Burning Man is the annual festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert known for the Man Burn. The event grew from a 1986 beach gathering in San Francisco organized by Larry Harvey and Jerry James.
Participants create a temporary city, build large art installations, and take part in performances and communal activities. The central wooden effigy, called the Man, is traditionally burned near the end of the event. Burning Man’s principles include radical inclusion, participation, gifting, decommodification, and leaving no trace.
The event is often associated with Silicon Valley because many technology entrepreneurs, engineers, and investors attend, but Burning Man is not a technology conference. Its culture predates much of that association and emphasizes art, self-expression, and temporary community rather than product launches or corporate networking.