Burning Man

BUILD art, art cars (mutant vehicles), theme camps.

Workshop / open build

29 Aug–6 Sep 2027Next date

29 Oct 2026Next deadline / key date

Late Aug-early SepUsual timing

Black Rock City, Nevada, USAWhere

01 · How to take part

Your way in

Buy ticket and bring participation; apply for honoraria art grants; join a theme camp.

Workshop / open build

Bring art, an art car or a theme camp

Buy a ticket through the official sales and bring your participation; join or place a theme camp.

Workshop / open build

Apply for an Honoraria art grant

Submit a Letter of Intent for an art installation grant (2027 deadline: 29 Oct 2026, 5pm PDT).

You build or use: BUILD art, art cars (mutant vehicles), theme camps
Participation: Build (open, ticketed)
Entry and deadlines: Tickets via official sales; honoraria application
Where: Black Rock City, Nevada, USA

02 · Dates

Dates and deadlines, Oct 2026 to Dec 2027

Usual timing: Late Aug-early Sep. Dates are only shown where a source publishes them; everything else is marked TBC.

29 Oct 2026Burning Man 2027 Honoraria art-grant Letter of Intent (5pm PDT)5pm PDT on 29 Oct = 5:30am IST on 30 Oct. · sourceDeadline / key dateWorkshop / open build
29 Aug–6 Sep 2027Burning Man 2027 (Spellbound)Black Rock City, Nevada. · sourceWorkshop / open build

See it on the calendar →

03 · Skills you'll need

Skills you'll need

What to learn and practise before you go. Each resource is marked Official or Community-accepted and names its publisher. Difficulty and prep time are our estimate.

Core skill

Build safety for art, theme-camp structures and shade in high desert wind

Also useful:

Fire-art safety, with FAST approval and a burn licence for anything that burns or uses flame effects
Leave No Trace: MOOP control, burn-scar prevention, packing everything out
(Optional) Mutant Vehicle design to DMV criteria

Difficulty our estimateSome practice (art or vehicle builds: Skilled team)

Prep time our estimate2–4 weeks of camp prep; 3–9 months for art or vehicle projects

Difficulty and prep time are Curiosta editorial estimates for a first-timer, not organiser figures.

Refresher

Read the Survival Guide and the 10 Principles before you plan anything; Leave No Trace and radical self-reliance shape every build decision.
Engineer for wind: anchor shade and structures properly, brace tall pieces, and expect the organiser to ask for drawings and engineering for taller or climbable art.
Anything with open fire, flame effects or pyrotechnics needs Fire Art Safety Team (FAST) review and a BRC burn licence; liquid-fuel flame effects aren't allowed in camps or on mutant vehicles.
Never burn on the bare playa: burn barrels must be raised at least 6 inches, burn only unpainted wood, and burning art sits on a 4-inch layer of decomposed granite; remove ash and every nail afterwards.
Keep one ABC fire extinguisher per camp and per vehicle, and keep structures at least 20 ft from anything burning; fireworks and aerial flares are banned.
MOOP (matter out of place) planning: avoid feathers, glitter and loose decor, pre-cut materials at home to cut down on sawdust, sweep your site daily and on departure, and pack everything out.
Mutant vehicles: radically modified, lit at night, no faster than 5 mph, working brakes, guardrails on decks; DMV licensing required.

Practise before you go

Read the 2026 Survival Guide PDF end to end and make a camp MOOP plan.
Pitch and stake your shade structure on a windy day at home; practise ratchet straps and guy lines.
Pre-fabricate and test-assemble your art piece at home; time the assembly and teardown.
Take a basic fire-extinguisher and first-aid course locally.

Safety notes

No fires on bare playa; raised burn barrels only; FAST approval for fire art.
ABC extinguisher in every camp and vehicle; no fireworks.
Anchor everything for high wind; light yourself, your bike and your art at night.
Leave No Trace: pack it in, pack it out, MOOP sweep.