Burning Man set their sights on a 2022 return to Black Rock Desert

April 27, 2021

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Photo credit: Alex Medina.

Another one bites the dust for 2021— however in this case, quite literally! After much consideration, and projecting all possible scenarios that would allow for a return to Black Rock Desert, the folks behind Burning Man have made the onerous decision to postpone their Nevada-based communal gathering another year.

“This is not a decision that weighs on just one specific issue,” they write in the Burning Man Journal, “rather, it’s a combination of problems that in an ever-changing world resist certainty to move forward.”

“Humanity is experiencing collective trauma that is unprecedented in recent times, and while for some returning to Black Rock City may feel like “the answer,” there is very real rebuilding and healing that needs to be done before returning full force to the desert. The physical, psychic, and emotional impacts of this pandemic are real and the recovery from this experience will happen at different rates of speed. This is the time to gather with our friends, crews, families, and communities.“
– Burning Man

Looking to the light at the end of the tunnel, organizers are hopeful about a 2022 return that will truly make a difference. Reminding attendees that Burning Man is going on all around, all the time, they then pose questions to their community about what a return looks like: “What would it look like if Burning Man culture shaped the future? How do you want to bring the best of what you have to give to the next gathering in the desert? How bold can you go?”

Read the full statement from Burning Man below.