Burning Man 2019 Just Ended And Here Are 30 Photos Proving It’s The Craziest Festival In The World
This summer has been far hotter than usual and plenty of us have been practically melting in the unseasonable heat. However, this did nothing to stop fans from attending the epic Burning Man festival. In fact, it seemed that the heat only spurred them on — this year, the gathering was even crazier, wackier and more off-the-hook than usual!
Burning Man 2019 took place in the Black Rock Desert in Nevada and lasted from August 25 until September 2, and just like every year, this famous festival was fantastic. But then again, does Burning Man ever disappoint? Because autumn rains are already upon us and we’re in need of some of that glorious Nevada heat, Bored Panda brings you this sizzling list of the coolest photos from this year’s festival. So keep on scrolling, share with your friends, and drop us a comment about which Burning Man pictures you liked best and why. Once you’re done, have a look through Bored Panda’s lists about the Burning Man festivals from 2018 and 2017 as well. See how they compare with this year’s festivities for yourself and let us know which year’s gathering you thought was the most impressive so far. Be sure to scroll down and read our exclusive interview with Travis C. who was at this year's Burning Man festival in 2019 (you'll find his photo down below, he's the one in the stunning pink dress).
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So Burning Man is basically Comic-Con for the uber-wealthy? Although, some of the art exhibits are incredible.
You don't have to be Uber wealthy to go to burning man. You just have to be willing to really rough it for like a week in the sandy desert with a huge amount of people, parties and large dose of randomness and the bare minimal in facilities and other people's hygiene.
Load More Replies...My biggest problem with this entire article is virtually ALL of these photos are staged. How about some candids?
Divní zaostalí umelci, ktorí zobrazujú ženské telo, ako hŕba svalov. Krásne ženy sú ženy do oblých foriem. Skrátka chýba tomu magnet pre mužov, ženského tela - sexappeal (sexepíl).
ADOREI ESTA IMAGEM,TENTEI COMPARTILHAR MAIS SÓ PEGOU A MULHER. 22308899_1...96ee40.jpg
you bet! only found in places where you are with complete strangers for a week! you can get on these if you are willing to risk your hygiene, willing to starve, and willing to possibly endure a heat stroke or two :D
Load More Replies...careful...careful...no don't swing it that way i''m gonna falllaahhhhhhhhhh *thud*
WHOA!! SO COOL! Those tesla coils must have be CRAZY to be standing next to when they spark. The sheer amount of electricity and vibration! I'm in awe!
If Im not wrong, by a few youtube videos, if you wear metal head to feet and touch them with a metal bar, you can take sparkles with no injuries as they discharge on the ground. DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME (altough some one did)
Load More Replies...Bored Panda talked to Travis C. who was at the Burning Man festival in 2019 and wore a fabulous pink tutu.
“Burning Man 2019 was amazing in so many ways. It was my third year and likely my favorite so far as each year you start to better understand the parameters and limitations of the experience. For example: which fabrics to choose for your Burning Man costume that repel dust and which attract it. Which foods reheat well and which do not. Can I wear heels while in drag or will I sink? The entire experience is not only a social experiment but also layered with smaller experiments of life in an alternate universe.”
"how it works"? What do you mean? It's pretty clear how it works - some parts are missing, but everything is connected (if that's what you mean: the "broken" arms are attached at the hands). I don't get it.
Load More Replies...Crazy, but it's a wonderful piece of art and he has a great imagination!
Thank you for doing that Sarah, it's important that the artist gets credited, in these times...
Load More Replies...The desert makes for a beautiful gallery for these mirrored sculptures. I mean look at this photo, wow
It was handcrafted out of steel and hand polished to that shine, believe it or not. https://www.michaelbenisty.com/#/ineverylifetimeiwillfindyou/
I don't understand.. I thought everyone has to burn this stuff at the end. Doesn't making a metal sculpture change all that?
