At first glance, Burning Man looks like a kaleidoscope of contradictions: an experiment in Radical Self-reliance built on a bedrock of collaboration and Communal Effort; a decommodified endeavor that takes many millions of dollars to emerge; an experience of ephemerality that has become a permanent fixture in the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the globe.
Many of us who’ve made Burning Man a cornerstone of our lives have discovered something profound beneath the surface. There’s deep meaning to be found by participating in Burning Man culture, meaning that compels us to invest our hearts, minds, and resources into this movement.
If you were in Black Rock City this year, you may have encountered a story booth beneath the Center Camp Canopy that asked: “Why does Burning Man matter to the future of the world?”
It’s not too late to share your perspective! However and wherever you Burn — whether you’re a crusty veteran, or this Burning Man thing is new to you — add your thoughts here. Why does Burning Man matter to the future of the world?
When we asked this question in Black Rock City, the responses received were as diverse as the community itself. In aggregate, they pointed the way toward a truth that within our culture lies something far more significant: a curiosity for new ways of solving problems, building community, and reimagining what’s possible for human society.
From togetherness and personal growth, to creating change and building bridges, the following seven themes emerged based on Black Rock City 2024 participant submissions in the Center Camp story booth.
When asked, ”Why does Burning Man matter to the future of the world?,” here’s what participants said:
- Burning Man matters because it is a laboratory for new social models
“Burning Man is the epicenter of what the world could look like if we built it using different starting principles, different starting values. It’s a city of love. It’s a city where if we live by a different set of rules, what could society look like?”
“We need to be able to reimagine a new way of getting along with each other, getting along with the earth, reckoning with our future, reckoning with our past. Burning Man is a place that allows you to think outside of the box, to imagine and build something that previously was unimaginable, impossible, but we still do it. At Burning Man we create the impossible and we survive in a place that is very inhospitable. If we can survive here, get along here, we can surely do the same in the rest of the world.”
- Burning Man matters because it creates space for real human connection
“Connection is not going to get any easier. I think even though we are going to be connected to one another, by devices everywhere, real connection with humans, it’s going to be more difficult. So, it’s important for a place like this to exist, where immediacy can be practiced in a way that is available to us in the default world, but that we often don’t get to experience due to a life we built.”
“Burning Man matters because people need to still relate to each other in a personal way. Not on their phones, not texting, not on the computer, but actually relating to people face to face, eye contact, hugs, shoulder rubs, you name it.”
- Burning Man matters because it is an incubator for creativity and innovation
“Burning Man matters to the future of the world because it is a petri dish of human curiosity, human creativity, and human kindness.”
“The more technological we become, the more we automate everything in the world, the only thing that humans are important for is creativity and creating new things. And there’s nothing that amplifies that or promotes that or creates space for that more than Burning Man. So as the world becomes more automated, I hope that experiences like Burning Man can bring to the forefront the importance of funding and creating the ability for people to be creative and make newness in the world, new thoughts, new art, new ways of thinking of things, new connections, new people in their lives. So spaces like Burning Man are important because in a more dehumanizing world, this is where humanity exists in its purest form.”
- Burning Man matters because it enables personal transformation
“I’ve learned self-love here. I’ve learned love for humanity here. I stopped becoming a misanthropic person, a person that’s angry and hateful.”
“Burning Man matters to our future because it gives space for individuals to process, to understand who they are, what they’ve been through and who they’re becoming. Burning Man gives us a pause in our day-to-day life, a break from technology, a chance to disconnect and to simply be a human being, not a human doing.”
- Burning Man matters because it builds bridges between people
“Burning Man matters to the future of the world because intentional communities are the future and building communities through diversity is what the future needs. We need to come together despite all our differences and Black Rock City is the perfect example of that.”
“It’s about the only place in the world where everybody can come together and get along and find fun and peace and love.”
- Burning Man matters because it shows a different way of human connection
“Burning Man helps the community and the citizens understand each other a little bit more because the masks are down. You meet some of the most beautiful people and I think if we can just take that into the default world and remind ourselves that it’s easy to listen to somebody and opening yourself up to vulnerability, to have access to people’s hearts, we might just be able to save the world.”
“I think Burning Man matters to the world because people need to know that good, kind energy exists in abundance and can exist in their own lives as well. It provides hope for the future, which I think we all need right now.”
- Burning Man matters because it creates change agents
“Burning Man matters because the world needs to see that it’s possible. Burning Man matters because the bliss that people experience while they are here is what elevates them, is what motivates them, and is what activates them to act in real life.”
“Larry Harvey said that the burden begins when the Burn ends. How do we capture the magic, the creativity, the love, the hard work, and all the values that we bring out here in Black Rock City and bring them into the world? That’s why it matters to the world because when we take what we do here and we bring it out there, we’re making this world a better place.”
So what do you think?
Whether you’re a first-time Burner or a decades-long participant, your perspective matters.
Add your thoughts here: “Why does Burning Man matter to the future of the world?”
We’d love to hear your story! How have your interactions with Burning Man shaped the way you engage with others? How do the principles we practice on playa shape the way you present yourself in the default world? What innovations from Black Rock City could help address challenges in your community or on the global stage? How has your experience of burning influenced your vision of what’s possible?
As we prepare to explore 2025’s Black Rock City theme of “Tomorrow Today,” it is clear that Burning Man matters. We are in a time when our world desperately needs more human connection, cooperation and collective resilience, laboratories for testing new forms of community and culture, and proof that transformative change is still possible.
The idea that there is a deeper ‘why’ to Burning Man — whether it be the event in Nevada, Regional Events and communities, or the culture Burners have collectively created — feels particularly urgent now.
As we find ourselves amidst deepening societal rifts, climate emergencies, technological upheaval, thank you for pausing to ask: What, exactly, is it that makes Burning Man worth the time, attention, and resources of the vibrant people who co-create it? What possibilities are we discovering in the dust (or whatever terrain it is where you burn) that might light the way toward a future we want to live in?
Cover image of “Kaleidoscope Hole” by Michaela Hares, 2024 (Photo by Ales Prikryl)
