Burning Man is Officially Cancelled

Photo: Oded Balilty/2014 AP

Any other year that headline might seem like some kind of satirical article like “Burning Man is totally cancelled because it’s not as cool as it used to be.” But I assure you this is no joke. Burning Man, the legendary weeklong festival in the Black Rock Desert has been canceled due to…you guessed it, COVID-19!

As they say on their blog:

After much listening, discussion, and careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision not to build Black Rock City in 2020. 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. 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.

Good news for everyone who is really digging this whole livestream life though, Burning Man will go virtual instead this year.

We are, however, going to build Black Rock City in The Multiverse. That’s the theme for 2020 so we’re going to lean into it. 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.

Read the whole statement right here.

And feel free to dive into our extensive backlog of Burning Man related articles right here.