A lot of the art is used again - only wood art is burned. It's actually quite hard to burn pieces out there, as you have to control it, burn it on something that makes sure the earth isn't scorched, and then collect all the ash you possibly can. You can see a lot of art around the US in parks and stuff or at other festivals that debuted at Burning Man!
Load More Replies...Travis said that his “primary attraction in attending is the level of extreme creativity you see from both those amazing people around you and within yourself.”
“Where else can I wear the wild and highly creative costumes you see there? I will spend the year sewing my coats and clothes and then sharing those I have made in previous years with others if they want them. Outside of just aesthetics, anything goes as long as you are trying to uphold the Ten Principles which emphasize community, kindness and gifting among other things.”
Yeah. I probably wouldn't get the same result in that dress.
Load More Replies...This is me! Instagram: doctor.travis. Thieves over at burner fashion took it. Thank yall for featuring it though! Was a great day and trip!
"I lost a bet to a guy in a chiffon skirt, But I make these highheels work"...
it must feel awesome walking through a crowd in that and having them part around you
How much does this festival budget cost every year and who’s making the money ?
“My camp as a larger group build a massive sheep shaped art care with full sound system to host parties that are a truly inclusive place for all LGBTQ individuals,” the festival-goer went in-depth about Burning Man 2019 with Bored Panda.
“We also let anyone ride our car and ensure it is a place of inclusivity. Overall, the community of Burning Man avoids the discriminatory pitfalls of the default world and is a true alternate universe and example of what the world would be like if we valued each other more than the things we personally have. The week is full of kindness and excitement. Sure it is dusty, but that environment is simultaneously useful in its ability to disarm even the fanciest of attendees.”
I love the campsite layout. Its crazy organized and you have to reserve your spot ahead of time.
Load More Replies...It's never complete. It always is this layout every year.
Load More Replies...It tends to be a little cooler inside installations like this, just because you've got some shade. It's also got multpile openings so there was probably pretty good air flow in there.
Load More Replies...I have a 212 story maze in my head. But it’s a trick: every path is eventually a dead end, & there’s no real way to get to get to the center or the other side, or even back out again
Great use of 3D printing technique to achieve the layers on this fantastic sculpture.
This one is plywood, but I believe they used a laser cutter to get all the shapes just right.
Load More Replies...“My husband is an engineer and loves the urban planning and engineering aspects of it. If you could rebuild NYC once a year from the ground up, would you change the road names? What about the street directions? Where would you locate the most important facilities like the ER? Burning Man gets to redesign itself each year and it is super fun to watch urban planning get a second, third, etc. chance. That just doesn't happen in regular life.”
“The most memorable moments are rarely the loud ones. They are the trips home in the crisp air at dawn with your partner just reflecting on how crazy the world can be,” Travis revealed the more romantic side of the festival. “Wondering what it would have been like if you never knew this pocket of fabulously cool people even existed because you never were persuaded to come years ago.”
That is pretty cool. I might be seeing things, but it looks like the bees are in ballet slippers.
My friend Andy Tibbets built those bees at The Generator in Reno. This is the third piece he's engineered and built for artist Andrea Greenlees.
Load More Replies...Would love this in my backyard-I'm a beekeeper :) I have room and live in Reno:):)
I'm certain there's some important message in this piece but at the moment I'm too busy marveling over how much personality someone has managed to give to two wire frame bees in the dessert
For those who do not understand the intention of the interactive arts festival: burning man; this is a participation based culture. Ie. interactive art is provided by every participant of the festival, hence the magic that ensues. You really have to experience it to understand. No bystanders, that is also why photography is discouraged. These images really do offer a glimpse of the visceral understanding of the festival. Well done. And beautiful emotive and eerie performance art. I love it!
“The one consistently memorable moment we have had though is our Temple walk. The Temple is one of the only sites where there is no party. No loud music. Occasional singing and acoustic sounds like a guitar/sitar but nothing caustic. It is where people go to say goodbye to a marriage and leave their certificate after their divorce. One of the most heartbreaking items and reflections left this year was the hat of a man who had attended and died. There was a note accompanying it from his parents who had come to the festival just to leave it behind, say goodbye and then watch it burn to the ground along with everyone else's heartaches and disappointment. It is honestly impossible to walk through that space and not tear up.”
