Everything You Need to Know About Burning Man 2022: A Comprehensive Guide for Everyone

The Burning Man's focal face is summed up by the construction of a city in the heart of Nevada's Black Rock Desert, with a temple effigy symbolizing how the fabrics of the universe connect all human beings, and then burning it down, with The Man as the focal effigy in the burning.

The Burning Man festival, which began as a simple bonfire ritual gathering on San Francisco's Baker Beach in the mid-1980s, has grown into one of the world's most popular and famous festivals, attracting at least 70,000 people year after year.

Nonetheless, Burning Man is not just a festival; it is a community or an ecosystem that aggregates the energy of every soul gathered in a temporary constructed city, expressing 10 focal principles by which each congregated soul lives out his life while this fellowship lasts: self-expression, self-reliance, radical inclusion, community cooperation, civic responsibility, gifting, immediacy, participation, decommodification, and leaving no trace behind.

What to Expect at Burning Man 2022

The official date for Burning Man 2022 has been announced. This year's Burning Man will take place from Sunday, August 28 to Monday, September 5. With the official date finally revealed, anticipation for what to expect this year is building, particularly among first-timers eager to have their own first experience.

But that's not the only thing going on at Burning Man this year. This year's Burning Man is special in that it will be the first reunion of burners in Nevada's Black Rock Desert since the pandemic began. As a result, this year's edition is expected to unleash previously unseen levels of creativity.

Everything to expect in this city, whether as a first-timer or an old burner, is the result of the collective efforts of every congregating burner, which means you are expected to be a part of the machinery that is creating this incredible community that appears both elusive and fantastically exciting to all. Burning Man does not book entertainment for the event; rather, participants are encouraged to perform for the community for free, reflecting the gathering's principles.

Having said that, in this temporary, communal city, you'll find camps, workshops, performances, art, spontaneous music performances and dances, a lot of partying and spiritual sites. There are as many diversions as time allows, a plethora of theme camps— two or more people camping together and providing an interactive experience for other people to participate in. Sharing ideas or experiences with others is the underlying theme of theme camp. If you're camping alone at Burning Man, you can join as many theme camps as you want—and individuals hosting every type of event or show expressing self-creativity you can imagine, gifted food and drinks, fantastic get-togethers, workshops, and so on.

One such positive vibe that will undoubtedly dominate your entire experience as a burner in the city is inclusion, which emphasizes one of the Burning Man principles—radical inclusion. Nobody is left out. In fact, you will find yourself drawn into the city's life without even realizing it, as if it had always been a part of you. It's a completely welcoming city where everyone is welcome and everyone quickly becomes your friend.

Overall, you should expect an emotional breakdown at some point during your stay in the city in 2022. The experience at Burning Man is said to be so moving that both first-timers and veteran burners experience emotional breakdowns at some point. The Playa, for example, which is the vast open desert space that surrounds the streets of the City and where the "Man" is burned near the end of Burning Man, is filled with installations, art cars, and all manner of incredible experiences. A more remarkable experience here, however, has to be all of the tributes and remembrances for people who have died along the way,  a symbol of man's mortality and the futility of life generally.

In short, there is a place for everyone in this respectful and communal city that welcomes the world, a world of open and nonjudgmental people. While this may sound like a nighttime story, the previously mentioned ten cardinal principles are the entrenched variables that make this a reality for all burners, new and old to the Burning Man experience.

As a parting gift as you prepare for your first Burning Man experience, if you value your sleep, stay away from the Playa, as the more music-themed theme camps are on that side.

How to Get to Burning Man

Your location mainly decides how you navigate your way to Burning Man. The journey to Burning Man is simple for those who live in the United States. The same cannot be said for international visitors, particularly those from Australia and Europe.

Flights from Sydney (Sydney Kingsford Smith International Airport to Las Vegas Harry Reid International Airport), Melbourne, and Brisbane are nonstop to Las Vegas for Australians. Those traveling from cities other than Sydney, however, will need to change at one of the three, followed by a second stopover elsewhere. Depending on the airline, Australians will usually transit through Los Angeles, San Francisco, Vancouver, or Hawaii. For European travelers, Qatar Airways, SWISS, Delta, Turkish Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, as well as JetBlue, and Edelweiss Air, are some of the best airlines offering low-cost direct flights to San Francisco and Las Vegas.

While Reno (RNO) is the closest airport to Nevada or Burning Man, if you are flying from Australia or Europe, you should book a direct flight to either San Francisco or Las Vegas. You can get to Burning Man by bus, car, plane, or subway from either of these two locations. You will either drive your RV rental straight to Burning Man from San Francisco or Las Vegas, or you will fly domestically to Reno Airport, which is the closest to Burning Man, or even the temporary airport in Black Rock City if you have the resources to spend on a private jet.

