This Survival Guide is essential reading for every participant — first timers and veterans alike — read it carefully! You can peruse it online or download a pdf to your device for offline reading. Browse the menus above to find specific information, or find more details by checking out the Preparation section of the Burning Man website.

Black Rock City is built in Nevada’s beautiful, remote and inhospitable Black Rock Desert. Burning Man is not a festival. It is an event, a community, and a global cultural movement. In Black Rock City you are responsible for your own survival, safety, and well-being. You are invited to collaborate, be inclusive, creative, connective, and to Leave No Trace.

Black Rock City Belongs to All of Us

You did it! You’re going to Black Rock City! As you hopefully know first-hand, participant engagement and investment in our community are crucial for our home in Black Rock City and for Burning Man culture to continue to flourish worldwide.

Recently some challenges have been threatening the fabric of our community: A massive increase in people using Black Rock City as a backdrop to promote businesses, reports of exclusivity on mutant vehicles and in theme camps, issues with Matter Out of Place (MOOP), and participants showing up not prepared to live in a harsh desert environment or expecting to simply consume what BRC has to offer.

We must work together to preserve and protect the ethos that defines Burning Man and sets it apart from music festivals and other mass-produced events. Whether it’s your first time in BRC, or you haven’t gotten the playa dust out of your fun fur coats from the past 20 years, we need your help.

Black Rock City will be better (and you’ll have more fun) if you 1. Find a way to contribute. 2. Come prepared! 3. Be kind to yourself and others. 4. And, most importantly, Leave No Trace. The future of the event depends on this, and on you. Do your part! Oh, and put your phone away.