Music Festival

The ten rules of Burning Man are the foundation of how we experience the week. They’re a guide to making sure that everyone has an amazing time, so we can all return home a little more loving and caring than when we arrived. If you’re new to the event, or you’ve never gone before, the rules can seem pretty daunting. They’re not. And they’re not meant to be. They’re just ten simple guidelines to help make sure that everyone has a great time. We encourage you to read them before you go so that you can be prepared to have the best possible Burn.

Leave no trace.

The community values Leave No Trace. It’s pretty simple: Be considerate of other people and the environment. Leave whatever you find at the burner. Take only what you need. Don’t waste resources. Be a good steward of the playa. Leave it as you found it. And if you break any of these rules, you have to deal with the consequences.

Be kind.

For most people, just being yourself is plenty of kindness. But in the week before the event begins, we like to remind burners of the ten simple rules of Burning Man: radical self-reliance, communal effort, radical acceptance, gifting, leaving no trace, responsibility for one’s actions, and so on.

Stay close.

The ten rules of Burning Man are the foundation of the event and are created by the community and its founders. The rules are simple, yet impact everyone who participates in the culture and the community. They govern behavior and create a safe, supportive and communal environment. They’re the reason you won’t find any corporate branding around the event, and they’re the reason so many people return year after year.

Protect your space.

The 10 rules of Burning Man are a set of guidelines created to help ensure that the desert experience is as safe and enjoyable for you as possible. They are not laws, but rather a set of common-sense guidelines for responsible participation in the community. These rules apply to all Burners, no matter where they are from, what they are bringing, or how they are getting there.

Play fair.

The “Ten Principles” are the foundation on which the culture of Burning Man is based. They describe what Burners value most in our community. The Principles are a direct outgrowth of the values that brought us together as a community in the first place. While the Principles are not rules in the traditional sense, we encourage everyone to live by them.

Love what you've got.

Every year, the 10 principles that guide the way people experience Burning Man are written on the “Temple,” a three-story-tall wooden sculpture that is the centerpiece of Black Rock City. The 10 principles are: Radical Inclusion, Gifting, Decommodification, Transmutations of Consciousness, Leave No Trace, Care for the community, Honoring the diversity of the local, indigenous, and native population, Protect the environment, and The responsibility of the individual.

Gather resources.

The ten rules of Burning Man are referred to as the “Burning Man Project Guidelines.” They were first created in 2004 as a way for the organization to manage the broad and ever-changing community surrounding the event. The guidelines are a list of ten simple principles that are meant to promote an environment of radical inclusion and self-reliance. One of the most well-known rules is the Leave No Trace principle, which emphasizes responsible and thoughtful environmental management and minimization of your personal impact on the desert.

Show respect.

The ten rules of Burning Man were created by the organization that oversees the event and are meant to guide how people interact with each other and with the environment. The rules are a way of life at Burning Man, and they are not meant to be followed to the letter. If you see someone doing something you don’t consider to be in line with the ten rules, it’s perfectly fine to politely ask them why they are doing it.

Follow the rules.

The ten rules of Burning Man are the principles that guide our community’s creation and daily operations. They’re the foundation on which we build caring, creative, and radical self-reliance. The rules are specific, practical, and easy to understand. They’re designed to guide you through the week on the playa and back home.

1Have fun!

The ten rules of Burning Man, as written by Larry Harvey, the event’s founder, are: Leave No Trace, Decommodify, Re-member, Honor the Gift, Leave a Map, Stay Current, Have Fun, Pay It Forward, Protect, and Be Considerate. These ten rules describe the ten principles that define the culture of the Burning Man community.

Conclusion

The 10 Burning Man rules are simple – you can break them, and you will be asked to leave. They are the foundation of the community at Black Rock City and are essential for creating a safe and welcoming environment for all Burners. While most of the “rules” are pretty self-explanatory, some of them are not. Here are the 10 rules in their entirety:

What are the ten rules of Burning Man?