About Burning Man
So What IS Burning Man?
Since its humble beginning in 1986, when a group of family and friends built and burned a wooden effigy at the beach in San Francisco, Burning Man has been a social experiment. This year is no exception, as the social experiment goes virtual — and YOU are part of it!
Sure, Burning Man is a mind-blowing annual event in the Nevada desert, but it’s also so much more. It’s a year-round culture and community that co-creates projects, events and initiatives around the world. Burning Man Project is the nonprofit organization that produces Black Rock City. Fueled by a mission to extend and facilitate Burning Man culture into the larger world, Burning Man Project provides support, education, and grants to a global ecosystem of artists, makers and community leaders.
What We Stand For
Burning Man culture is guided by the 10 Principles. They are meant to encourage critical thinking and reflect underlying values that inform how Burners show up in the world. Please familiarize yourself with them as a kind of social agreement, as they will be helpful in guiding your interactions with others in the Multiverse.
Common decency, mutual respect, and generosity of spirit are all good things to practice in these online all-ages social environments. Please learn about our Decommodification Principle, and refrain from commercial activities, self promotion and branding. Instead, lead with curiosity and thoughtful human interaction. Come as your most authentic self, listen generously, and approach others with friendly respect. Throw in a good dose of much-needed fun and kindness while you’re at it!
Beyond the Desert: The Global Reach of Burning Man Project
Beyond the annual event in the Black Rock Desert, Burning Man Project supports a year-round global culture through various programs and initiatives that put the 10 Principles into action.
Global Activation
Burning Man Project supports the work of community members around the globe through inspirational projects, peer to peer education, and network facilitation. Several teams directly assist in this work. Burners Without Borders, a grassroots community leadership program, unlocks the creativity of local communities to bring about meaningful change. The Regional Network brings global Burning Man culture to life through regional projects, forums and events. Civic Arts guides interactive and participatory art projects that reach beyond the Black Rock Desert.
Volunteerism
Volunteerism is a central ethos of Burning Man culture. Black Rock City and projects around the world are co-created by dedicated volunteers who are committed to producing radically inclusive and decommodified projects and experiences. Burning Man Project supports, trains and connects this broad network of volunteers, and extends the volunteer ethos to the global community.
Sustainability
In keeping with our Leaving No Trace principle, Burning Man Project is one year into an open-source approach to making Black Rock City carbon negative and ecologically regenerative by 2030. Learn more about what we’ve been up to in our 2030 Environmental Sustainability Roadmap Year One Progress Report.
Diversity and Inclusion
We strive to live up to our principle of Radical Inclusion by making the global Burning Man community, including Black Rock City, more inclusive for Black, Indigenous, and all People of Color. The time for action is now, and Burning Man Project is taking concrete actions to contribute meaningfully to this critically important conversation.
Support Burning Man Project with a Generous Contribution
The 10 Principles remind us how to come together, nurture our collective resiliency, and inspire new ways of being in the world. Burning Man Project is dedicated to amplifying and contributing to these efforts through education, collaboration, and celebration. And above all else, we are committed to bringing back Black Rock City! Please consider making a contribution to Burning Man Project in addition to your support for your Multiverse experience today.
