Black Rock City

What Black Rock City does

Black Rock City is the annual flagship event produced by Burning Man Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in California in 2013 and headquartered in San Francisco, with additional offices in Reno and Gerlach, Nevada. Each year, more than 70,000 participants build a temporary city in Nevada's Black Rock Desert for approximately eight days (the 2026 event runs August 30 to September 7), operating under the organization's 10 Principles, which emphasize radical inclusion, gifting, decommodification, and leaving no physical trace. The event is built entirely by participants, who apply through placement processes to bring theme camps, art installations, and mutant vehicles; the organization distributes approximately $1.3 million annually through Honoraria and Temple art grants to support these projects.

The business model combines event ticketing, donations, and ancillary services. Tickets are sold across five tiers ranging from $550 (subsidized access tier) to $3,000 (Give the Gift premium), plus a $165 vehicle pass per vehicle, with reduced-price tickets ($250) available through the Ticket Aid and Resilience programs. Distribution occurs exclusively through Burning Man Project's proprietary online ticketing system with staggered sales events (Sunrise, Stewards, Main, OMG) and the Secure Ticket Exchange Program (STEP) for face-value resale via Tixel. Supporting revenue streams include tax-deductible donations funding art grants and accessibility programs, Burner Express Bus/Air transportation from San Francisco and Reno, and Ice sales at Arctica stations (with profits directed to Empire and Gerlach communities). The organization operates a broader ecosystem of platforms (Burner Profile, Spark Classifieds, Playa Events with API, Hive co-learning community) and programs (Burners Without Borders for disaster response, Rising Sparks for emerging leaders, and the Regional Network spanning 106 locations across 36 U.S. states and 34 countries with 80+ annual regional events and 100,000+ participants). Marketing relies on owned content channels (Jackrabbit Speaks newsletter, Burning Man Journal, Burning Man LIVE podcast, The Dispatch magazine) and organic social presence across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

Name

Black Rock City

Legal name

Burning Man Project

Website

https://burningman.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Black Rock City is the annual flagship temporary art and community event produced by Burning Man Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, hosting 70,000+ participants annually in Nevada's Black Rock Desert and supporting a global Regional Network spanning 34 countries through ticketing, art grants, and digital platforms.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts & Cultural Events

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (711310)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural & Community Festivals (Ticketed) (THAJAFAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG), Event Security, Safety & Crowd Management (MPAGAAAI), Virtual Event Registration, Ticketing & Access Control (Authentication, Paywalls, Badging) (THAHAOAI)

Keywords

• Annual art event
• Cultural movement
• Outdoor art festival
• Community gatherings
• Desert art installation

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

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

Revenue model

1. Event Ticket Sales: Primary revenue source from ticket sales for the annual Black Rock City event. Tickets are priced at multiple tiers from $550 to $3,000 with vehicle passes at $165 each. The scaled pricing model allows higher-priced tickets to subsidize access for lower-income participants through Ticket Aid and Resilience programs.
2. Vehicle Passes: Required vehicle passes for cars entering Black Rock City, sold in conjunction with tickets.
3. Donations: Tax-deductible donations to Burning Man Project support Honoraria art grants, ticket accessibility programs, and operational costs.
4. Ice Sales: Ice is sold at Arctica stations within Black Rock City, with profits directed to the communities of Empire and Gerlach.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

Black Rock City is the annual flagship event of Burning Man Project, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that produces a temporary city of 70,000+ participants in Nevada's Black Rock Desert for eight days each year, built around the 10 Principles of radical inclusion, gifting, and decommodification. The organization sells tiered event tickets (Main, Sunrise, Stewards, OMG sales; STEP resale; Ticket Aid; Resilience Program), distributes approximately $1.3 million annually in Honoraria and Temple art grants, and operates supporting digital platforms (Burner Profile, Spark Classifieds, Playa Events, Hive) along with a Regional Network spanning 106 locations across 36 U.S. states and 34 countries.

Product overview

Black Rock City is the annual flagship event of Burning Man Project, a nonprofit organization that produces the largest temporary outdoor art gathering in Nevada's Black Rock Desert. The organization operates a multi-platform ecosystem supporting its global arts and cultural movement: core offerings include the Black Rock City annual event with multi-tiered ticket programs (Main Sale, Sunrise, Stewards, OMG, STEP resale, Ticket Aid, and Resilience Program), and participant management via the Burner Profile system. Supporting platforms include Spark Classifieds for community connections, Playa Events for scheduling, and Hive for co-learning. The organization distributes approximately $1.3 million annually through Honoraria and Temple art grant programs. Additional offerings span content (Jackrabbit Speaks newsletter, Burning Man Journal, The Dispatch magazine, Survival Guide), community programs (Burners Without Borders, Regional Network with 80+ events), transportation services (Burner Express Bus & Air), and diversity initiatives (Rising Sparks, R.I.D.E.).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Burners Without Borders: A grassroots, volunteer-driven community leadership program focused on disaster response and community resilience projects worldwide
• Burning Man Hive
• Rising Sparks
• Burning Man Regional Network

Quantifiable outcome

• $1.77 million in art grants generated by Regional Network events in 2024
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• U.S. Institute of Peace (USIP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop an audio course in cross-cultural relations, sharing the ethos of the Burning Man community's 10 Principles through educational programming.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/burningman
• Facebookfacebook.com/burningman
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/black-rock-city
• Instagraminstagram.com/burningman
• TikToktiktok.com/@burningman

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Black Rock City