BURNING MAN FESTIVAL 2017
Reno, NevadaJust a few days ago, some 70,000 burners have recently returned from a long trek 120 miles north of Reno, Nevada. A wide desert space dotted with art installations, themed-camps, esoteric rituals; a majestic dreamscape for festival-goers in barely-there bikinis gathered ‘round to the annual festival known as the Burning Man.
Originally attended by liberal-minded Californian free-thinkers in 1986, Burning Man has transported its festivities to its current location dubbed ‘Black Rock City.’ Fast-forward 20 years later, the fest saw an influx of corporate tech giants flew in, followed by supermodels and the international crowd next – quickly becoming a rite of passage for many experience-seekers.
- But the dust dunes aren’t the only extremes. Foregoing traditional economics, a money-less bartering system is applied throughout the duration of the festivities. Swap your poncho for a burger (as did @poppydelevingne), or come stocked up with heaps of commodities to trade off!
Rather than its starry performers being the main pull factor, one tends to stumble upon live musicians in the process as they pivot through the wondrous art pieces that scatter the ‘scape. “At Burning Man, the audience is the show, the boundaries between stage and public overlap and melt,” says @mmmargherita.
- The opportunity of foregoing identity is what’s enticing for many of the star-studded clientele and those who wish to get lost (or found?), as the experience reduces you “to a sand-gremlin with nowhere to go but forward,” says @SukiWaterhouse. Equipped with a diverse range of activities, from yoga to naked foam parties to getting your fortune read – there’s plenty to dive into!
