaul, adding more nuance to how we address different types of bad weather, emergency response levels, and readiness, so future responses can be better tailored to specific conditions.

Leading the operations of Black Rock City is a huge group effort. Every year brings closer cooperation, leading to better team outcomes and a more efficient, smooth, and culturally aligned operation.

2024 BRC TEAM HIGHLIGHTS

  • The GPE team had the best travel time stats for gate road ever…. well done!
  • The ESD team onboarded a new Rampart vendor that was a huge success.
  • The DPW team further reduced carbon fuel use in the BMP power grids.
  • The Community Services team brought Center Camp back to life with a bang.
  • The Event Ops team completely revamped the Major Incident Response plan and the Weather response plan and tested it all during the pre-event rain incident.
  • The Government Relations team with ESD, Placement, and Environmental Compliance changed fuel storage regulations that made storing fuel safely easier for the community.

 

Burner Express Bus (BXB)

Trash Dad (Simon Hill) writes:

2024 marked the 10th anniversary of the Burner Express Bus program. Since its inception in 2013, the BxB program has transported over 100,000 participants to and from our beautiful city. This represents an enormous collective positive impact on traffic congestion and the carbon footprint incurred by participants coming Home.

BxB Operations were remarkably smooth this year. In collaboration with Ticketing, we improved the Will-Call operations at the points of embarkation in Reno and San Francisco, resulting in a record low number of ticketing issues at the Gate. Additionally, BxB came to the rescue and transported 45 Burner Express Air passengers that were stranded due to the dust storms during exodus safely to Reno. Finally, the BxB crew teamed up with Robot Heart to throw a party at the bus depot to celebrate the 10th anniversary at the program, complete with dancing, heart shaped sunglasses, and orange cocktails to match the BxB hi-vis aesthetic.

Weather impacts that occur during peak ingress and exodus are particularly challenging for the BxB program as the bus schedules are very tight and downstream effects of delays can be very significant. However, with the learnings from severe weather experienced in 2022 and 2023, both dust storms and rain, we were able to proactively prepare for the rain during ingress and the dust storms during exodus. Through a complex plan of bus juggling and schedule adjustments we were able to get all passengers to playa on their scheduled dates around the rain storm. Similarly, we were able to effectively move all passengers off of playa through the dust storms during exodus, relying on the skills of a team of guides that were able to escort the buses through the whiteouts to exit the playa.

BXB BY THE NUMBERS

Total passengers transported: 11,532

Center Camp

Laura Day writes:

The biggest story our team is excited to share this year is the revitalization of Center Camp Plaza and Canopy — once a bustling heart of Black Rock City that had felt abandoned over the past two years. With public sentiment at an all-time low and many believing we had “killed” Center Camp by ending coffee operations, we knew a transformative approach was needed to breathe new life into this iconic space. This year, we embraced that challenge and successfully turned Center Camp into a thriving “downtown” district through a holistic programming overhaul.

To achieve this, we reshaped the layout, invited new theme camps into the Plaza, and collaborated with more than 220 artists, performers, and contributors to curate an extraordinary participatory experience under the Canopy. We placed highly interactive camps around the Plaza, creating an exciting neighborhood vibe. The result? A vibrant, inviting space filled with art, activation zones, engaging events, and a lively atmosphere that drew people together and reignited the sense of community in the city’s heart. Post-event surveys show that public sentiment toward Center Camp has dramatically improved, proving that we brought back the energy and magic that makes this space essential to Black Rock City. This transformation is a testament to the power of community, creativity, and collaboration that define Burning Man.

Here are some of our team’s most significant accomplishments from this past year, each one supporting our mission to foster community, creativity, and engagement, while extending Burning Man’s impact:

1. Revitalizing Center Camp as the Heart of Black Rock City
This year marked the first phase of a three-year plan to revitalize Center Camp, transforming it back into the vibrant hub of community it once was. We created a diverse, participatory programming lineup that included live performances, interactive art, and engaging activities, helping make the space feel lively, welcoming, and essential. We worked closely with long-time Center Camp teams, honoring their role and inspiring them to participate in this transition, strengthening the unity and shared ownership of the space for the teams and community. Positive feedback from the public via surveys and social media indicates we’re on the right track.

2. Enhanced Collaboration with Theme Camps, Artists, and Art Cars
We took extensive steps to invite and integrate the blood of the city — theme camps, artists, and the Mutant Vehicle community — under the Center Camp Canopy with over a dozen camps, several art installations, and numerous art cars to activate the space. By fostering relationships with these collaborators and inviting their participation in programming, we helped broaden the creative experience and communal effort, highlighting the collaborative spirit at the heart of the city. The concept was well-received, and we see potential for future improvements.

