Burning Man Project

What Burning Man Project does

Burning Man Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, founded in 1986 on Baker Beach in San Francisco by Larry Harvey and Jerry James, that produces the annual Black Rock City gathering in Nevada's Black Rock Desert and stewards a global cultural movement around the 10 Principles (Radical Self-Expression, Gifting, Decommodification, Leave No Trace, and others). The flagship week-long Black Rock City event draws over 70,000 participants from more than 100 countries under rotating themes (2026: 'Axis Mundi'); the 2026 program introduced Temple of the Moon by James Gwertzman and Moonlight Collective. Beyond the main event, the organization funds the Honoraria Art Program (2026: $1.3 million to 75 projects from 17 U.S. states and 15 countries, part of a ~$6 million annual arts investment), operates the Regional Network of 100+ volunteer-run events across 36 U.S. states and 34 countries, runs Burners Without Borders humanitarian initiatives, manages the 3,800-acre Fly Ranch property for artistic experimentation, and offers subscription-style communication channels including the Jackrabbit Speaks newsletter, the Burning Man Journal blog, the Burning Man LIVE podcast, and The Dispatch magazine. Digital infrastructure includes the Burner Profile authentication/ticketing system and the Multiverse virtual event platform built during the 2020 in-person suspension.

The business model combines tiered ticket sales (2026 prices ranging from $675 reduced-price 'get the gift' tickets to $3,000 'give the gift' tickets, with Ticket Aid, Renaissance, and Resilience subsidized tiers) with donations managed through the organization's giving portal. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven: a Main Sale lottery with Sunrise Sale pre-registration, plus a decentralized Regional Network that serves as both cultural onboarding and year-round demand generation. Primary customer segments are individual festival participants, regional event organizers, and donors/supporters. Technology is concentrated in participant ticketing/authentication, user-generated virtual community tools, and content publishing rather than AI or proprietary software products.

Name

Burning Man Project

Legal name

Burning Man Project

Website

https://burningman.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Burning Man Project is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces the annual Black Rock City event in Nevada (70,000+ participants from 100+ countries), funds $6M annually in arts grants, and stewards a global Regional Network across 36 U.S. states and 34 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cultural Events & Arts Nonprofit

NAICS

Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (712), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Fundraisers & Charity Events (Gala/Walks excluded) (MPAGAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Food, Drink & Culinary Community Festivals (Community-Led) (MPAGAEAF), Virtual Community Festivals & Cultural Events (Online Celebrations) (MPAGAOAK)

Keywords

• Experimental arts festival
• Community gathering events
• Nonprofit cultural organization
• Regional events network
• Interactive art installations

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from tiered ticket pricing for the annual Black Rock City event. 2026 pricing ranges from $675 for reduced-price 'get the gift' tickets to $3,000 for 'give the gift' options. Additional programs include Ticket Aid, Renaissance, and Resilience for subsidized accessibility.
2. Donations and Charitable Contributions: The nonprofit accepts donations to support Honoraria art grants, ticket accessibility programs, and global cultural movement activities. Donations are managed through the organization's donate portal.
3. Annual Investment in Arts: Nearly $6 million annual investment in arts programs including $1.3 million in Honoraria grants to 75 art projects from 15 countries in 2026. Funded through ticket sales and donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Burning Man Project is a nonprofit organization that produces the annual Black Rock City festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert, hosting over 70,000 participants from more than 100 countries in a week-long immersive cultural event. Beyond the flagship gathering, it operates a global Regional Network of 100+ events in 36 US states and 34 countries, funds $1.3 million annually in Honoraria art grants, and maintains digital community platforms including the Burner Profile, the Multiverse virtual event platform, and a content ecosystem (newsletter, blog, podcast, magazine).

