Burning Man is not returning this year.
The 2021 festival has been cancelled due to the pandemic, Billboard reported Tuesday (April 27).
Burning Man now plans to return in 2022, shelving the original 2021 festival that would have run from August 26 to September 3 in Black Rock City, Nevada.
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The 2020 Burning Man Festival has officially been canceled.
CEO Marian Goodell explained the decision in a video message, along with a statement about it.
“After much listening, discussion, and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision not to build Black Rock City in 2020,” the statement, which was posted to the Burning Man Project website, read. “Given the painful reality of COVID-19, one of the greatest global challenges of our lifetimes, we believe this is the right thing to do.”
It continued, “Yes, we are heartbroken. We know you are too. In 2020 we need human connection and Immediacy more than ever. But public health and the well-being of our participants, staff, and neighbors in Nevada are our highest priorities.”
However, the festival is said to continue in a virtual format, aka “The Multiverse.”
“That’s the theme for 2020 so we’re going to lean into it,” the statement added. “Who’d have believed it would come true? We look forward to welcoming you to Virtual Black Rock City 2020. We’re not sure how it’s going to come out; it will likely be messy and awkward with mistakes. It will also likely be engaging, connective, and fun.”
If you had purchased a ticket for the festival, which runs $1,400, the organization is offering refunds. It is also encouraging donations from the refund as well, back to the organization.
If you don’t know, Burning Man is a gathering of artists and tech enthusiasts in the desert, aligning in various camps in a free-spirited gathering on a stark playa. The event culminates with the burning of a wicker man effigy.
See all the other things that have been cancelled because of COVID-19.
