Burning Man Project
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.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
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.
Burning Man Project firmographics
Firmographics- 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
Burning Man Project industry classification
Industry- 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
Where Burning Man Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices4 records
Markets served
Burning Man Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Get the Gift - Reduced Price Ticket |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Ticket |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Give the Gift - Premium Price Ticket |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Accessibility Programs |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels12 records
Burning Man Project product offering
Product offeringCore 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
Companies that use Burning Man Project
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Burning Man Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Burning Man Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators7 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights2 records
Burning Man Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect 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
Burning Man Project social profiles
Digital presenceBurning Man Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Burning Man Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
Burning Man Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Burning Man Project M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Burning Man Project
What does Burning Man Project do?
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).
Is Burning Man Project a public or private company?
Burning Man Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Burning Man Project founded?
Burning Man Project was founded in 1986. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Burning Man Project based?
Burning Man Project is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Burning Man Project make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are donations and Charitable Contributions and annual Investment in Arts.
Who are Burning Man Project's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Coachella, Tomorrowland, Bonnaroo, Lightning in a Bottle, Wanderlust, Electric Daisy Carnival (EDC), Outside Lands and Sundance Institute. South by Southwest (SXSW) is listed as a broad incumbent. Secret Solstice is listed as a regional player.
Does Burning Man Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for Burning Man Project.
What industry is Burning Man Project in?
Burning Man Project's product category is Cultural Events & Arts Nonprofit. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGAEAK, Community Fundraisers & Charity Events (Gala/Walks excluded), with a secondary code of MPAGAEAF, Food, Drink & Culinary Community Festivals (Community-Led). Its NAICS code is 712.