The 2027 Burning Man theme plumbs the mysteries of playa magic, from the serendipity of resonant coincidence to the gobsmacked awe of seeing things that cannot possibly be, and yet somehow are. It is an invitation to consider the nature of enchantment itself; to delve into the enigmatic depths of your own psyche, where belief and disbelief collide and the stories we are told bleed into the stories we tell ourselves, and in turn into the realities we construct for others.
“There is a child in all of us that refuses to grow up, a child that is in awe of what can be, the polar opposite of the cynic in all of us who despairs over what is. Stories of magic, fantastic monsters, impossible courage and spectacular heroism appeal to this child, instilling it with hope and faith in humanity and in the cosmic order.” – Shatrujeet Nath
None of us is immune to the enchantment of story, from the bedtime tales we are told as tots to our grown-up selves, stepping into a work of fiction as if through the portal to Narnia at the back of the closet. Likewise that little glowing rectangle in the palm of your hand that lets you peer into the lives of distant or imaginary friends, rewarding you for each vicarious experience with a tiny bump of dopamine.
Humans have always lived in worlds made of stories, crafting words to summon courage, invoke spirits, explain the movement of the heavens, or unite under a shared purpose. Some say it is our greatest evolutionary advantage: the ability to place ideas inside each other’s minds, and create realities without physical substance through our collective imagination. Story-spells like money, or nation-states, are no less real, and no less magical, for being made from words.
Even today, in an age that favors technology over magic, we remain creatures of enchantment. We follow invisible currents of influence that move through screens, networks, and markets. The spells have changed their appearance, but not their power.
Some spells inspire us. Others constrain us.
Since ancient times, the power of story to enchant has been harnessed to influence–whether delivering a simplistic moral payload like Aesop’s or bent to exploitive ends by marketers and attention brokers. Mid-20th century philosophers like Guy DeBord warned us against being ensorcelled by mass media, back when TV and radio were the main vectors of influence. Today, social media has created a faerie world of boundless spectacle with no “off” switch, where products are plot points and characters are indistinguishable from brands.
Stepping away from that world, even for a week or so, can remind us that we are only as charmed as we choose; that all hypnosis is, in effect, self-hypnosis. When we follow the swinging watch with our eyes, swipe the screen or surf the channels, this is not something imposed entirely from without; there is always a “you” in there making choices. The good news is that means you have the power to create your own enchantments. Sharing that gift of wonder and awe with another human can be like the kiss that opens Sleeping Beauty’s eyes, exposing the magic of the world.
“But all the magic I have known, I’ve had to make myself.” – Shel Silverstein
To create is to cast a spell. To imagine a new reality and invite others into it is among the most powerful acts available to us. Every gift, every work of art, every spontaneous act of generosity becomes an incantation for a more connected and imaginative world. A sculpture may alter the landscape. A performance may alter a mood. A conversation may alter a life. In countless ways, participants create experiences that shift perception and expand possibility.
Black Rock City 2027 will be a bazaar of enchantments, a midway of magical delights. All forms of divination will be practiced, from palmistry to tea leaves to the crystal ball. Tarot cards will be turned, and I Ching coins will be tossed. Exorcisms will be performed, offering freedom from toxic relationships, or emancipation from the daemon of doomscrolling. Elemental magic will be explored, particularly the rituals of fire, and all manner of belief-defying illusions will be performed before our very eyes: rabbits pulled from hats, jackalopes pulled from even larger hats, and amazing feats of misdirection and sleight of hand at every turn.
Geomancy, pyromancy, logarithmomancy, and every mancy you fancy will be pursued. The Kabbalah will be consulted, the numbers will be run through numerology programs, and elaborate star charts will be prepared (the Man, for the record, is a Fire Tiger, with its sun in Cancer and a Sagittarius moon).
In the desert, we are given an opportunity to see familiar things differently. We can experiment with new identities, new forms of community, and new ways of relating to one another. We can challenge inherited narratives and imagine alternatives. We can discover that reality is more malleable than we once believed.
The world is full of magical things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper. – W.B. Yeats
As Black Rock City rises once again from the dust, Spellbound asks us to consider the stories that animate our lives. What forces captivate our attention? What beliefs shape our actions? What possibilities lie just beyond the boundaries of the familiar? Which spells are ready to be released, and which new enchantments are waiting to be born?
Bring your curiosities. Bring your questions. Bring your art, your stories, your visions, your experiments, your impossible ideas. Bring the spells you have inherited and the ones you are ready to cast aside. Bring your capacity for awe.
In a time when certainty often feels brittle and division feels easy, wonder remains a radical act. Imagination remains a renewable resource, one of humanity’s oldest and most enduring forms of magic.
Together, we will build a city from dust and dreams. Together, we will discover that the most powerful enchantments are not those imposed upon us, but those we choose to create with one another.
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Get involved:
- Bring your art to Black Rock City
- Learn about Honoraria Art Grants
- Bring Spellbound to life where you live
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Thanks to Cory and Catska Ench for the theme illustration, and to DA Tinio for collaborating on the concept.
wow sounds amazing
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Please, don’t bring your “smartphones”, or turn them off for the week. Experience it it live and present.
