2021 Burning Man goes virtual

Once again, the massive counterculture festival which draws thousands out to the Nevada on an annual basis, has been moved to a virtual format, citing the ongoing pandemic.

Guest post from CelebrityAccess

Organizers for the Burning Man, the annual counterculture arts festival that annually draws tens of thousands of people to the Nevada desert, announced that for the second year in a row, the in-person event has been canceled due to the pandemic.

In a statement released Tuesday, Burning Man organizers said:

The past 14 months have been a turbulent journey of evolution and change for every human on this planet. We have had to adapt to the twists and turns of a global crisis, complex public health information, and the growing hope that we can start rebuilding our lives together soon.

All of us at Burning Man Project have been busy projecting all the possible scenarios that would allow us to bring our desert city back to life in 2021. The variables are many, and our capacity to overcome challenges is high. It’s what we do.

But, although here in the United States we may be feeling the weight lifting and the light at the end of the tunnel brightening, we are still in the pandemic, and the uncertainties that need to be resolved are impossible to resolve in the time we have.

We have decided to set our sights on Black Rock City 2022.

This is not a decision that weighs on just one specific issue; rather, it’s a combination of problems that in an ever-changing world resist certainty to move forward.

Humanity is experiencing collective trauma that is unprecedented in recent times, and while for some returning to Black Rock City may feel like “the answer,” there is very real rebuilding and healing that needs to be done before returning full force to the desert. The physical, psychic, and emotional impacts of this pandemic are real and the recovery from this experience will happen at different rates of speed. This is the time to gather with our friends, crews, families and communities.

We have the time now to imagine what we can bring to Black Rock City 2022 that will really make a difference. What would it look like if Burning Man culture shaped the future?

How do you want to bring the best of what you have to give to the next gathering in the desert?

How bold can you go?

While the in-person edition of the festival will not take place this year, organizers are planning to host a virtual Burning Man event which is scheduled to take place from August 21 to September 5, 2021.

The virtual edition of the festival includes a variety of digital projects such as the Dusty Multiverse app which allows attendees to join as avatars to explore the virtual environment, or interact with other burners. Other apps include Build-A-Burn, a network of browser-based virtual worlds with spatial video chat.

The virtual event will also feature live streams with performances as well as Temple Burn and Burn Night events.