“The night the man burns is a party. The night the Temple burns there is silence,” he said. “50,000-60,000 people just sitting their silently letting things go and heading home to reflect and focus. Our first year we sat next to a woman who had met her second husband at Burning Man after the passing of her first nearly 25 years prior. He had also passed away. She brought some of the clothes she had met him in to watch burn as she said thank you for the years spent together.”
El Pulpo Mecanico, built by Duane Flatmo and his crew in Northern California. El Pulpo debuted in 2011, then retired in 2017, and then came back again this year. He is one of the most beloved art cars in Burning Man history. Got to take a ride on it in 2014 and I tell you what, you feel like an absolute rock star riding on that beast.
Another dumbass Carbon Footprint for the Climate Change Advocates. SMH again.
His name is D**k. He thought he would add to the sculpture.
Load More Replies...Get out of the frame you attention seeking instagram twatwaffle. Nobody cares about your denim jacket.
This piece is called Desert Guard and came all the way from an artist group in China. It was all fabricated by hand out of steel and was inspired inspired by the armor of Genghis Khan.
seems like you know quite a bit about these artists. Thank you! Are you part of this creative process?
Load More Replies...Not at Burning Man 2019. It is in front of the Sands Hotel in Reno. (It was there in 2018.)
This piece was at the burn in 2018. I can't even imagine what they must have went through to ship it all the way from China.
Load More Replies...“The festival is often misinterpreted by those who don't have the opportunity to go. Sure, there are parties. Sure, I do see drug use. Never anything hard or massively troubling (at least not with those I hang out with), but many of those perceptions are the minority experience. The families aren't there for that. Nor is the often older demographic group that has been coming for years and helps to keep the festivals message on track. Nor are most of the young people. People go to spend time with each other.”
Imagine your neighbor building this in their driveway! Hahaha or even better seeing it driving on the highway to get there! I love it!
We actually built it in the streets of brooklyn ;) More pictures on insta @badmanbus
Load More Replies...Exactly. Sometimes I'm wondering if some of those people don't forget what is all about The Burning Man Festival. I mean that some of them - just like this girl - rather looks like come there only because the event became famous. Quite sad.
Load More Replies...No dust on her. No sweat. perfect pose. Glaring enigmatically into the horizon. Uggghh. These are the hack photographers you see who ship professional models off to places like Comicon or Chernobyl and totally fail to evoke any of the atmosphere or passion of the place. They may be better served if they just photoshop the model into the pic. It would be just as ingenues. .
This picture is beautiful, She’s stunning and you can tell that is what is intended for the photo. Not even sure why there is one negative comment here!
you guys commenting below are all insane. Lots of people wear costume-like attire at Burning Man, it's nbd. Bunch of haters.
I still have to finish watching Fury Road - I've seen parts of it and the vision is just insane (in a good way ) but I've never watched the whole thing in order.
Load More Replies...“During the day you can ride your bike around and just make random stops at all the camps giving things out. A typical afternoon might include a corndog, being launched in to a pool of stuffed animals, a freezer truck with hot beverages, the very gay "bear shower happy hour," a Madonna dance party with snow cones, and then a touching communal dinner back at camp.”
Holup, does anybody keep stats on how many kids get conceived during Burning Man? Or does everybody just wind up with Burning Loins
He's gonna have some weird tan lines on this face when he's back at work on Monday.
“You just never know what is out there and you can only see about 2% of it anyway so you give up and learn to just go with the flow. The place is unique but in a way that you would wish everywhere could be. The people seem freely themselves,” Travis told Bored Panda. “The hardest part about leaving is knowing there will be a loss of these freedoms. And, with those loss of freedoms is often what makes it hard to be the nice and expressive person you wish you could always be. Burning Man is an experience for sure. How you categorize... there aren't really words for that in any language. I think this is why it is so universally appealing.”
this is probably very heavy... would give me a headache 5 minutes in
I commend him. I tried fake eyelashes once and they got on my nerves.
