By Pierre Ratte
It was another wild, windy and sometimes rainy Burning Man. Burning Man vintage 2022, as featured in the commemorative wine and designer label above, was notable for extreme heat and dust storms closing the encampment for the better part of some days. Burning Man 2023 was the year of the flood. Torrential rain turned the usually hardpacked and dusty playa into a muddy mess. Walking was difficult. Cars, campers, vans and trucks were stuck. Fuhgeddabout the Mutant Art Vehicles roaming the playa. An epic cluster. But 73,000 attended. Tens of thousands were stranded for days, and yet the event survived and thrives. Ya take what ya get on the playa.
Burning Man 2025 survived dust storms closing gates and afternoon rains transforming the lakebed into mud. Estimated attendance was 72,000. The event’s popularity and resilience is stunning considering the challenges of gathering in the desert. By all reports from Burners coming off the playa, this year’s nonstop, 24/7 week of EDM reveling in art, music, performance and cultural “Theme Camps” free of commercialism was successful. Free, er, except for entry tickets averaging $750/person, ranging up to $3,000 to support lower-tiered tickets and art projects.
The Burning Man Project has had a 35-year run. With 35 years, isn’t it time to think about morphing into inclusivity? Burning Woman 2026? She/Her/They? But why mess with success?
Fun Facts: The original Burning Man happened in the summer of 1986. The location was Baker Beach. A poster invite said: “join us at the northern naked end of baker beach on saturday, june 20; potluck at four; weather permitting, fire at sundown.” The original man was about 8 feet tall. Approximately 20 people attended. Reportedly, Alexander Valley’s resident stone sculptor, T Barny, was there—at least at one of the Baker Beach events, if not the first. Events and facts in those early days were a bit fuzzy, as they can be now.
Burning Man moved to Black Rock Desert in 1990. The first desert event drew 90 people. Desert attendance essentially went viral, growing to 70,000 people in 2017 (30% CAGR, Compound Annual Growth Rate) and holding steady ever since. Attendance is capped at 87,000, which means last minute tickets are available.
The tallest Burning Man was 105 feet tall, in 2014. This year’s Man was 40 feet tall. Approximately 1.5 gallons of water are recommended per person per day. Theme Camps find their way closer to the Man and Esplanade based on 1) longevity, 2) uniqueness and 3) interactivity as determined by the Camp Placement Team; good citizenship, MOOP pick-up, safety and other variables are considered.
MOOP is “matter out of place.” A key element of the event is to pick up every minute trace of matter after the event disbands. This fact alone, and the organizers attention to details, distinguishes the gathering.