3. Building a Cohesive Team Culture
The Canopy’s internal team members rose to the challenge of re-imagining Center Camp and putting their years of dedication and skills back to work. After eliminating the coffee-shop, the space lay fallow for a few years as the space’s new direction emerged, and this was a low point for the energetics of the team, which lacked purpose and identity. Under the leadership of River, SNAFU, Jonah Gabriel, Dr. Kegels, Black Swan, Ready!, Carolina Sunshine, Chi Chi, Plot Twist, and other core volunteers, the skills of these dedicated humans proved invaluable during planning, setup, and execution. Our Decor team, Off Center Camp team, Leave No Trace, Art, Crew Care, Guardians, Production team, and activation and performance collaborators all worked harmoniously, ensuring that Center Camp maintained its aesthetic, safety, and community-centric focus.

4. Effective Community Engagement and Feedback Loops
Integrating feedback loops was essential to our approach. Public sentiment, from direct surveys, social media, town halls, and debriefs has been overwhelmingly positive. Internally, our initiative has also garnered appreciation and recognition. This feedback has reinforced our belief in the revitalization effort and provided valuable insights into how to keep refining and expanding the community’s engagement in the future.

Each of these accomplishments has strengthened our community, upheld Burning Man’s core Principles, and contributed to a reinvigorated sense of place and purpose at Center Camp. We’re excited to build on these successes in the years to come.

Here are some key ways we adapted our operations this year, rising to meet challenges and seizing opportunities to improve:

1. Integrating Over 220+ Collaborators Under the Canopy
This year, we welcomed an ambitious roster of 220+ collaborators from the community, including 17 core installation groups, each bringing unique activations and installations to Center Camp. Integrating so many new groups required us to develop an inclusive, flexible approach to collaboration. Our team embraced this challenge by increasing communication touchpoints and finding creative ways to accommodate diverse setups and schedules. This collective effort not only enhanced our programming but fostered a more open and welcoming environment for contributors. Our internal Canopy Production and Decor teams integrated these Collaborators’ needs, pivoted on the fly when necessary, and opened the space on time at the end of Build Week for a wonderful opening ceremony. Our collaborations also included Fire Convergence installing six torches and the scheduling of two fire performance stages brought by Mythmaker and Wastelanders in the keyhole to draw participants in from the inner playa. Additionally we worked closely with the Art Department to place installations in and around the Plaza enriching the visual experience at the heart of the city.

2. Swift Recovery After Severe Weather Damage
High winds during the first day of build week destroyed nearly 40% of our Canopy shade cloth attachment points, posing a significant setback with the opening day quickly approaching. With DPW on their day off, our Center Camp Production team came together to replace the damaged shade cloth on Sunday, a day of much-needed rest for many. By taking immediate action, we minimized the delay to just one day rather than the potential two-day setback. This experience underscored our team’s dedication, adaptability, and cross-team support — everyone pitched in to keep us on track.

3. Responding to Demand for Coffee with New Beverage Options
With a high level of public outcry over the absence of coffee at Center Camp, we sought innovative solutions to meet the demand for beverages. We collaborated with a 24-7 teahouse that provided caffeinated and herbal options around the clock, and we constructed a Grand Central Bar that featured a rotating lineup of community pop-up drinks. Offerings ranged from snow cones to iced coffee to cocktails, which were well-received and added fresh and diverse energy to the space.

4. Shifting Public Sentiment about Center Camp from Negative to Positive
Since the shuttering of the cafe post-pandemic, Center Camp saw a few years of negative community sentiment. While there was a solid amount of support of this shift, many folks were angry about the removal of coffee, and the zone felt like a ghost town. Very few people responded to the public invitation to make Center Camp a community hub and meeting grounds in 2022 and 2023. Working closely with our Communications Department, this was addressed through an integrated communications strategy that endeavored to excite people about the new direction and intentional activation of the heart of the city. Town Halls, social media posts, journal articles, multiple phases of outreach, and a tri-fold insert in the What Where When all worked together to steer people toward an attitude of innovation, creativity, collaboration, excitement, and a proclivity for revitalization. Post-burn participant surveys collected from thousands of participants scored Center Camp averaging 4 out of 5, reflecting a successful impact on public sentiment around Center Camp’s new direction and a shift in a positive direction!

5. Center Camp Canopy Leadership Council
Following in the footsteps of other successful community services departments, the leadership for the Canopy project formed a council, complete with bylaws and a formal proposal submission and review process with a representative polling structure. With the shift to using a Project Manager role to guide internal teams along a timeline to success, we saw a need for a space to discuss and determine holistic and big-picture changes, policies, and improvements in ways that work for all teams. This has improved the team morale and hopefulness for our ability to tackle hard subjects and have all voices heard.

Through these adjustments, our team exemplified resilience, creativity, and a commitment to fostering community and engagement. Each challenge strengthened our collaborative spirit and refined our approach, making Center Camp even more vibrant and inviting.

