The Spark That Started a Movement
In 1986, a small group of friends gathered on Baker Beach in San Francisco to burn an eight-foot wooden man. This simple act of creativity was the unexpected beginning of a cultural movement that would eventually affect people worldwide. The gathering became known as “Burning Man,” and by 1990, it had moved to the vast, surreal Black Rock Desert in Nevada.
In the early years, word about Burning Man spread slowly and organically through networks of friends and artists. The first gathering in the desert drew around 100 people, including Bay Area artists and culture jammers known as the Cacophony Society. They helped publicize the event through newsletters and at their meetings. Every year, the community grew as people returned to build a temporary city fueled by radical creativity, art, and self-expression.
In 1996, the number of participants had skyrocketed to 8,000, driven in part by the rise of the internet, which allowed news of this unique event to spread far beyond San Francisco. What had started as a small, niche event became a pilgrimage for creative souls, free thinkers, and outsiders looking for a place to express themselves freely.
As Burning Man grew, so did the desire to carry the experience beyond the desert. After the 1997 event in Black Rock City, the Burning Man organization piloted the Regional Network program, appointing volunteer Regional Contacts (RCs) to act as local information hubs.
As one early RC, Zac Bolan from Calgary, Alberta, reflected, “Burning Man was far more under the radar at that time. Most people I encountered knew nothing about it, so I was in a position of having to explain the culture behind the event. The Burning Man organization was going through some financial hardship. I purchased a box full of t-shirts, videos and hats and resold them at the slide shows to help raise money. It was very nearly a year before I met another Burner in Calgary, although I knew there had to be more than just myself.”
Initially, only a handful of regions were represented in the Regional Network program: Austin, Texas; the San Francisco North Bay; and – the entire country of Canada. “After returning from the playa in 1997, I felt an intense loneliness caused by my alienation from the people in my community. I began showing slides [of Burning Man] to friends. Soon word got out, and I was doing slideshows for friends of friends, [even] out of town. Maid Marian [a Burning Man co-founder] asked me if I would be interested in becoming the Regional Contact for Canada shortly thereafter. Acting as a Regional Contact kept me sane during these early days. I was able to form my own support network until a regional community came into being,” said Bolan.
As the community evolved, so did the responsibilities of the RCs. They began nurturing creative communities year-round, introducing newcomers to Burning Man culture, bringing people together, and endorsing local events for official recognition by the Burning Man organization.
Fanning the Flame Worldwide
With the establishment of the Regional Network program, Burning Man culture began to move far beyond Black Rock City. The first official regional event was Burning Flipside, organized in Austin, Texas in 1998. Soon, more regional events emerged globally, including the first outside North America in 2004—Kiwiburn in New Zealand. Today, there are over 100 recognized official Regional Events that have taken place around the world, with countless unofficial gatherings and smaller “microburns” in backyards and local communities.
The Regional Network also facilitates more than events. Burners began creating initiatives like Burners Without Borders, public art installations, and community-driven civic projects. The movement had blossomed beyond the playa and into year-round, global engagement.
Evolving Identities and Expanding Horizons
As the Burning Man movement grew, so did the understanding of what it meant to be a “Burner.” Some people became deeply connected to the culture without ever attending the Black Rock City event. For them, their local community gatherings or projects defined their Burner identity. This shift revealed that the definition of a “Burn” was no longer tied exclusively to the Nevada desert. The meaning of being a Burner evolved as people entered the culture in diverse ways and contexts.
Today, the global Burner community continues to thrive around the world. Some regional Burner groups like AfrikaBurn (South Africa) are even buying land and working on integrating the ephemeral nature of Burning Man with more permanent land stewardship projects. In Berlin, Burners established a Burner Embassy, further grounding the movement in both rural and urban settings. As Burning Man culture continues to evolve, the one certainty is that the seeds of creativity and connection will continue to spread, reshaping communities around the world in unique and unexpected ways.