Burning Man is an incredible art festival in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada. This year, after a two-year hiatus, we welcome back this true metropolis of creative and free-spirited people!
In 2025, the festival will take place from Sunday, 24 August to Monday, 1 September.
Even if you are not the lucky owner of a Burning Man ticket, you can still walk among the installations from previous festivals. Be sure to visit the town of Reno, where the most interesting art objects are preserved. You can book a tour at this link, which is available all year round.
What is Burning Man?
The history of Burning Man began 38 years ago on Baker Beach in San Francisco. Here, overlooking the Golden Gate Bridge, a couple of friends, Larry Harvey and Jerry James, built a two-metre wooden figure and burned it in honour of the summer solstice. Every year, the ‘burning man’ became larger and attracted more people.
By 1990, enthusiasts had moved the festival to the Californian desert, where now an entire city springs up for eight days every year! Black Rock City rises suddenly from the lifeless landscape and disappears without a trace on the first Monday in September. This is the main rule of the festival – no traces.
» READ MORE – Filming locations of iconic films in the US: a journey through the film worlds
What is the meaning of Burning Man?
Burning Man is a large-scale experiment in self-governing society. There are no monetary transactions within the festival. Burners (as the participants are called) build structures themselves, set up camp in the desert, and organise food and entertainment for everyone. This is a fantastic way to improve your communication skills and meet wonderful people.
Black Rock City is a place for radical self-expression! The brighter, more noticeable and more creative you are, the better! Here, people become part of the art, on a par with fantastic neon installations and performances. Burners work on their costumes for several months and sometimes spend huge amounts of money on them.
This year’s theme is «Tomorrow Today» – about the future that we are creating with our own hands right now.
Burning Man encourages you to step out of your comfort zone and push your personal boundaries. During a week of dust storms, conventions and prejudices crumble, and the outside world becomes a mirage in this endless desert.
10 principles
Here are the ten principles that form the basis of the philosophy and culture of the Burning Man festival:
- Radical Inclusion. Anyone can be part of Burning Man. Participants strive to be open and welcoming, accepting people as they are.
- Gifting. Burning Man encourages a culture of gifting gifts, services, art and experiences without expecting material reward.
- Decommodification. The community is against commercialisation and advertising, and maximum mutual assistance is encouraged.
- Radical Self-reliance. Participants are responsible for providing themselves with everything necessary for survival and comfort in the desert environment.
- Self-Expression through art, costumes, participation in activities and performances.
- Communal Effort. Contribute to the creation of a shared environment and support the social and environmental well-being of the festival.
- Civic Responsibility. Participants are responsible for complying with local, state, and federal laws.
- Leaving No Trace. Treat the environment with care and strive to leave the place even cleaner than it was before you arrived.
- Participation. The extreme living conditions in the desert help people feel that they are useful to someone else. Everyone is invited to work.
- Be here and now. Burning Man is about experiencing the live moment, without distractions from gadgets and extraneous thoughts.
How to get to the Burning Man festival?
Getting to the festival is quite difficult. Tickets are distributed randomly among thousands of applicants from all over the world — it’s a real lottery. On a specific date, registration for the electronic queue opens on the official website. It is important not to miss this moment! After registering, all you have to do is wait (about an hour) to see if you are lucky enough to get tickets.
But don’t relax after your purchase. You still have many tasks to complete: visa, flight, hotel, transport and ways to survive in the desert.
Tickets: how to buy and how much do they cost?
The main ticket sale starts on 30 April 2025. The price is from $575 per ticket plus $140 for a transport pass. There are also more expensive tickets – up to $3,000 – which help support the festival and finance art projects.
If you didn’t manage to buy a ticket, all is not lost. Burning Man has an official resale exchange and support programmes: for example, Ticket Aid with tickets for £180 for those in need, and the Resilience Programme for victims of conflict and disasters.
Even if you’re just looking around for now, it’s time to start preparing. Burning Man does not tolerate spontaneity: the sooner you start gathering your team and equipment, the easier it will be in August.
Keep an eye out for the start of the main sale on the official website.
How to get to Burning Man 2025?
Black Rock City has city status for a reason. It has a postal address, shuttle service, and even its own airport (BRC).
The closest city to the festival is Reno, which is often chosen as a starting point. It is also famous for being the destination for installations after Burning Man. Fans simply must take a tour of the city!
San Francisco is further away, but it will be more interesting for tourists. The city is full of famous landmarks and good hotels. Here you can properly prepare for the festival. It is also easier to rent a car or camper in San Francisco.
Choose a hotel in San FranciscoBy Burner Express bus
To reduce the number of cars at Burning Man, buses run from San Francisco and Reno to the playa.
- In San Francisco, the bus stop is located at 148 Fulton Street, near the Asian Art Museum. A ticket costs $189, with an additional $95 for a bicycle
- In Reno, the bus departs from 525 Keystone Ave. Tickets cost $149, or $199 with a bicycle
Please note that you cannot take a lot of luggage on the bus: usually, you are allowed two pieces of checked luggage and one carry-on bag.
By Burner Express Air
Flights to BRC from Reno, Oakland (San Francisco Bay Area) and Burbank (Southern California) will begin on Wednesday, 20 August and continue until Monday, 1 September.
One piece of luggage (no more than 25 pounds) is included in the price.
By rental car
A car solves many problems. It allows you to take the amount of belongings, water, and food you need for the 8 days of the festival. In a minivan, you can sleep on cold nights in the desert and not have to buy a tent. And if you are travelling as a couple or a small group (4-6 people), the savings are obvious.
Choose a large car and book it in advance directly at the airport via this link!
Mobile homes are very popular with Burners. They start booking them even before they buy tickets for the festival itself, because closer to the date, you simply won’t find them or you’ll pay a lot more. You can cancel your booking with virtually no loss.
Book a car in San FranciscoCarpooling
Burning Man strives to reduce the number of cars entering the festival, air pollution and fuel consumption. Carpooling is also a great way to share travel expenses.
Now you can worry less about how to get there and start preparing your costume!
Tips for visiting Burning Man: how to survive in the desert?
Our editorial team has compiled tips from experienced burners to help you prepare for your trip to the desert.
Be open to any adventure at Burning Man!
Igor Bumba / unsplash 
CC0 Public Domain 
Jeanne Menjoulet / flickr.com / CC BY 2.0 
Khamkéo / Unsplash
Xavier Praillet / Unsplash
Leave a Reply
Want to join the discussion?Feel free to contribute!