Product overview

Burning Man Project is a nonprofit organization that produces the annual Black Rock City event in Nevada's Black Rock Desert and supports a global network of regional events. The core offering is the week-long Burning Man festival (Black Rock City 2026, themed 'Axis Mundi') with over 70,000 participants. Supporting products include the Honoraria Art Program funding $6 million annually in arts, subsidized ticketing through Ticket Aid/Renaissance/Resilience programs, and regional network spanning 36 US states and 34 countries. Digital platforms include Burner Profile authentication, the Multiverse virtual events platform, The Jackrabbit Speaks newsletter, The Burning Man Journal blog, Burning Man LIVE podcast, and The Dispatch magazine. Additional offerings include Fly Ranch (3,800-acre artistic experimentation site), Burners Without Borders (humanitarian initiative), Hive co-learning community, and a Marketplace for merchandise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Black Rock City (Annual Event) The annual week-long Burning Man event held in Nevada's Black Rock Desert, a temporary city hosting over 70,000 participants from more than 100 countries under rotating themes; the 2026 edition is themed 'Axis Mundi'.
• Honoraria Art Program Annual grant program funding art projects for Black Rock City, awarding $1.3 million directly to artists in 2026 as part of nearly $6 million annual investment in the arts.
• Regional Network Global network of Burning Man community groups in 36 US states and 34 countries organizing local events and gatherings outside Black Rock City.
• Burner Profile Participant profile and authentication system for registered Burners to access event information and ticketing for Black Rock City.
• Fly Ranch Burning Man Project's 3,800-acre ranch property in Nevada featuring a geyser and natural hot springs, serving as a site for artistic experimentation and community gatherings.
• Marketplace Online marketplace offering Burning Man merchandise, art prints, and event-related products.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40 years of continuous operation as a cultural movement
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Coachella: Large-scale destination cultural festival held annually in California that draws 100,000+ attendees. Comparable to Burning Man as a marquee experiential event with similar demographics, ticket-driven revenue, and scale of temporary infrastructure, though commercially driven rather than community-led.
• Tomorrowland: Iconic global music and cultural festival held annually in Belgium with ~400,000 attendees and worldwide editions. Comparable as a globally scaled participatory festival with strong brand identity, similar demographic, and community-of-participants operating model.
• Bonnaroo: Long-running multi-day transformational music and arts festival in Tennessee. Comparable as a destination campout-style festival with active participant community, art installations, and countercultural ethos overlapping Burning Man's.
• Lightning in a Bottle: California-based transformational arts and music festival explicitly positioned in the Burning Man-adjacent 'transformational festival' category. Closely comparable ethos, art installations, and participant base.
• Wanderlust: Multi-day transformational festival combining wellness, music, and arts. Comparable as a participatory experiential event targeting a similar demographic of creative, community-oriented participants with strong brand-led programming.
• Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC): Massive-scale electronic music festival with flagship Las Vegas edition drawing 100,000+ attendees per night. Comparable as a large-scale destination festival with similar participant demographic and elaborate art/lighting installations.
• Outside Lands: San Francisco-headquartered cultural festival combining music, art, and food. Comparable as another large-scale Bay Area-rooted festival with overlapping demographic, similar event-production scale, and arts programming emphasis.
• Sundance Institute: 501(c)(3) nonprofit that runs the Sundance Film Festival and supports independent artists through grants. Comparable as a similarly-structured nonprofit that operates an iconic cultural event while funding artist grants through ticket and donor revenue.

Broad incumbents

• South by Southwest (SXSW): Larger multi-pillar cultural event combining music, film, and technology in Austin. Comparable as a destination cultural gathering with global participants, arts programming, and brand-driven programming model — broader scope but similar market positioning.

Regional players

• Secret Solstice: Iceland-based music and arts festival positioned as a countercultural experiential event. Comparable as a destination experiential festival with thematic, transformative positioning, though primarily regional.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/burningman
• Facebookfacebook.com/BurningMan
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/burning-man-project
• Instagraminstagram.com/burningman
• TikToktiktok.com/@burningman
• Xx.com/burningman

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Burning Man Project