CENTER CAMP BY THE NUMBERS

  • 220+ Volunteers supported the creation of the Center Camp Canopy
  • 43 visual artists displayed their art or painted murals at the Canopy
  • We welcomed 250+ collaborator groups into the experiential design under the Center Camp Canopy
  • 21 Theme Camps were placed in the central plaza creating bustling activity and immersive experiences and the Center Camp Neighborhood was very active, as well
  • Out of 2,580 Black Rock City participant surveys that rated Center Camp on a scale of 1 to 5, only 70 gave Center Camp a score of 1, while 864 gave Center Camp a full 5 out of 5. The average score across respondents was 4 out of 5.
  • Top-10 Most Popular Canopy Events (measured by # of mentions in the post-burn participant survey):
    Black Rock Philharmonic (408 mentions)
    Around the Clock Tea House (223 mentions)
    Center Camp Snowcones (208 mentions)
    Opening Ceremony (125 mentions)
    Billion Bunny Takeover (118 mentions)
    Cacophony Society Cocktail Hour (116 mentions)
    Grand Artique Trading Post (98 mentions)
    Million Mushroom March (97 mentions)
    Human Curiosity Libraries (75 mentions)
    Living Art Lounge Furtherrr Collective Live Painting Experience (74 mentions)

IN THE JOURNAL:

 

Documentation (Doc) team

Michael “Dustin” Fasman writes:

We had many highlights in 2024, including the following:

  • Collaborated with Media Mecca (Kirsten Weisenburger) to facilitate on-playa story assignments, including both pre-determined and last minute additions.
  • Worked even more closely with Communications team on playa to streamline process for photos taken during event to be used on social media.
  • Our Doc team uploaded over 4,000 photos from Black Rock City 2024, plus dozens of videos to shared drives for use by the Communications team.
  • Doc team photos used for the Reno Airport “DepARTures” exhibit. Video edited by team volunteer coordinator.

DOC TEAM BY THE NUMBERS

  • 500+ Doc team photos used throughout the year to produce various projects for Communications including Dispatch, social media, JRS, Journal and other small projects
  • Volunteers from 10 states and six countries
  • 4,000+ photos uploaded to BMP’s digital asset management system.

LEARN MORE
gallery.burningman.org

Gate, Perimeter & Exodus (GP&E)

The maGPiE and Shimmer write:

While some referred to 2024 as “Boring Man,” GP&E experienced anything but. The team navigated rolling whiteouts during build, a critical early-morning shutdown of Gate Road on Opening Day, and severe whiteouts during peak Exodus—all while maintaining safety, clarity, and strong coordination.

Key decisions, like resisting pressure to reopen Gate prematurely, prevented major damage to the city’s streets. Throughout, the crew demonstrated exceptional judgment, communication, and calm under stress. Real-time coordination during whiteout events was a standout success. Teams executed safety protocols flawlessly—from distributing visibility gear to tracking personnel. The professionalism and care on display were remarkable.

Three new operational areas—Rat-Pack, Scribes, and F-Lot—launched with minimal friction, a rare feat at this scale. Their early success reflects strong planning and execution.

GP&E’s tone sets the first impression of Black Rock City. Efforts to shift team culture toward resilience, respect, and support—without losing humor or edge—are paying off. When Gate works well, the whole city feels it.

The BRC Dashboard: This collaboration with BMP Communications (Dom and Leslie), BMIR (Jex and Sacha), and the Traffic Operations Center (TOC) resulted in a fantastic new tool for BRC citizens to get real-time information on travel times, weather, and more. We’re excited to continue to help improve this valuable tool.

Low Travel Times for Exodus 2024: Vehicle and participant issues were handled on playa, resulting in a steady flow of traffic up the Gravel Road, through the Flagging Operation and onto CR34. During significant dust storms, the longest reported travel time was eight hours, however 80 percent of participants reported their Exodus journey (Greeters to Pulsing) took three hours or less.

Pre-Event Collaborations: Significant committee work within GP&E and with other BMP Departments resulted in smoother TOC and Exodus operations, better use of resources, and greater understanding of shared goals. Shout outs to BMIT, Government Affairs, BMIR, DPW, to name a few external partners. TOC also benefited from the 2024 Cooperator Meeting and follow up meetings pre-event and on playa as partners recognized TOC’s value during the event, with agencies providing timely information and resources.

Travel Time: We continued to educate BRC citizens that this information is crowd-sourced and is relative to their journeys from Gravel to Apex (ingress) and from Greeters to Pulsing (egress). During data collection, the GPE crew offered each participant a Travel Time sticker for their assistance and offered more information on how it all works, thanking them for their participation.

