European Leadership Summits

What Is the European Leadership Summit?

The European Leadership Summit (ELS) is Burning Man Project’s regional leadership gathering in Europe. Since 2014, it has brought together Regional Contacts and community leaders from across the continent to strengthen community, deepen learning, and expand the global impact of Burning Man culture. Each time, the Summit is hosted in a different European city, showcasing local culture and providing a platform for co-learning, connection, and celebration.

2024 European Leadership Summit participants in Tallinn, Estonia. Photo: Mark Nixon

BEing and Bridging: Highlights from the 2024 European Leadership Summit

In April 2024, more than 250 Regional Contacts and community leaders from 30 countries across the Burning Man Regional Network came together in Tallinn, Estonia, for the European Leadership Summit (ELS).

The gathering celebrated 25 years of the Regional Network and offered a powerful moment to reflect on where we’ve been and imagine what comes next.

Dancing together
Many hands, one motion. Dancing together, thinking together. Photo: Mark Nixon

Regional Events around the world

Anssi Laurila, Regional Contact from Finland, maps out just how far Burning Man culture travels through Regional Events worldwide. Photo: Mark Nixon

Thoughtful discussion

Thoughtful discussion during a busy day of ideas. Photo: Mark Nixon

Hedgehog mutant vehicle

Estonia’s Hedgehog mutant vehicle dusted with snow. Photo: Mark Nixon

Pille and Iris

Pille Heido, Estonia Burning Man Regional Contact, and Iris Yee, Head of Regional Network, open the ELS with a warm welcome from the plenary stage. Photo: Kirsten Weisenburger

Making friends

The power of the ELS is in both the sessions and the serendipity that happens between them. Photo: Mark Nixon

Small breakout group

Participants in deep dialogue and creative collaboration during a breakout session. Photo: Mark Nixon

Radical self-expression at HALL night club

Creative co-creation in action at HALL nightclub, where transformation begins with a brushstroke. Photo: Stephane Lanoux

Seeing old friends and meeting new ones

ELS is where friendships deepen and new ones begin. Photo: Roxane Jessi

Sewing and socializing

In this session, conversation flows as slowly and intentionally as each stitch. Creating for SLOW, a Burning Man Honoraria piece by artists and students from Estonia and the US. Photo: Mark Nixon


Theme: BEing and Bridging – Together We Gather

The year’s theme invited us to show up with intention and curiosity. We explored what it means to bridge cultures, generations, principles, and ideas as we continue shaping a global movement guided by Burning Man’s 10 Principles.

Shared Learning and Leadership Development

Workshops at ELS 2024

Celebrating connection and creativity after a dynamic breakout session. Photo: Mark Nixon

Over three days, participants took part in workshops, roundtables, and plenary sessions that reflected the real challenges and opportunities of year-round community building.

Topics included:

  • Feedback culture and conflict transformation
  • Cross-cultural communication and radical inclusion
  • Sustainability in community events
  • Storytelling, art, and civic impact
  • Leadership succession and community resilience

Connecting Beyond the Burning Man Community

As part of Tallinn Music Week, the ELS hosted a public panel titled Creative Culture Making: The City as Canvas. This gathering brought together the public, Tallinn Music Week attendees, and ELS participants for a conversation about how our cities can become more creative, connected, thriving, and fun.

How the ELS 2024 Program Was Created

Program creation

A moment of collaboration in action. ELS content is sparked by the community, for the community. Photo: Mark Nixon

Contributions from across the Regional Network shaped the 2024 European Leadership Summit program. Through an open Call for Content, community members submitted ideas for workshops, panels, performances, art installations, and lightning talks.

Proposals were selected based on alignment with the summit theme, “BEing and Bridging,” and their relevance to critical community needs such as:

      • Volunteer recruitment and succession planning
      • Conflict resolution and feedback culture
      • Radical inclusion, diversity, and equity
      • Environmental sustainability
      • Art, storytelling, and civic activation

Moments of Joy and Celebration

Iglupark social

Food and fun outside the saunas at Iglupark. Photo: Pyry Kantonen

ELS isn’t just a leadership conference. It’s a space for co-creation, connection, and celebration. Between learning sessions, participants shared meals, danced at the Burning HALL party, and enjoyed a sauna and music at the Iglupark social by the sea.

25 Years of the Regional Network and a Look Ahead

Building bridges

Goku, Regional Contact from Lithuania, speaks about his journey to Ukraine and the importance of connection in fractured times. Photo: Mark Nixon

Throughout the summit, we honored 25 years of Regional Network evolution. We also looked forward through sessions tied to 25 to Thrive, a collaborative project exploring how to build more sustainable, accessible, and resilient community structures that can carry us into the future.

Questions we explored:

      • What kind of leadership do we need next?
      • How can we better support one another?
      • What does thriving look like for our communities?

This Culture Lives Because of All of Us

Group Celebration

An Estonian artist holds the room with a powerful performance that draws everyone into a shared moment. Photo: Pyry Kantonen

The European Leadership Summit reminded us that Burning Man culture doesn’t live in one place or one week. It lives in the year-round efforts of communities across the globe. It lives in all of us.

Whether you’re organizing a Regional Event, building a theme camp, or mentoring new community leaders, you are helping shape this story. Let’s keep building bridges together.

A Legacy of Gathering: Past European Leadership Summits

The European Leadership Summit has been hosted in cities across the continent since 2014, each year strengthening our international connections and showcasing creative, local culture.

Past Host Communities: