The Burning Man count reveals the truth about the participants
WHO Really goes to Burning Man?
The results of a 2022 Counting Burning Man visitors found that most “burners” are rich, white, straight, liberal millennial men.
burning manIn which tickets for this year’s event sold between $575 and $2,750, is a week-long, large-scale campout in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert near Reno with the goal of “creating a temporary metropolis that embraces the Dedicated to community, art, self-expression and self-expression.” -Trust.”
The creative event began in San Francisco in 1986 before moving to northwest Nevada, where it grew in popularity. The festival now welcomes tens of thousands of people from all over the world.
But while bohemian culture is promoted and highlighted, the new data offers a closer look at the type of people the event actually attracts.
The census found that the typical participant is a white, well-educated 37-year-old heterosexual American who votes Democratic and earned over $100,000 in 2021.
The latest data was collected from the 75,000 people who traveled to the 2022 festival.
The audience has always been a white majority (around 80%), which the organization has actively tried to change.
After cancellation in 2020 and 2021, organizers formed an internal “anti-racism” group and actively advocated for “radical inclusion, diversity and justice.”
This is something that a large majority of Burning Man attendees have likely discussed, as most are highly educated men, 86% of whom have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher, and the median age is 37, according to published data lies.
Beyond music and art, Burning Man’s hippie “peace and love” environment has encouraged a notoriously relaxed approach to love, from the popular Orgy Dome to on-stage sexual acts.
Most participants indicated that they were partnered but not married and that they were considered sexually open or curious and “kinksters,” perhaps providing greater insight into the reasons that led them to spend a week in the desert spend.
While sex seemed to be the focus, politics and religion were not, participants said. However, it appears that the temporary city would likely avoid a culture war, as just over half are Democrats and just 4.2% are Republicans. The second largest majority was “non-party”.
The majority are also spiritual, but not religious.
Burning Man prides itself on its gift-saving mode — the only things available for purchase are ice cream, coffee and tea — but most attendees wouldn’t worry about the money anyway.
The typical “burner” earned over $100,000 in 2021, with about 16% reporting a household income of at least $300,000 per year – a significant increase from the 7% who earned that much in 2013.
The revelation comes as more people complain that the counterculture festival has become a lawless playground for the rich.
For another year in a row, Burning Man 2023 descended into a burning mess.
Torrential rains led to flooding that left tens of thousands stranded and further increased mass exodus, with desperate festival-goers leaving behind trash, cars and human waste – a direct violation of the festival’s vaunted “leave a trace” principle.
Some said they bonded with their fellow burners, but many others were certainly happy to have skipped the event and sold their ticket.