GP&E BY THE NUMBERS

  • 85% of vehicles report ingress travel time of two hours or less
  • Point 1 operations: no perceived effect by adding Gate Road traffic
  • Rat Pack was invaluable in reducing leadership burnout
  • Scribes (proof of principle pilot project) recorded 1000 interactions with Perimeter and Gate and participants
  • 85% of vehicles report egress travel time of two hours or less during extreme whiteouts

Media Mecca

Carly Rhodes writes:

Brinkley organized a tour for press and media in BRC, Urban Revitalization & Green Innovations for the World. The tour gave an inside look at the revitalization of Center Camp and the innovative Green Corridor, where theme camps with a focus on sustainability are placed together. George Reed, Starchild, and HotSpot spoke during the tour giving insight on the innovative projects and sustainable practices that make Black Rock City a model for urban and environmental revitalization around the world.

We have been working on succession planning, and training was a big focus this year. Several volunteers were trained in roles that were new to them. Our goal is to spread the institutional knowledge that the experienced volunteers hold with all of our staff.

A new BRC dashboard was created to help improve communication with participants in BRC. This tool shared up-to-the minute updates on Black Rock City traffic, weather, and other pertinent topics. This information was aimed at participants, so they had a one-stop shop for critical information throughout the event. The Dashboard was also a helpful tool to our partner agencies, the media, and Burning Man staff. The Dashboard was the main source of information during the pre-event rain delay and during the Exodus dust storms.

Our amazing crew of longtime volunteers developed a new volunteer orientation program this year. The focus of the orientation was not only to teach new volunteers what we do at Media Mecca but WHY we do what we do. Assisting press and media with stories and projects to help advance the culture of Burning Man is a big deal!

Media Mecca’s new placement at 6:30 and Esplanade was a highlight. The press/media seemed to find Mecca more easily. Our volunteers also liked the new location.

Media Mecca by the Numbers

  • 159 Media project applications were submitted before BRC
  • 119 projects checked in at Media Mecca on playa
  • 7 applications were submitted as walk-ins on playa
  • 28 registered drone pilots
  • 75 volunteers helped Media Mecca run smoothly this year

Media Highlights from 2024

Burning Man 2024 Art Highlights by Vincent Rommelaere

Burning Man: Unbound by Leoš Brabec

The Side of Burning Man You’ve Never Seen by Jingle Sparkle

 

Nevada Ops & NVO Specialty Construction

Kaitlyn (Mobo) McManus & Erica (Nipps) Williams write:

In 2024, NVO Camp made a transformative shift to a single communal shade space, fostering deeper connection and collaboration across sub-departments. This intentional design supported interaction and camaraderie, exemplifying Radical Inclusion and Communal Effort. The camp was a labor of love by every team involved. In the same spirit, NVO’s Personnel team partnered with PO to launch a Manager Training program, featuring three onsite sessions in Gerlach that equipped team leads with tools to strengthen their roles. Additional sessions are in development based on positive feedback, reflecting Burning Man’s culture of continuous learning and adaptability.

The 360 and BRC Storage teams supported over 150 participants this year, offering critical infrastructure help to camps and mutant vehicle owners. These efforts reduced on-playa MOOP and addressed long-term storage needs, like keeping vehicles operable. Meanwhile, integrating unicorn container batteries into the Black Rock Station power grid cut generator run times by more than 50%, saving fuel and paving the way for solar integration—highlighting Burning Man’s commitment to environmental innovation and support for creative communities.

Across the organization, 2024 brought key milestones in community-building, sustainability, and operations. On-site housing improvements supported more midnight shift workers and cross-department personnel, enhancing collaboration and wellbeing. The launch of the NVO Keyhole and Compass platforms streamlined access to vital information and improved transparency for NVO staff, reinforcing support for the people who build and maintain Black Rock City.

Sustainability saw a major leap forward: Scarab solar trailers powered remote work areas at the ranch and on playa, reducing reliance on traditional power. “Oh-Ice-Is!,” a donor-funded solar-powered cooling and gathering space, symbolized community care in action. A new solar-powered reefer improved food storage for pre- and post-event crews, easing logistics and cutting rental needs—together showcasing how Burning Man continues to innovate with environmental stewardship at the core.

To support crews across multiple sites, a new Hospitality Manager role was introduced, overseeing two kitchens and three bars. This position ensured seamless service delivery while navigating the logistical complexity of dispersed operations.

Back at NVO Camp, a planning team addressed past challenges to nearly double staff accommodations within the same footprint. The new communal layout fostered cross-team connection, reinforcing the community values at the heart of Burning Man.

The integration of NVO Personnel into the People Pod and their post-season merger with People Operations created a more unified support system. These changes improved communication between Gerlach and the broader organization, laying the groundwork for more integrated systems to serve both year-round and seasonal staff.

