Burning Man 2023 has gone down in history after the 'mudpocalypse' following the heavy rain and flooding which shut down the event and even threatened rescue of festival-goers by the national guard. Join my for my experience of the event as a first-time burner.
I travelled from the UK via San Franciso, taking the Burner Express, a coach service which provides a return journey from several locations and also provides access to water on site. Arriving at Black Rock City (Burning Man's location, in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada) after an 8 hour journey, I set up my tent in darkness.
I got to experience the unique environment of Burning Man, as part of the Vulcan Empire camp, which has a focus on fire and flow arts. Black Rock City is made up of many camps, with the idea that everyone in the camp contributes in some way, whether helping to build and/or take down the camp structures, cooking, hosting workshops, shows etc.
Burning Man has ten principles (burningman.org/about/10-princ...) which advise the community's values, without being commands. As a first-timer, I experienced how the gift economy of Burning Man relies on everyone gifting unconditionally, without expectation of receiving something in return, whether offering services like bike repair, or running a workshop, or providing food and drinks.
Another important value for the community is the commitment to leave no trace. The term 'MOOP' is used around Black Rock City, an acronym for Matter Out Of Place. Anything from a chocolate bar wrapper, to grey water, to tent pegs, are considered MOOP and need to be taken back with the person who brought them (or disposed at the end of the event in trash bags provided to each burner). As well as these values, creativity and self-expression is on the list of values. This can be seen throughout the event, in the massive array of art cars and mutant vehicles, art installations and interesting workshops and performances dotted around the city.
In 2023, the heavy rainfall an flooding gave an extra dimension to the experience and really pushed people to maintain the principles, with a lot of stress and uncertainty. When the gates were closed, a question mark was raised over access to long-term access to food and clean water, as well as the sanitation, with porta-potty sewage trucks also being banned from the muddy roads.
Check out the video to see how it all went and for both burners who attended the event and people new to Burning Man, I hope you enjoy the video.
Note: according to Burning Man principles in relation video recording, I have asked permission before filming all close-up shots where people can be easily identified, and have blurred faces where permission could not be sought.
0:00 Intro
1:00 Vulcan Empire Camp
2:30 Bike Ride onto the Playa
3:11 Dusk and Night-time
3:56 Bouncy Castle
4:28 El Pulpo Mecanico - the Burning Man Octopus
5:59 Workshops in Burning Man
6:55 A Dust Storm Approaches
7:56 Playa Foot and the Dangers of the Dust
8:34 Whiteout on the Playa
08:47 The Man
09:29 The Temple
09:51 Escaping the Dust Cloud
10:24 Leave No Trace and MOOP
10:58 The Desert
11:27 The Deep Playa and Trash Fence
12:00 Planets and Art Cars
13:02 Bluegrass Lesson
13:19 Rainclouds and Rainbows (Mudpocalyspe Begins)
13:50 Double Rainbow
14:17 Flooded Camp
14:57 Bulls on Parade
15:07 The Gates are Closed
16:03 Sirens
16:47 Positive Vibes Despite the Mud
17:49 Exodus
18:15 Final Reflections