Burning Man: Journey to Black Rock City
Have an unforgettable time at the Burning Man Festival.
Everything you need to know at a glance
The Burning Man Festival is one of the world’s most extraordinary cultural events and takes place annually from late August to early September in the Black Rock Desert in the U.S. state of Nevada. Over the course of nine days, the temporary city of Black Rock City emerges, featuring art installations, music, community, and an iconic closing ritual: the burning of a giant wooden figure.
Unlike traditional music festivals, there is no central stage program. Instead, the approximately 70,000 participants from over 100 countries create the experience together. The highly sought-after tickets are available through official sales channels. Travel typically involves flying into Reno, Nevada. Accommodations are available directly on the festival grounds—or in hotels in Reno or Lake Tahoe.
The coveted festival in Black Rock City
Every year around the end of August, a vast salt flat in northern Nevada transforms into a vibrant desert city: Black Rock City. Project Burning Man is a nine-day social experiment based on ten principles—including radical inclusion, self-expression, and “Leave No Trace.” Instead of headliners and stages, thousands of art installations, art cars, and camps come to life, collectively creating a wonderful experience. The event lasts nine days and traditionally ends on the first Monday in September, Labor Day.
All tickets—regardless of price tier—grant the same access to Black Rock City. The ticketing system is multi-tiered: cheaper tickets subsidize spots for participants on a lower budget. In addition to your ticket, you’ll need a separate Vehicle Pass if you’re arriving in your own vehicle or a rental car.
If you’d like to attend the Burning Man Festival, you should register for advance ticket sales well in advance. It’s best to pay for American tickets online with your credit card.
Interesting fact: The American Express Platinum Card includes ticket insurance.
Getting to Burning Man
The Burning Man Festival takes place on the Black Rock Desert Playa in Gerlach, Nevada. This is one of the flattest areas in the world. The approximately 30,000-square-kilometer salt-flat plain is located about 150 kilometers north-northeast of the city of Reno.
The most convenient way to get there is via Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO), which is the nearest major airport. From Switzerland, connections are available via major U.S. hubs such as San Francisco or Los Angeles.
With the American Express Platinum Card, you gain access to some of the finest airport lounges worldwide. Thanks to the complimentary "Priority Pass" membership, you have access to exclusive lounges at Zurich Airport and during layovers in the U.S. to relax while waiting for your flight.
Driving into the desert in a rental car
From Reno-Tahoe International Airport, you can take the official “Burner Express Bus,” which will take you directly to the festival grounds. It may be more comfortable to rent a car, which will get you from the airport to the festival grounds in about two hours.
If you’re extending your stay beyond the festival, a rental car is highly recommended anyway: the region around Reno, Lake Tahoe, and the Nevada countryside are home to beautiful destinations. Plus: As an American Express Platinum Cardholder, you’ll receive attractive rental car benefits from renowned providers like Hertz, SIXT, or Avis.
Comfortable Accommodations at a Hotel
Since the Burning Man Festival takes place in a remote desert, most people stay right on the festival grounds in tents or RVs. If you’d like to stay in more comfortable accommodations before or after the festival, the nearest hotels are located about 150 kilometers away in Reno or on beautiful Lake Tahoe.
The region features excellent properties that are part of American Express’s Fine Hotels + Resorts—including the “Edgewood Tahoe” right on the shores of Lake Tahoe, just about 45 minutes from Reno-Tahoe Airport. With your Platinum Card, you’ll enjoy perks such as a complimentary daily breakfast for two and a credit toward hotel expenses.
Burning Man Outfit: The Right Clothes for the Festival
The Burning Man Festival is known for the boundless creativity of its participants and their impressive costumes. Outfits made of faux fur, feathers, metallic fabrics, glowing LED accessories, or futuristic designs are part of the festival and an expression of the core principle of “Radical Self-Expression.”
Despite all the creativity, your outfit at the Burning Man Festival should above all be practical: during the day, temperatures can soar past 40 degrees, while nights can get very cold. Add to that occasional dust storms—so-called “whiteouts”—that can sweep in within minutes.
A well-thought-out layered look is therefore recommended: lightweight, breathable fabrics for the day, thicker, warmer clothing for the night, along with sturdy footwear and a scarf or respirator mask for dust protection. Reflective or luminous elements for desert nights are stylish and also enhance your safety.
Which American Express card will accompany you on your travels?
The Burning Man Festival: A Unique Experience in the Desert
People in imaginative costumes, monumental art installations, and fireworks that light up the desert night sky. The silence of the desert in the morning, the roar of sound systems at night, the white desert dust—the Burning Man Project is a festival like no other.
As a Platinum Cardholder from American Express, you’ll enjoy special benefits and amenities throughout your trip, such as comprehensive travel insurance. Why not combine your festival visit with a few days of vacation—the city of Reno, Lake Tahoe, and the Nevada landscape are well worth seeing.
Frequently asked questions and answers
Ticket prices are tiered and range from $550 to $3,000. In addition, if you’re traveling by private vehicle or rental car, you’ll need a separate Vehicle Pass.
The Ten Principles form the core of the Burning Man philosophy: Radical Inclusion (everyone is welcome), Gift Economy (no commercial transactions), Personal Responsibility (everyone takes care of themselves), Radical Self-Expression, Collective Effort, Civic Responsibility, Leave No Trace, Participation (everyone is a co-creator, not a spectator), Immediacy (the direct experience counts), and Decommodification (no advertising, no sponsorship, no commercial trade).
The name comes from the festival’s central ritual: the burning of a large wooden figure—the so-called Burning Man—on the penultimate day of the festival. The tradition dates back to 1986, when co-founder of the , Larry Harvey, set a wooden figure ablaze for the first time at Baker Beach in San Francisco. What began as a spontaneous, personal ritual grew into a collective community experience. Today, the figure stands over 20 meters tall and goes up in flames in front of around 70,000 people.