Logistical improvements also streamlined operations: BRC Storage linked stored items to Theme Camp Questionnaires, cutting secondary container movements from over 20 in 2023 to fewer than five in 2024. The Solar Program’s proactive shoreline staging accelerated deployments and helped meet power needs more efficiently, even amid load management challenges. Together, these efforts underscore Burning Man’s ongoing commitment to adaptability, sustainability, and principled innovation.

NVO BY THE NUMBERS

In 2024, the Burning Man Project achieved impressive milestones across its operations, underscoring its commitment to innovation, sustainability, and community support. The NVO team processed 305 hiring requests and filled 135 roles, ensuring the workforce was robust enough to support Black Rock City and year-round operations. Mental health services for staff expanded significantly, with Employee Assistance Program therapists providing on-site support in Gerlach for two six-hour days per month from May through November. This focus on well-being highlights the organization’s dedication to the people who bring its vision to life.

BRC Storage made substantial progress in optimizing its operations, serving over 150 participants and completing key infrastructure projects, including the improvement of more than a mile of fencing and the execution of three major safety compliance upgrades. Streamlined processes resulted in a sharp reduction in post-placement container moves — from over 20 in 2023 to just four in 2024 — saving significant time and resources. Storage container transportation times were also shortened by 18 hours, demonstrating a commitment to efficiency and improved service delivery.

Across the nine teams and 55 individual users in MaintainX this year — only our second year using the program — we collectively created 9,076 work orders and completed 8,276, achieving a completion rate of 91.9%. This performance showcases the relentless drive and precision these teams bring to tackling the challenges of our dynamic operations.

The Solar Program continued to advance Burning Man’s sustainability goals, generating 72,600 kWh of energy through rooftop arrays in Gerlach and achieving cost savings of approximately $8,000. Portable solar assets added another 20,500 kWh year-round and 12,000 kWh during the event cycle, supporting 18 art installations on playa and powering at least eight teams during pre-season operations. These renewable energy resources also enhanced logistical flexibility, providing remote power to critical operations such as restoration, box building, and tech support. By integrating these innovations, the Solar Program not only reduced environmental impact but also reinforced the principles of self-reliance and creativity that define Burning Man.

Together, these achievements illustrate Burning Man Project’s ability to adapt, evolve, and inspire. From strengthening staff support systems to streamlining operational processes and advancing sustainability, the organization continues to set the standard for fostering creativity and community on a global scale. These efforts reflect a deep alignment with the mission of spreading Burning Man’s principles beyond Black Rock City and into the world.

LEARN MORE

Visit the Nevada Operations website

IN THE JOURNAL:

Placement / Camp Support / PEERS

Level (aka Bryant Tan) writes:

Placement’s is focused on the petri dish of experimentation that is BRC. Here’s what we’re proud of…

  1. Moving and consolidating department camps. The redesign of Center Camp meant a wholesale shake up of the location of many department camps, both within the former Center Camp area as well as the blocks adjacent to it. Placement was able to consolidate and centralize many department camps around the Commissary to be a larger neighborhood of staff. This had both a cultural impact as well as an operational one – making it easier to service those camps and for staff to easily access the Commissary and BRC Operations Center. Public-facing departments that once faced Center Camp Plaza were also relocated to along the Esplanade, which enabled some additional operational efficiencies and greater visibility. With the removal of Rod’s Road and the interest in bringing more excitement to Center Camp, the Placement team took charge to think about how to build a new neighborhood. We encouraged and invited theme camps that had never been in Center Camp Plaza to bring their gifts there with great success. Center Camp Plaza was more vibrant than ever with these changes, including reducing the overall width of the plaza to feel like a more intimate space.
  2. Placement HQ is lit! 2024 was the third year of having a Placement office and space on playa and we have dialed in our presence and operations. We made significant upgrades to our signage; it’s now lit at night, increasing our visual appeal and being an inviting space. We also have a more organized office, protocols to handle various types of issues brought by participants, and a place for the entire team to gather and meet.
  3. Villages transitioning into HUBS and more HUBS than ever. The adoption of HUBS has grown exponentially since we started it in 2022. This year, we had 132 HUBS with 338 camps within them. This year, we also informed villages that they need to transition out of that model and into a HUBS model so that Placement can be aware of each camp within them to fairly assess them. That change solves several challenges that we previously faced including lack of clarity on the various components of a village, challenges with identifying camps within villages for emergencies or service deliveries, and sizing a village more appropriately. We had the best alignment yet with partner teams like BRC Storage Program and PETROL. This included aligning our deadlines to work better to have the information our respective teams need at the time we need them. We also simplified the process for camps that had once submitted maps to each of our departments, to now only submit one map that can be used by each department.
  4. We had a successful Gently Talk Folks Out process during Strike Week including a new Fulcrum app to coordinate. This was probably the most coordinated effort we’ve had across departments including Rangers, DPW, and Placement — in an attempt to better document information and also reduce the amount of duplicate contact we have with participants. Several Placers stayed behind to assist in the process, which is a fairly large lift given that they have already been on playa for the entirety of Build Week as well.
  5. PEERS (Placement’s Exploration and Engagement Research Squad) was able to visit more camps than ever at nearly 80% of theme camps visited — approximately 1,000 theme camps overall. We continue to have a high rate of volunteerism for this effort, and many of them love doing so and have done so for multiple years.

