In a post-pandemic world — where every task, every familiar place feels a bit uncharted— Burning Man’s 2021 event theme, “Terra Incognita,” feels appropriate. The Latin term, commonly used in cartography, translates to “unknown land.”
“This is an invitation to emerge from our collective isolation, to explore the unfamiliar contours of a changed world, and to reimagine ourselves, our community, and our culture in ways that might not have been possible before this period of plague and pause,” wrote Stuart Mangrum, director of the Philosophical Center of Burning Man Project, on the online Burning Man Journal on Monday.
While the Burning Man Project has not committed to hosting an event this year, the organization is moving forward with plans for an event, according to a post last month on the nonprofit’s online Burning Man Journal.
The San Francisco-based nonprofit canceled the event for the first time last year amid the pandemic. This year, the organizers project that they will have a final decision no later than the end of May.
Should the event move forward, it would likely be smaller than the typical 80,000-person Black Rock City and entry would require some combination of mitigation measures related to preventing the spread of COVID-19. The event would be held August 29 to September 6.
A return to Black Rock City, according to the organization’s Monday announcement, is all about reconsidering what Burners are used to and if that’s still what they want. Read more about the official updates here.
