Burning Man organizers explore sites for permanent home
BLACK ROCK CITY, Nev. — Burning Man organizers say they're actively exploring creating additional sites for a permanent home, but they have no immediate plans to halt or move their annual weeklong festival staged in the remote desert.
The entire festival is already built around the concept of impermanence: After seven days, the city of 70,000 will vanish back into the dust, leaving no trace of its existence.
But feuds with Nevada officials over taxes, the federal government over regulations, and the headaches caused by major traffic jams each year have attendees buzzing about the possibility big changes could be ahead.
Driving some of that talk: tech billionaire Elon Musk, who spoke at a TEDX talk here on Wednesday, is both a huge "Burner" and building a massive battery factory just two hours away in Reno.
The organization has received numerous offers to relocate, or to at least create new types of events elsewhere, said Burning Man spokeswoman Megan Miller.
But, she adds: "we intend to continue having the annual event here in the Black Rock Desert for as long as we can."
BLM and Burning Man officials clashed earlier this year over the permit needed to run the ticketed event on public lands, in particular when BLM officials requested a compound for their exclusive use and 24-hour-a-day access to ice creams known as Choco tacos.
In a sign of how close the tensions run to the surface, some Burning Man staff are wearing specially made shirt patches identical to those worn any BLM officials, except that mountains in the background have been replaced by Choco Tacos. They also repeatedly refused to let a journalist photograph them.
Miller said Burning Man is focusing on growing its events elsewhere, including regional conclaves around the world. She said a physical location for a year-round Burning Man experience is also something the organization is exploring, but said they're trying to strike a balance between access, regulations and the unique nature of the current location.
Fly Ranch, a 4,000-acre property about 10 miles away with hot and cold springs, is one potential property toured by wealthy investors interested in backing a permanent Burning Man home, according to an article in New York Magazine.
Burning Man's current Black Rock Desert location two hours north of Reno makes it hard for many people to get here, literally making the event out of reach for some would-be attendees. And the mass departure that begins later this weekend makes it even harder to leave.
Still, the playa is home, even if that home only lasts for 168 hours.
"Impermanence is part of the experience out here," Miller said, looking out across the pop-up city.
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