This event has taken place. It was held from 31 August through 7 September 2026.

From August 31 through September 7, tens of thousands of participants built a temporary city in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert devoted to monumental art, radical self-expression, and collaboration, then dismantled it without leaving a trace. Burning Man is less an audience event than a collective act of creation, with artists and builders assembling the installations and the community around them. It endures as one of the world’s most singular experiments in what art and gathering can be.

Corrected on 2 October 2026. An earlier version of this article said the event ran from August 30 to September 8. The official dates for 2026 were August 31 through September 7, with gates opening at 12:01 a.m. on August 30.

Sources consulted

Burning Man Project, Event FAQ
Burning Man Project help center, When do the Gates open