Burning Man's 2021 Event Canceled: How To Celebrate Locally

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Burning Man has been canceled yet again due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Organizers of the Burning Man Project debated for months whether it would be safe to hold the event, which draws tens of thousands of people annually. On Tuesday, they decided to cancel it despite a rise in vaccinations that drove other events to rebill.

Burning Man organizers previously considered requiring attendees to prove vaccination for coronavirus, but they quickly decided against the idea.

"We have decided to set our sights on Black Rock City 2022," organizers said Tuesday. "This is not a decision that weighs on just one specific issue; rather, it’s a combination of problems that in an ever-changing world resist certainty to move forward."

Black Rock Desert's makeshift metropolis — which has been rebuilt every summer since 1986 — has drawn thousands of Californians since the beginning. In 2020, the festival launched a virtual event. This year, the Burning Man Project is urging burners to still gather in person if they can do so safely or to participate in regional events.

"Humanity is experiencing collective trauma that is unprecedented in recent times, and while for some returning to Black Rock City may feel like 'the answer,' there is very real rebuilding and healing that needs to be done before returning full force to the desert," the project wrote.

Black Rock Desert will still be open to visitors, organizers said, as the Bureau of Land Management has kept the area, north of Gerlach, Nevada, open.

"Anyone choosing to camp on the playa this year will need to be entirely self-sufficient," organizers said. "For 35 years, since long before the current organization existed, Burners have looked after themselves and each other."

Here are a few suggestions offered by the Burning Man Project to celebrate the gathering this year:

• Gathering with your friends, crew or community.
• Connecting with your Regional community, participating in a virtual or in-person Regional event, finding your local Burners Without Borders chapter, helping out your neighbors.
• Supporting the fully funded 2021 Honoraria artists to build their art wherever they are on the planet— from Moscow to Guadalajara, Manilla to Brooklyn. Find out if Burning Man art is being built in your backyard.
• Planning a Burn Night celebration.
• Virtual Burning Man
• Log into your Burner Profile to tell describe "impact-driven projects and initiatives you’re creating."
• Burning Man Hive Labs. "Connect with others and discuss Burning Man’s evolving culture around sustainability; Radical Inclusion, diversity, and equity; health and safety; and participation."

Read Burning Man Project's full statement on how to enjoy Burning Man in smaller groups here.