How in the world does a 747 make it to the desert AND who has the $$$ to do this?
That plane is an entire saga unto itself, and burners still have very mixed feelings about it. Here's the project website: http://www.bigimagination.org/ And if you google "burning man 747" you'll find a wealth of articles about all the drama surrounding it over the last few years.
Load More Replies...Good question, and where these fine workers earn they living?!.....
and what gives you the right to say or think they are all worthless !!
Load More Replies...The very first Burning Man festival was held on Baker Beach in San Francisco, in 1986. And every year since, the gathering has attracted what seems to be the most creative (not to mention peculiar!) people on Earth.
When I saw photos from the Burning Man for the very first time, I thought I was looking at some alternate post-apocalyptic timeline where Mad Max somehow got crossed over with Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory. It was mesmerizing. It was confusing. But nobody can deny it was a feast for the eyes.
Be proud of that "beer" aka Baby Belly you Bella Bambina!!!!!! Enjoy your body as it is........especially when there's a wee one sharing it with you.........Life is what it is and you are loverly. ;-)
Ugh, this picture reminds me of the conversation we had last year about Burning Man - how many of the attendees are legit and how many are models that just dropped in for pix. Yes, I'm talking to you, lady with your butt sticking out.
So you can't be a model and enjoy listening to music after dropping a s**t ton of acid?
Load More Replies...I'm sorry, but the butt pose just irks me. Would've been better if she were just posed straight, tall and strong
Because this place is not a regular get together place.
Load More Replies...Which still has me wondering what is the point of Burning Man. I didn't see any music. Is it an art festival? These people show up just to wear Mad Max outfits and hangout in the desert.
Load More Replies...I'm a 62 yr old lady. And I'm not really into women. That being said, I think this is probably the most tasteful, sexy, and just plain beautiful picture I've seen in this collection of pics.
The whole place is about a hopeless generation image. > Emptiness - fire-dust. < I rather believe in Heaven. 👉 😇 🙏✔️
But what does the festival stand for, and what are its core values? Well, back in 2004, the festival’s co-founder Larry Harvey came up with the Ten Principles that encapsulate what it’s all about. Among these are the ideas that absolutely anyone can be a part of the festival, that we should all give others gifts unconditionally, and that the festival shouldn’t become exploited by commercial sponsorship.
What’s more, the festival promotes radical self-reliance and self-expression, as well as communal effort and civic responsibility. Lastly, the Burning Man respects the environment, calls upon everyone to participate as fully as possible, and values immediate experience, which helps overcome our inner barriers.
I would love to experience Burning Man for myself — what about you? What do you love most about the festival? Is it the quirky costumes? The supernatural art installations? Or the marvelous atmosphere?
It kinda looks like a real big room. I also like the bike stands.
The Purr Pods by artist Paige Tashner. Her husband is an electronics whiz and designed pressure pads and sound recordings of Paige's cats so that when you touched the cats in certain spots they would either meow or purr.
The name "Smilodon" really bugs me. It can't really "smile" with those teeth. Just my weird brain and it's associations. 😁 I prefer something more like "Stabodontis" or something.
Load More Replies...You have to take out a screw to get to open and remove the batteries.
Load More Replies...Clearly it's a political statement on how technology will take the place of human parents in the future. Why can't other people see this?
Imagination is one of the great pluses, out in the desert. I like. 00-Yep-5d6...e06d80.gif
Yes, that was my first thought when I saw the pregnant lady in the ratty pink fur - she must be sweltering!
Load More Replies...My friend Paige designed these, based on her own cats, and her husband designed and installed the electronics that controlled the lights and the weowing and purring sounds.
Load More Replies...Contact the artist on her Facebook page, she might be into creating mini versions: https://www.facebook.com/purrpods/
Load More Replies...Beautiful picture. She looks perfect !n front of the "ice" sculpture.