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This is amazing!
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Will two blades of grass share a drop of water?
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Something I noticed this year is that the number of older folks seemed to outnumber the younger folks. That would be a first for me seeing that…At almost 80 I have never been in the majority at BM. Since moving away from the state of Nevada the drive is long to BM. Nearly 2700 miles one way. Diesel prices make the journey even more expensive. Since I have such a time commitment and planning the adventure takes so many resources I purchased our tickets in the first sale and I spent over $2100 just to attend. So with fuel, travel, tickets, food and the return home, etc we will have almost $10k spent to attend BM. Now I am off playa and on Friday I have to fly to get on a cruise ship, and that will only be $6K and I won’t be getting beat up. Remember my age, well I said to myself, I am about over the level of difficulty to attend BM. 2022 was unbelievably hot, 23 was the mud, I brought my entire family grandkids and all to 23 and ended up in the ER after the temple burn from playa lung, 24 the camp was destroyed, the the camp morale was worse, and this year there was too much wind. Didn’t mind the rain, it just made the roads terrible. So I think I am about DONE. But I want to bring another friend to the 27 burn….what to do. The younger folks aren’t coming in the numbers of the past, maybe it is the cost of everything, not just the ticket. I drive a handicapped vehicle around the playa, and during the burn on Saturday, I slept through a good part of the fireworks and the burn. What does that say? Does it say boring, or tired or both. So I was asking myself why do I come, I come to reconnect with friends I haven’t seen in a year, I come to see great art, and there were a few really great pieces this year….not like 2013 though. What is becoming of BM? During the first year of COVID I read that the Org had 40M in the bank and blew it all. It seems to me BM isn’t the slush fund it used to be when you just couldn’t get a ticket if you did not have a Directed Group Sale invite. Now you can get a free ticket if you purchase a ticket on the Burner Express. A lot is changing and it seems to me, (OMO) the Org isn’t keeping up, adapting. More forms, more complicated isn’t the answer, simpler, less expensive and back to basics might be a path. Honestly I did not read Stuart Mangrum’s article, I just saw 2027 Spellbound and wondered if this is the theme for ’27 and why would they release it so soon? Is it a slip of protocol or is the Org changing it up. I don’t know, however something has to happen, something will have to pull me back to BM, back to basics. Hey Marian Goodell why don’t you lose the SF offices and move to NV, save a fortune on rent, salaries, and expenses in general, tell everyone you are doing it for the survival of BM ask for ideas and input. The BM family is unbelievably creative. If you can’t do it, hire me as a hatchet man, and I’ll do it, I’ve done it before and I’ll do it for $1/year. BM is love hate, love the family the art the magic and hate the weather of late.
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Amazing theme. Oh to be there. Been watching the influencer videos. Don’t know if I can handle all thats required for a Burning Man event, but oh to dream. Finally something to escape from the mundane I have been trapped in. Would love to work there.
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I’m excited to be part of the Burning Man experience, meet amazing people, explore creativity, and contribute to this unique community. Looking forward to an unforgettable journey in the desert!
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How was the theme illustration created? What tools/mediums were used?
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Thank you for sharing the theme right after the burn. It helps me to ruminate through the dark winter on the art I want to share next year.
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Great. Tarot cards.
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“Spellbound” is a fitting theme for Burning Man—especially the idea that resonant coincidence can blur the line between belief and disbelief. I’m intrigued by how the 2027 concept connects playa magic to the stories we construct for ourselves and others.
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“Spellbound” feels like a fitting evolution of the playa’s magic—especially the idea that resonant coincidences and impossible sights can reshape the stories we tell ourselves and others. I’m intrigued by how the theme will turn that tension between belief and disbelief into lived art.
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When will the scheduled spontaneity to begin next year?
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“Spellbound” captures Burning Man’s strange power beautifully—the tension between belief and disbelief, especially in those moments of resonant coincidence when the playa seems to answer back. I love the idea that the stories we tell ourselves can become realities we construct for others.
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Who writes this drivel?
Spellbound is an insult to all Burning Man attendees, saying that we are Spellbound, like a bunch of mindless pod people held in thrall by the light of the Dark Crystal while they drain our essence. That’s what it’s starting to feel like actually, a core group of evil organizers has twisted the meaning of Burning Man for their own vile purposes, and an equally small but dedicated group of freedom loving rebels stand for the original tenets of the event. The pigs are in the farmer’s house, the Org is on the take, they’re paying for the police to monitor us with drones, taking our money and spending it on themselves and lavish European retreats. Time to make that leap of faith, and bring balance to Thra
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“Spellbound” is a compelling invitation to explore that space where belief and disbelief collide. I especially like the idea of resonant coincidence as a form of playa magic—those improbable moments that feel too perfectly timed to dismiss.
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Deliverance will be performed indeed.
I look forward to attending and meeting everyone that is to be divinely encountered. What a time to be alive it will be. -Yahnina
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Could you please share who is designing and building the 2027 temple?
We would like to help build it.
We have been Temple Guardians for the past 2 years.
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Oh, a perfect theme! I’m not only planning on making this my 15th burn, but I’m working on an art project…. A Dragon made from Magic: the Gathering (and other game) cards!
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