Burning Man

Burning Man is an annual gathering that takes place at Black Rock City in Black Rock Desert, Nevada. It has been held annually since 1986, spanning from the last Sunday in August to the first Monday in September. The event takes its name from its closing: the symbolic ritualistic burning of a large wooden man that traditionally occurs on the Saturday evening of the event.

This worldwide-known festival first began as a bonfire ritual. In 1986, Larry Harvey and his friend Jerry James built a wooden figure and dragged it down to Baker Beach on the Summer Solstice. They lit it up, and a curious crowd gathered to watch it burn. By 1988, Larry Harvey formally named the ritual ‘Burning Man’.

The people who come to Black Rock City are not simply attendees of the festival. They are active participants in every sense: they create the city, the interaction, the art and the performance. In other words, participation is at the very core of Burning Man. Around 60,000 people attend the festival every year.

Since 1995, a different theme has been created for each year's event. For example in 2006 the theme was ‘Hope and Fear’ and in 2007 it was ‘The Green Man’. These themes greatly affect the designs that participants employ in their artworks, costumes, camps and vehicles.

Bicycles and tricycles are popular for getting around the dry lake in Black Rock City. Mountain bikes are generally preferred over road bikes for riding around in the desert. Lighting on the bikes is critically important for safety at night so participants often decorate their bikes with lights. Every night during Burning Man, thousands of bikes and art cars drive around, creating a spectacular visual display.