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- Whether you're wandering to theme camps and art installations or exploring the open desert, there's always something to see or do at Burning Man.
- This year featured new and exciting art, like an enormous inflatable elephant and a giant, climbable upside-down ice-cream cone.
- Other art pieces, like the "LOVE" letters, are favorites that have been at the Burn before.
- The event culminates on Saturday night when the Man burns. Before he's lit on fire, there is a fire performance and fireworks show.
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Otherworldly. Bizarre. Surreal.
These are just a few words to describe the annual event that is Burning Man.
Burning Man happens in Nevada's Black Rock Desert every year and it's best described as a temporary city rather than a festival.
About 70,000 people from around the world gather for a week — and then, abiding by a Leave No Trace (LNT) policy, everything is taken down or burned.
Here are some surreal photos that will take you inside this year's Burning Man, which lasted from August 25 to September 2.
The Black Rock Desert is a dried lake bed with mountains nestled in the distance.
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People attending Burning Man (called "Burners") who wake up early enough — or just stay up all night — are treated to incredible sunrises with vibrant pinks and oranges.
The Man stands in the middle of the city,.
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The Man is an effigy with a new design every year — it gets burned the Saturday of the event.
This year, Yelena Filipchuk and Serge Beaulieu crafted the Man. They surrounded him with a winding walkway covered in cutouts that are lit from within.
Center Camp stands out with its tall, colorful flags, and people come here all times of day to mingle or see performances.
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In the afternoons, people often practice acroyoga (sort of a mix of yoga and acrobatics) in the middle of the tent.
Biking is the main mode of transportation in Black Rock City.
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Burning Man encompasses about 7 square miles and you're not allowed to drive cars there, so a bicycle is a must to get around.
Art cars, also called mutant vehicles, navigate their way around the desert city, which is sometimes referred to as "the Playa."
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Here, a larger-than-life Volkswagen van roams Burning Man.
When conditions get windy, dust storms and whiteouts occur, putting an abrupt stop to whatever you're doing.
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If the dust storm is particularly bad, you can't see in any direction and simply have to wait for it to pass. It's these times when having a face mask and goggles are imperative.
Burning Man has open space for art installations, but there are also many camps that offer a variety of things, from drinks to food to entertainment.
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Some offer relaxing chill spaces to escape the dust and the heat of the day. Here, I'm sitting in a bathtub filled with stuffed bears.
Thousands of events happen throughout the week.
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Here, the Black Rock Philharmonic performs Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" to an audience so large it flowed onto the streets.
Looking out at the Playa, you’ll quickly realize it’s impossible to see everything.
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The city is vast and art continues to pop up throughout the week.
One of the most talked-about art pieces for the year was "The Folly" by Dave Keane and The Folly Builders.
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This enormous structure featured a clock tower, windmill, performance stage, and various outposts to make it feel like a town from an old Western movie.
Those who climbed "The Folly" were rewarded with an impressive view.
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The ability to gain a little elevation and see the Playa from above puts into perspective just how big the city is.
"Welcome Home," by Joey Howell and Brian Dean of SALT MIND, invited Burners to climb up an enormous ladder and make themselves cozy in a 1950s-style living room.
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It was held up on some wooden stilts.
The place felt somewhat welcoming, with ample space to sit, chat, and play games.
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Some of the furniture hung off the platform, juxtaposing that comfortable feeling with a bit of discomfort.
Out in Deep Playa, the part of the city farthest away from the camps, rested "Awful's Gas and Snack" by Matthew Gerring and Crank Factory.
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According to the artists' site, "Awful's Gas and Snack is a gas station and mini-mart, set in the year 2120, well after gas stations are no longer needed." Inside was a museum for "our time."
Standing 75 feet tall, this neon green elephant called "#slonik" was created to highlight the issue of elephant extinction in places like Africa and Asia.
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According to the website of the artist, Michael Tsaturyan, "If we allow elephants to become extinct, it's going to damage the entire eco-chain, including humans themselves."
"Cone Down" by Looking Up Arts was a 30-foot tall upside-down ice-cream cone resting in the middle of the hot desert.
