A radical experiment in art, community, and self-reliance in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert. Not a festival, not a rave — its own world entirely, and an unforgettable RV trip.
Every year, tens of thousands of people build Black Rock City from scratch in the middle of the Nevada desert, live by principles of radical self-reliance and gifting, and burn it all down again a week later. There's no cell service, no potable water, no trash service, and no vendors — just art, community, and whatever you bring with you. An RV is one of the most popular ways to experience it, giving you shelter from the dust storms, a place to cool off, and somewhere to store your supplies for the week.
Black Rock City, Black Rock Desert, Nevada.
The week leading up to and including Labor Day, late August into early September.
You need both a personal event ticket and a separate vehicle pass to bring an RV.
Leave No Trace — everything you bring in, including gray water and trash, leaves with you.
Elaborate costumes, mutant vehicles, and art cars roam a city built entirely by its residents.
Monumental installations and interactive sculptures fill the open playa, many built to burn.
The two signature burns of the week, each carrying a very different tone and meaning.
No money changes hands on the playa (aside from ice and coffee) — everything is a gift.
A glimpse of the art, the playa, and the city that only exists for one week a year.