We encouraged theme camps to take the year off in anticipation of ballooning demand on the Placement system. Approximately 200 camps took the year off, which left room for us to include 129 new theme camps. In total we placed about the same number of camps as we did in 2023, so we were able to keep the total number of camps placed stable and create some breathing room in the system.

For the first time ever, Placement shared an important piece of information that many camps have asked for over the years — which side of street they are, or which specific corner if placed at a corner. This was received very well by the community. While the team was a little weary of sharing more specific information like this, our concerns about misuse of that information did not surface.

SAPs were sent out earlier than ever (June), which meant camps could sort out logistics and their campers’ arrivals sooner than previously. Moving up the timeline also gave more space in July/August to not be so crunched with managing this particular milestone.

For the first time ever, we both allowed new theme camps to complete a Statement of Intent, and offered conditional placement offers that came with access to tickets. We started offering new camps tickets in 2022, but they were offered in June/July in 2022 and 2023. To offer greater ability to plan, our communications about this is now moved to February which gives a longer runway for planning and more security for new theme camps to participate.

PLACEMENT BY THE NUMBERS

  • 1,546 total camps placed (1,174 theme camps)
  • Approximately 450 participants attended the 2024 Camp Symposium
  • Volunteers: 34 Placement, 20 Flaggers, 83 Camp Symposium, 30 Camp Support Volunteers, six PEERS Coordinators, 282 PEERS volunteers

LEARN MORE

2024 Camp Symposiums

IN THE JOURNAL:

Playa Info / Lost & Found

Manea writes:

2024 was challenging both emotionally and operationally for Playa Info with the death of a beloved leader, a significant change within leadership, and an unforeseen change in on-playa staffing due to an illness. The Day Manager event shifts ended up needing to be split among three people and highlighted our need to train and expand that role for the future. It was also a very challenging year for volunteerism and number of worked shifts were down significantly in 2024. The Council will also be evaluating our incentives for the future.

Playa Info had one of the smoothest Build weeks in the history of our time serving BRC! Elecktra and her group of volunteers worked so well together and accomplished everything they set out to within record timing. It was a great start to the week and really set us all up for success in working within our spaces and having everything we needed.

The Playa Info Council doubled in membership in 2024 and worked to distribute responsibilities across the group. The team is learning and growing in these key responsibilities and it (hopefully) allows for a better distribution of work that gives a little bit of breathing room.

Lost and Found made improvements in the organization and project planning with this shift in leadership and the many previous years of dedication and training of shift leads within L&F really paid off.

PLAYA INFO BY THE NUMBERS

  • 2,190 found items that we logged in, including coats
    and jackets (*This does not include the hundreds of items open for free-search in the
    waiting area such as all — fabric items, scarves, head gear, shoes, misc. — 
    but a few items of clothing, water bottles without an ID, bike locks and
    other similar items)
  • Our overall return rate was 72% for logged items
  • We received at least 31 found items per every 1,000 participants
  • We handled 31 Reno Airport luggage pieces

Our top three categories of items continue to be:

  1. Phones at 48% of the inventory, with a 90% return rate.
  2. All Bags at 19% of the inventory, with a 63% return rate
  3. IDs at 15% of the inventory, with a 78% return rate

Many kudos, karma points, high kicks, and and high fives for the entire Lost and Found team. You make a difference in people’s lives!

Playa Restoration & Highway Cleanup

DA writes:

The Burning Man community, followed by the Playa Restoration All-Star team (Resto), achieved the best BLM Post-Event Inspection score since 2019 — a major comeback after 2023’s weather challenges. The 2024 MOOP Map showed noticeable improvements, especially in the back city blocks, thanks to increased camp cleanup efforts, MOOP Sweeps, and DIY MOOP Tests.

A game-changer this year was Playa Restoration’s MOOP Testing, which helped pinpoint problem areas before the BLM inspection, tracking in real-time our odds of passing. As a result, only three test points failed — down from 11 in 2023.

