Other than the Man itself, it’s hard to imagine any element of Burning Man more iconic than the Temple. Though different in style and form each year and one global event to the next, all temples stand as a beacon of calm, a place of remembrance, and serve as sanctuary.
Over the past 25 years, these landmark spaces have evolved into an essential part of the Burning Man experience. Beloved by many, belonging to no particular spiritual tradition, the community comes together in these temples to celebrate life’s joys, grieve its sorrows, and search for meaning in the crucible of the human experience. And then, release it all in contemplative fire.
Every year a new lead artist of the Temple in Black Rock City is selected, and a unique Temple design begins to take shape. But making that dream a reality takes many hands and many kinds of contributions. From the Temple builders who create the structure, to the Temple Guardians who hold the space within it, to the donors who help fund these projects, to the Regional artists and builders who bring these healing spaces to their local communities around the world — the effort is vast. The creation of Temples has birthed a far-reaching network, one that has given thousands of people new skills, clear purpose, and lifelong community.
Prototyping a Better Future
This year’s Black Rock City Temple, Temple of the Deep by Miguel Arraiz García, promises to be a groundbreaking community-fueled project that exemplifies the global reach of the Burning Man ethos. Arraiz, an artist and architect from Valencia, Spain, brings a unique perspective to this year’s Temple, shaped by his journey from Burning Man participant to Honorarium artist, then from Regional Contact to lead artist of the Temple. This exchange of cultural influence has enriched both his community work and art practice in Spain, where he recently served as Project Director when Valencia was selected as World Design Capital in 2022.
Listen to the Burning Man LIVE Podcast interview with 2025 Temple Artist Miguel Arraiz García about “Temple of the Deep”:
In an intriguing departure from many Temples past, Miguel’s concept doesn’t reach up towards the heavens. Instead, “Temple of the Deep” is horizontally oriented, a design choice that’s intentional, created with community connection in mind.
“We are always looking for the answers above us,” Miguel says. “I was trying to make something just to look for the answer between us or among us.”
“Temple of the Deep” is also unique because it won’t feature an altar — another intentional decision.
“Inside, there is an agora. A place to meet that is surrounded by small chapels that are the places where you can put the offerings. But this agora is where you meet. You meet other people who have gone through grief or are going through grief.”
An agora, by the way, is a concept borrowed from ancient Greece — a central open space that served as a meeting place for citizens of the Greek city-states.
“So it will be like a small Black Rock City inside the Temple,” Arraiz says.
Miguel hopes that, like his personal healing journey in creating its design, the Temple will serve all who contribute to its creation. “The Temple has already done with me what it needs to do. Now I want to give it to the community.”
To volunteer as a Temple Builder for “Temple of the Deep,” or to make a financial contribution to the project, visit the “Temple of the Deep” website.
Volunteers Who Bring the Temple to Life
What kind of people dedicate their time and skills to building the Temple for Black Rock City each year?
“I think we’re all chronic helpers,” says Sarah McManus, a Temple builder since 2022. “We see something that needs to be done and 10 people jump on it straight away. We’re all trying to fix problems. It’s just part of who we are.”
After relocating to California from Australia, volunteering to build the Temple paid dividends for Sarah in fostering deep community and self-confidence.
“The more you show up, the more opportunities you get given,” Sarah says. “It’s being on playa before everybody else gets there. It’s getting to play with all the cool toys, and every time you go, you learn something new about yourself or you get to teach somebody else something. And that’s super rewarding, seeing somebody else who is in my shoes show up and saying, ‘Hey, do you want to learn how to use this?’ You’ve got this person who walks out at the end of the day being like, ‘Holy shit, I just learned to use a [circular saw], that’s really fun.'”
Temple Guardians also play a vital role in the Temple ecosystem, providing round-the-clock stewardship of the Temple on playa, during Build Week and throughout Burn Week. Part museum security guard, part witness and part empathetic listener, the Temple Guardians act as silent, background protectors who ensure a peaceful and contemplative atmosphere.
Temple Guardians are on shift at the Temple 24 hours a day. Wearing no uniform save a discrete blue bandana, they only emerge out of the background with safety reminders, to gently redirect disruptive behavior, or to offer a friendly ear or a heartfelt hug for those in distress.
Temple Guardians are “drawn to the empathetic, heartfelt, emotional side of things,” says David Johnston, the Temple Guardians Council Lead. “A lot of people come to us that same way. They are just drawn to the Temple because it had such a profound impact on them that they wanted to become a part of it and do something to support it.” Most Temple Guardians find the work so rewarding that they return year after year. Currently, between 400-500 BRC participants volunteer as Temple Guardians every year.
To volunteer with the Temple Guardians, please fill out the Burning Man Volunteer Questionnaire in your Burner Profile and mark “Temple Guardians” as your department of interest.
Taking the Temple Back Home
The Temple’s influence extends far beyond Black Rock City. Temple builders at Burning Man Regional Events around the globe — and outside of Regional Events too — have found innovative ways to translate the Temple’s essence to suit their local cultures and event sites. In 2024, there were over 87 official Regional Events around the world, many of which designed and built their own temples. Here are just a few examples from the Regional Network:
- In Israel in 2018, the Midburn staff took a step back to reassess the purpose of a Temple at their event. With this in mind, they created The Compass, an alternative structure for personal reflection that was uniquely suited to a part of the world where the word “temple” is often most closely associated with Jewish synagogues.
- At North Carolina’s Regional Event Transformus, in 2015, artist Andrew Nigh built a floating temple on a lake, adapting his design to the serene mountain setting. He engineered a floating platform such that it left no trace when it was burned.
- Colorado’s Regional Apogaea faces a unique challenge each year: a burn ban that prevents open fires. Undeterred, Apogaea turned to the transformative power of another element — water. Last year in 2024, Apogaea’s Temple, “Well?” By Diana Merkel, featured a wishing well filled with water. Participants could drop dissolving rice paper wishes inside, creating ephemerality sans flame and preserving the Temple’s cathartic purpose while respecting local environmental sensitivities.
The Temple tradition keeps growing. It has even grown beyond official Regional Events. A Temple in Derry, Ireland was built to heal in the wake of The Troubles. You can listen to Larry Harvey’s brother Stewart Harvey tell the fantastic and hope-inspiring story of the Derry Temple — built on the literal dividing line between the Catholic and Protestant sides of town — in this episode of the Burning Man LIVE podcast:
The Temple of Tomorrow, Today
Black Rock City is beginning to take shape. You are invited to help make it happen. In a world that cries out for healing, connection and purpose, building a Temple is a radical act of optimism — a beacon of the future we believe is possible. Join us in co-creating a Temple to contain our highest visions for tomorrow, today.
Your participation and support matters.
To volunteer as a Temple Builder for “Temple of the Deep,” or to make a financial contribution to the project, visit the “Temple of the Deep” website. To volunteer with the Temple Guardians, please fill out the Burning Man Volunteer Questionnaire and mark “Temple Guardians” as your department of interest.
Cover image of Temple of the Deep by Miguel Arraiz, 2025 (Rendering by Arqueha)