"Going Native" certainly has its pluses, doesn't it? 00-Alright...0be6e4.gif
That's Baba Yaga's house, designed by Jessi Sprocket Janusee and built at The Generator in Reno. She and the crew did an absolutely amazing job on it.
I like the reflective ball, but it looks like it's just, about, to fall over.
All that neatness, just burning up! Too bad they couldn't have saved that one and brought it over here where I live. I'd liked to have gone thru it.
We're camping in the desert for a week. Bring the essentials. *brings swingset*
I can imagine with all that sand all over the place, it must be really hard to keep it out of your shoes.
There's no sand there, actually. It's an old, dry lake bed, and the ground is made of a super-fine alkaline dust, finer than baby powder. Personal hygiene is really important out there, for your body AND your belongings, since the dust can potentially erode metal, rubber, skin, etc. Folks come up with all kinds of creative ways to keep their things and selves clean out there, everything from baby wipe baths to full-on shower setups that they haul all the way out there.
Load More Replies...I want to know why is that particular rectangle, in bottom right empty?
Very cool to see setup, I often wonder how these come together and how much is prebuilt.
Alternate title: if you need to cover your face because of dust, you should probably cover your babies face too...
Load More Replies...No sunhat on your kid in the desert? When getting the perfect pic for the 'gram is more important than your infant's well being.
Why is her face covered against the sand and not the baby's? Poor parenting picture.
What does it say? I can only make out the "Not Consent" part.
Load More Replies...Yes, refreshing change from the Instagram models!
Load More Replies...Aw! So cute! There's a bunch of kids at the festival for whoever downvoted this. There's actually a whole kid's play area.
Right? They have a play area and a while campsite that is family friendly with CRAZY strict rules. There is a whole side to BM that has nothing to do with the majority of these pictures.
Load More Replies...Only the ones who could afford to charter a flight in, book a glamping site and not do anything that Burning Man actually stands for.
Load More Replies...Aaaaah, I'm sorry but she's not centered between the wings. It bothers me hell more than it should.
My first thought too! Would've been a cool shot had they been centered.
Load More Replies...Anyone else think the flames just above the windmill look like a horse?
First you've got to draw aside the beaded curtain to take a sip, though...
Load More Replies...I actually think they will be! I love irregular shapes like that shaded and different tones all over the place; it will be interesting and temporary on her body. She may have a different idea that you do of 'pretty.' You also don't know what kind of protection she has on, or how long she's been in the outfit.
Load More Replies...Why do guys like tu-tu's. A lot of them do. I don't suppose you do too?
Wow, everybody's got these long legs. I'm too short to ever go to the Burning Man.
I'm going out on a limb and say Photoshop - also, her right hand doesn't look quite right.
Load More Replies...The gloves are excellent reminders that showing skin is not consent.
Uh, where in this picture does it even remotely look like Data? Not the right face, outfit, pose, expression, accessories, or even resemblance. Edit: I really want to know, I am not just trying to be a jerk. I don't see it, how do you?
Load More Replies...Am I weird for worrying about the facial tan lines from the headpiece?
There's holes for her feet to come out when she wants to walk.
Load More Replies...Yeah, it'd be harder than watching Morticia on the Adams Family
This is Burning Man, not a fashion shoot, Goddammit!This stuff was not created so you could stick your a*s out and impress your instagram fans! Sorry, had to get that out.
Sure. For sure. But you know, apparently, it is, in no small part, a fashion shoot now. A pretty dramatic one, too. So, you know, there it is.
Load More Replies...Funny, I've been skipping over a lot of the pics because that's just what it looks like. A fashion shoot.
I really don't get the platform and high heel shoes... You are in a dessert come on
Does anyone else wonder why many of the women attending Burning Man are dressed in apocalyptic attire?
Here's my general comment about Burning Man, not necessarily specific to this photo ... Is there anyone that attends Burning Man with a body mass index over 25? (Here are the BMI guidelines: A BMI of less than 18.5 means that a person is underweight. A BMI of between 18.5 and 24.9 is ideal. A BMI of between 25 and 29.9 is overweight. A BMI over 30 indicates obesity.)
