Burning Man is an annual week-long event held in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada, centered around community, art, self-expression, and self-reliance. It originated in 1986 when founders Larry Harvey and Jerry James burned a wooden effigy of a man on Baker Beach in San Francisco. Since 1990, the event has taken place in the desert, where a temporary city called Black Rock City is built for about nine days, culminating in the burning of a large wooden "Man" sculpture

. The event is guided by ten principles including radical inclusion, gifting (giving without expecting anything in return), decommodification, radical self-reliance, radical self-expression, communal effort, civic responsibility, leaving no trace, participation, and immediacy

. Burning Man is not a commercial festival; there is no money exchanged, and participants are encouraged to bring everything they need and contribute to the community through art, performances, and workshops

. Burning Man has evolved into a global cultural movement and a temporary city where tens of thousands of people create art, build villages, and engage in various forms of creative expression and communal living. The event emphasizes creativity, social connection, and environmental responsibility, aiming to leave no physical trace after it ends