Burning Man Marks 40 Years With Global Solstice Celebration

Burning Man is marking its 40th anniversary by taking the celebration far beyond Black Rock City.

The Burning Man Project announced a global solstice initiative inviting communities around the world to gather on June 21, create art, build effigies, host campouts and stage their own moments of connection in the spirit of the long-running cultural movement.

The anniversary marks four decades since Burning Man began as a small gathering on San Francisco’s Baker Beach in 1986 before relocating to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert in 1990. Since then, the event has grown into a worldwide creative network, anchored by Black Rock City and extending through more than 100 Regional Events, makerspaces, civic projects, art installations and community gatherings.

At the center of the anniversary campaign is a familiar Burning Man idea: the point is not just to attend, but to participate.

“Burning Man started with a simple act of gathering, creating, and inviting others to join in,” said Marian Goodell, CEO of Burning Man Project. “Forty years later, that invitation remains open. Wherever you are, create something. Gather together in ways that reflect your own communities and creativity. Make art. Contribute to something larger than yourself. The next chapter of Burning Man will be written by those who participate.”

The organization is encouraging participants to share solstice celebrations on social media using the hashtag #next40burningman.

The 40-year milestone arrives as Burning Man continues to frame itself less as a single desert event and more as a global creative culture. According to the organization, more than one million people now participate annually across Black Rock City, regional events and related community projects.

For those still looking toward the desert, Burning Man said 2026 ticket information is available at tickets.burningman.org, with tickets currently available through STEP and additional sales still to come.

Burning Man Project, the nonprofit behind the annual Black Rock City event, says the anniversary is both a celebration of its past and a prompt for what comes next: more art, more gathering and more people building the experience themselves.