This win belongs to every participant, artist, and volunteer who took responsibility for Leaving No Trace. Now, our goal is clear: eliminate lag bolts/tent stakes and make Black Rock City the cleanest it’s ever been.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM 2024 RESTO

  • Best BLM Inspection Score Since 2019 – Only three test points failed (down from 11 in 2023), thanks to MOOP Sweeps, DIY MOOP Tests, and Resto’s pre-inspection MOOP Testing.
  • Community Cleanup Efforts Expanded – More theme camps, art projects, and community participants conducted MOOP Sweeps & MOOP Tests, reducing post-event cleanup workload.
  • MOOP Testing Strengthened LNT Strategy – 250 test areas assessed, giving real-time data on pass/fail odds and making cleanup more efficient.
  • Better MOOP Mapping with GPS Data – Enhanced tracking allowed for smarter resource allocation and focused cleanup in high-risk areas.
  • Lag Bolts & Tent Stakes Remain #1 Issue – 1,508 recorded instances — barely down from 1,547 in 2023, proving this remains the community’s top cleanup challenge.
  • LNT Knowledge Shared Globally – Playa Restoration’s MOOP Testing & Mapping strategies continue to inform regional Burner events and sustainability efforts worldwide.
  • Ongoing (over 20 years of) Commitment to Leave No Trace – While 2024 saw real progress, ongoing education and accountability — particularly around persistent MOOP issues — will be key to maintaining Black Rock City’s strong LNT record in the years ahead.

PLAYA RESTO BY THE NUMBERS

  • Lag Bolts & Tent Stakes (Worst MOOP Again!): 1,508 recorded instances — barely down from 1,547 in 2023. This remains the community’s #1 problem for the third straight year, despite repeated warnings.
  • Playa Restoration Crew: 150+ members worked to MOOP Sweep over 3,700 acres of Black Rock City.
  • Resto MOOP Testing Impact: 250 test areas assessed, providing real-time data on pass/fail odds.

LOOKING AHEAD TO 2025

Despite the success, lag bolts/tent stakes remain the #1 MOOP issue, with 1,508 recorded instances — a persistent challenge that requires stronger community action in 2025.

IN THE JOURNAL:

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Recycle Camp 

Spanky writes:

Despite all of the physical changes with Center Camp and our placement, we were still able to attract participants and accept their aluminum recycling. We hope that in 2025 our new location will be better known and we’ll get back to previous volume.

We have swapped out several processes around building our shade, which allows us to reuse more parts as well reduce fatigue and potential injury of our volunteers. We had a smaller strike crew than usual and overcame this with simple brute force. We’ll be making changes to our volunteer processes to compensate for this in the future.

RECYCLE CAMP BY THE NUMBERS

  • 10,100 lb. of aluminum collected
  • $3,030 donated to local schools

Regeneration Department & Net Zero BRC

Stephen Chun (aka Babies and Gentlemen), Matthew Deluge (aka Starchild), George Reed (aka Gremlin), and Liza Welsh write:

Building a Data-Driven Path to Sustainability: Net Zero BRC and Innovation in Action

In 2024, Burning Man Project made many leaps forward in our efforts to transition Black Rock City (BRC) into the world’s first carbon-neutral temporary city. Through the socialization of our Net Zero BRC initiative, and the institutionalization of the Regeneration Department, and the collaborative efforts of the Net Zero BRC Working Groups, we’ve not only further reduced BRC’s fossil fuel emissions but also positioned BRC as a global innovation hub — a testing ground for regenerative solutions that have the potential to impact everything from temporary disaster relief zones to large events like the Super Bowl, to larger permanent cities. At the heart of this transformation is our commitment to being a space of innovation and community engagement as we prototype solutions for the future together.

Our shift to a more organized and data driven approach this year reflects how the organization is evolving our sustainability practices around clear Outcomes and Key Results (OKRs), which provide measurable pathways to ensure that our actions and investments align with our strategic goals.

In addition to formalizing an emissions reporting framework to measure year-over-year progress, the Regeneration Department developed a sister report we call the “Emissions Reduction Impact Calculations” (ERICs), as an analytics tool, or essentially a “report card,” to evaluate the impact of our Net Zero BRC investments that year. We also used this report to distill our most impactful initiatives from 2023 and inform our planning for 2024 to maximize fuel reduction and emissions savings. One of the standout successes was the expansion of the program to integrate battery storage technologies throughout a greater percentage of our DPW power grids, with preliminary results showing a 60% reduction in average runtime of diesel generators. This not only saved an estimated 43,747 gallons of diesel, reducing our emissions by 448.2 mt CO2e, and aligning with our broader goal of achieving net-zero emissions.

This is Burning Man’s regenerative culture in action — measured, impactful, and transformative. As we continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, our approach and commitment to innovation are laying the foundation for scalable solutions that will shape the future of both BRC and the world at large.