I actually was thinking the same thing along the lines of "Does anyone attend BM anymore that isn't a model?" 20 some years ago it was a bunch of ravers and hippies of all different sizes, colors and styles. Now it just looks like fashion week.
Load More Replies...Actually, she is very good for adding scale to the sculpture. I had no idea it was so bigger on another post.
Load More Replies...After seeing all these pics, I was real disappointed that it appears that the Photographer was only interested in one particular thing. Took away from the Idea behind the Burning Man freedom. Get a different Photographer.
Nobody calls a standard vacation to Hawaii something for trust fund kids. Burning man is not that expensive when compared to normal trips people take all the time.
Load More Replies...None of these people look like they're having fun... To be stuck in the desert with pretentious attention seekers would honestly be what purgatory would look like for me.
Oh it's loads of fun. You just kind of ignore the silly people, as you would in any city. Or you can try talking to the silly people, becuase some of them are actually pretty cool humans. But in a city of 80,000 of course you're going to find people and things that aren't your cup of tea.
Load More Replies...I could have done without the majority of the photos of "influencers" just standing in the desert looking like attention starved jackasses. Some of the art installations like the school bus converted into a neon lit space shuttler were cool.
With the same damn 5 poses....way to be "original"
Load More Replies...The people with normal bodies don’t get photographed.
Load More Replies...Just seems like torture to me....bright hot sun beating down on you in the middle of a dry a*s dusty desert...no thank you.
It actually looks like a lot of fun to me, but then I see a pregnant lady and a few kids (including a toddler) and I'm thinking "this isn't the best environment for them, to be in out in the burning sun all day" I really hope there are places where they can cool off
Load More Replies...Please explain. Do you dislike snow sculptures? Does the barren desert get harmed? Not sure what you are trying to say.
Load More Replies...I'm amazed by the size of it and the lack of ugly, old, fat and/ or mediocre people.
It's full of mediocre Instagrammers but you're right for everything else.
Load More Replies...Some of this is really fantastic. However, I don't find the dust, distance, and exhibitionists appealing. Also I had no idea how spread out it was. I think I'll settle for the photos.
Good. You're not part of the scene, and you should stay home.
Load More Replies...Nobody calls a standard vacation to Hawaii something for trust fund kids. Burning man is not that expensive when compared to normal trips people take all the time.
Load More Replies...None of these people look like they're having fun... To be stuck in the desert with pretentious attention seekers would honestly be what purgatory would look like for me.
Oh it's loads of fun. You just kind of ignore the silly people, as you would in any city. Or you can try talking to the silly people, becuase some of them are actually pretty cool humans. But in a city of 80,000 of course you're going to find people and things that aren't your cup of tea.
Load More Replies...I could have done without the majority of the photos of "influencers" just standing in the desert looking like attention starved jackasses. Some of the art installations like the school bus converted into a neon lit space shuttler were cool.
With the same damn 5 poses....way to be "original"
Load More Replies...The people with normal bodies don’t get photographed.
Load More Replies...Just seems like torture to me....bright hot sun beating down on you in the middle of a dry a*s dusty desert...no thank you.
It actually looks like a lot of fun to me, but then I see a pregnant lady and a few kids (including a toddler) and I'm thinking "this isn't the best environment for them, to be in out in the burning sun all day" I really hope there are places where they can cool off
Load More Replies...Please explain. Do you dislike snow sculptures? Does the barren desert get harmed? Not sure what you are trying to say.
Load More Replies...I'm amazed by the size of it and the lack of ugly, old, fat and/ or mediocre people.
It's full of mediocre Instagrammers but you're right for everything else.
Load More Replies...Some of this is really fantastic. However, I don't find the dust, distance, and exhibitionists appealing. Also I had no idea how spread out it was. I think I'll settle for the photos.
Good. You're not part of the scene, and you should stay home.
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