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Participants could walk inside, climb, and enjoy the chill lounge.
Dan Mountain created "I.L.Y.," a gigantic forearm and hand.
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The piece's fingers could move using a series of springs and cables.
"Corpus" by Michael Christain looked like an alien being with gangly legs that had set foot on the Playa.
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A ladder led up into the pod where people could enjoy shade and take in their surroundings.
Sometimes the art stops you in your tracks and makes you rethink reality.
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"Why People Can't Fly" from Vasily Klyukin and Zurab Ermilov featured plenty of color.
In the desert sun, the iridescent shimmer from "Koro Loko" looked simply gorgeous.
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Emily Nicolosi included nearby benches with this art piece to give Burners a place to sit, relax, and daydream.
Chris Carnabuci's "Mariposita" stood 26-feet tall and depicted a woman emerging from an egg, symbolizing transformation and rebirth.
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The Spanish word "mariposita" means butterfly, which aligns this work well with this year's Burning-Man theme of "Metamorphoses."
Many Burners stopped to watch "Wings of Glory" in action.
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Designed by Adrian Landon, this giant mechanical pegasus ran and flew in slow motion, and at night its wings lit up with fire.
A vital structure at Burning Man is the temple.
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This year it was called the Temple of Direction by Geordie Van Der Bosch.
Although much of Burning Man is focused on having fun, this is the spot for reflection and letting go of the things that pain you.
Burners leave mementos from loved ones they have lost and other items they wish to release when the temple is burned the final Sunday of the event.
At night, Burning Man lights up with people and bicycles covered in electroluminescent wire and art structures featuring LED lights.
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There are even lit-up pyramids at night that house celebrations. Inside, there's music, crowds, fire, and plenty of lights.
The Mayan Warrior art car comes all the way from Mexico every year.
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Burners follow behind it on their bikes as they wait to see where the special car will stop and set up for the night.
The car's sound system, design, and DJ lineup never fail to impress.
Some art pieces are tough to spot from afar, even at night when they're all lit up.
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Others, like this piece "Mandala: Natural Form" by DASTAN, are a treat for those who are curious enough to wander over and see what it is up close.
At "No Place Like Home" Burners got to explore a scene out of "The Wizard of Oz," including a home with the Wicked Witch of the West's feet sticking out.
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At night, someone in heat-protective gear would use fans and fuel to create a winding fire tornado.
A number of artists worked to bring it to the Playa, including Trey Watkins, Mara Greenberg, Alan Becker, Karen Cusolito, Andrew Howell, Meena Sandhu, and Frogma
Some installations, like these letters, have been at Burning Man a few times.
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Laura Kimpton's art has graced the Playa many years, and this year she worked with Jeff Schomberg to bring the "LOVE" letters back to Burning Man.
More than just a spot to snap a great photo, people will sit on (or climb) the letters, making it a nice place to rest and meet other Burners.
At night, the Temple of Direction looks even more enchanting.
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By the time it gets dark, it's already filled with mementos and personal items that people want to let go of.
Burning Man can feel incredibly chaotic, especially at night when you can hear music blasting from all directions.
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Still, there is a lot of empty space in between art installations, and some pieces like this one make for the perfect place to rest and enjoy everything going on around you.
On the final Saturday evening of the event, the Man prepares to burn.
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Fireworks are often set off to celebrate. There are also fire shows near the base of the effigy.
The majority of the city comes out to watch the fire performance and fireworks show that leads up to it.
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Sometimes they were colorful lights and accessories.
The Man burns and once he falls to the ground, people disperse for what is usually the busiest, wildest night on the Playa.
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And when the night ends, the countdown is on until he burns again next year.
Read More:
- Burning Man is not a non-stop party for influencers, but a temporary city in the middle of the desert. Here's why I keep coming back.
- Here's what the inside of Burning Man's luxury camps for billionaires and celebrities looks like
- Burning Man banned an infamous $100,000-a-ticket camp favored by influencers after backlash from fellow attendees
- Authorities want to build a 10-mile wall around Burning Man's desert site — here's why and when it could happen