Innovations in renewable energy powered art installations
We collaborated with Black Rock Labs to showcase the first art installation powered by a green hydrogen fuel cell. This innovation demonstrates both feasibility and progress in renewable vehicle-to-grid technologies that can be implemented in temporary events and cities. In addition, we collaborated with a donor to produce a community cooling space, the “Oh-Ice-is.” This was an air conditioned space powered by solar demonstrating a sustainable way to provide communal cooling spaces in BRC.

Supporting solar powered art installations in BRC
We continued powering the build and operations of the Man, Temple, and a portion of Center Camp using our solar assets. In addition, we supported 18 art installations. We estimate approximately 8,000 gallons of fuel were saved through these solar initiatives.

Expanding renewable energy use in Northern Nevada and year-round
We have scaled the use of our solar assets on our Northern Nevada properties and operations throughout the year. We estimate we have reduced fossil fuel use by at least 15,000 gallons. In addition, we added rooftop solar systems to the Gerlach Office and Helen’s House.

Closing the loop on food waste and supporting local communities
We facilitated the composting of our BRC staff’s food waste and utilized approximately 63 cubic-yards of compost on Fly Ranch and Burning Man properties. In addition, we donated 30 cubic-yards of compost to the Pyramid Lake Paiute Tribe and Gerlach communities to support local gardening and food production efforts.

Expansion of renewable fuels initiative
We increased our use of R99 renewable diesel fuel by 300% in BRC compared to 2023. In addition, we ran a new pilot program inviting participants to support subsidizing renewable fuel use in BRC. The pilot was an outstanding success and had over 10,000 gallons of renewable diesel subsidized by participant camps. Lastly, we procured and successfully integrated and tested 8,500 gallons of renewable propane into our propane distribution ecosystem, further reducing our reliance on fossil fuels.

1. Establishing the Regeneration Department
As Regeneration officially emerged as a department within Burning Man Project, responsible for managing emissions inventories, facilitating Net Zero BRC working groups, and stewarding the Off Fossil Fuels (OFF) restricted donation, we faced the complex task of developing and socializing new decision-making structures and processes while integrating with institutionalized processes in the broader organization.

We faced challenges with aligning our year-round project planning and strategic investment/execution efforts with BMP’s annual budgeting process. We addressed these by 1) Implementing OKRs to guide the Net Zero BRC initiative decision-making process around OFF expenditures, 2) collaborating closely with BMP Finance to develop cashflow projection and tracking processes that worked for all parties, and 3) formalizing these processes into Standard Operating Procedures. Our success was grounded in transparent communication, co-creation with cross-departmental teams, and a collective commitment to making regeneration a core pillar of our operations.

2. Power Supply Compliance and Socialization
One of our biggest operational challenges this year was ensuring compliance with evolving power supply guidelines and promoting efficient power use across BRC. These changes initially sparked concerns, particularly from artists and larger-scale projects reliant on significant energy resources. Our team addressed these concerns by coming to the table with clear, solution-oriented proposals and an approach rooted in confidence, kindness, and helpfulness. By working directly with artists on their power planning, we guided them toward realistic and sustainable strategies while maintaining their creative vision. This process strengthened trust and underscored our role as both advocates and enablers for a regenerative BRC.

3. Limited Internet Access
Internet access was a recurring challenge that made real-time monitoring, resource coordination, and communication challenging. Despite these limitations, our team leaned into adaptive strategies, relying on pre-arranged communication plans, on-the-ground problem-solving, and stronger interpersonal collaboration to overcome these barriers. While we successfully prevailed under these conditions, this experience highlighted the need for improved infrastructure to support essential operations in future years.

Through these challenges, our team demonstrated resilience, creativity, and a strong commitment to our shared mission. We didn’t just adapt — we grew stronger and more aligned, transforming obstacles into opportunities to deepen our impact and refine our approach to achieving BRC’s regenerative vision.

REGENERATION (EVENT OPS) BY THE NUMBERS 

  • 11.3 MWh of grid connected energy stored
  • 60% reduction in average run-time for our generators with batteries integrated
  • 18 Art Installations powered with BMP’s solar trailers
  • 22,00 gallons of R99 renewable diesel integrated into our fuel operations
  • At least 20,000 gallons of fuel saved by utilizing solar assets year-round and on playa
  • 25 e-bikes procured for a pilot e-bike program to reduce the number of rental vehicles for staff — 1,468 miles accumulated!
  • 30% reduction in food waste from BRC staff
  • 22 Camps in BRC’s Green Corridor

    BRC / Participant Statistics
  • Theme Camps (1188)
  • 123 Hubs with 331 participating camps (20%)
  • 620 (52%) camps working towards the 2030 Sustainability Roadmap
  • 727 (61%) use alternative power with 603 (51%) of camps using solar
  • 187 (26%) Mutant Vehicles are electric with 77 charged by renewable energy
  • 41% of Honoraria projects demonstrate significant efforts towards sustainability

IN THE JOURNAL:

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