Alternatively, you can travel directly to Burning Man from San Francisco or Reno by taking the Burner Express bus from Reno Airport to Black Rock City twice daily, which takes 11h 3m and 7h 30m, respectively.

As an international traveler, flying into major cities such as San Francisco or Las Vegas rather than Reno allows you to spend a few days exploring or shopping for what you will need at Burning Man.

Burning Man Accommodations

Burning Man offers two types of lodging: RV motorhomes and tents. Because Burning Man is held in the heart of Nevada's Black Rock Desert, hotel accommodations are not an option. Aside from that, Burners gather outside the real world at Burning Man to promote the spirit of oneness and equality as one, indivisible community.

However, staying in your RV motorhome is preferable to camping in a tent because it is more comfortable and has a shower, air conditioning, and a refrigerator. However, this option is very expensive, owing to the fact that rental companies raise their prices around Burning Man. You can also configure your RV motorhome to provide you with the necessary comfort and protection from the harsh desert weather, all of which raises the cost.

Small trailers and campervans typically cost $75 to $150 per night to rent, while larger trailers and motorhomes can cost $100 to $250 per night. You may also face large fines if you return your RV dirty and dusty. So, try to clean it as thoroughly as possible before returning it.

Setting up a tent accommodation, on the other hand, is much easier and less expensive. On the other hand, a tent is not the best option for desert conditions!

The Cost of Attending Burning Man

While it is nearly impossible to say with certainty how much one must spend to attend Burning Man, one thing is certain—Burning Man is neither free nor cheap. The majority of the financial costs of attending Burning Man are determined by your location, circumstances, and personal preferences. According to Business Insider, CNBC estimates that the total cost of attending the event could range from $1,300 to $20,000. Transportation, tickets, camp fees, food, drinks, costumes, and gifts are all included.

Another attempt could be made to break down the cost into smaller pieces. The most expensive part of Burning Man is the tickets and vehicle permit, which cost $575 (excluding taxes and fees) and $140, respectively, depending on where you are coming from. Other costs are personal in nature, such as planning, logistics, rentals, food, and beverages, all of which are subject to a number of variables, and are especially volatile for international travelers.

A flight from Europe, particularly London, to Las Vegas, Nevada, can cost as little as $603 and as much as $900. While the average round-trip flight from Australia to Las Vegas, Nevada costs $1,691. Desert gear can cost as little as $500, food and drinks can cost as little as $400, and a bike (for getting around the city) can cost as little as $300.

However, renting an RV (if you are not staying in tents) can cost between $75 and $150 per night for most small trailers and campervans. Larger trailers and motorhomes may cost between $100 and $250 per night. To avoid paying inflated prices for an RV, shop around as soon as possible because their prices are mostly inflated during Burning Man season.

Overall, this is far from the average cost of attending Burning Man. We only made educated guesses because there are variables that influence overall costs, particularly for international travelers.

How to Lower Your Costs

If you’re traveling from abroad, there’s another cost you need to take into account: the foreign exchange rate. Most likely, you’ll be traveling with a credit / debit card from your local bank, which almost never has the best foreign exchange rate. Thus, on top of all your expenses, you’ll end up paying another 5% just for exchanging your money. And if you’re planning to spend 5,000 euros, for example, that’s another 250 euros you’re just giving away for nothing.

So what’s the solution, you may ask? The answer is simple: online banks. Neobanks (or online banks) like Revolut, Wise or N26, for example, have great foreign exchange rates and help you save money when traveling abroad.

Moreover, some online banks also offer you other benefits when traveling abroad. When signing up for Revolut Premium or Metal plans, you also get free travel insurance or access to airport lounges. With Revolut Metal, you also get 1% cash back for every purchase. So, going back to our previous example, instead of spending 5,250 euros (including foreign exchange fees), you’ll “only” spend 4,950 euros.

Moreover, you can use digital banks even if you plan on traveling tomorrow. As soon as you open an account, you get access to a digital card that you can use to make payments with your mobile phone or smartwatch.

To help you find the right digital bank for your needs, we created a special tool. Simply head on to our comparison page to find the best online bank for you.

Conclusion

Burning Man 2022 is an equal gathering under a scorching sun and freezing nights to express self, art, identity, counterculture, and humanity. Attending Burning Man at least once in your life is a life-changing experience, a spiritual journey that leaves you whole and liberated.

Attending Burning Man 2022, with all of its promises as the first "post"-Covid-19 gathering of equals in Nevada's Black Rock Desert, may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We are confident that with this guide, both first-timers and old burners, national and international travelers, will be equipped with the necessary information for this journey of self and humanity discovery.