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Burning Man: It’s Turned into a Dusty Orgy with a Memory of Something Special

There was a time when Burning Man was the counter-culture beacon of the music festival world. Bringing together the young, the beautiful, and the passionate – it was a time to let loose under the desert stars and show society that the outcasts, lovers and artists are still here and making good trouble.

Now though, Burning Man is just an orgy in the dust – and its best days are behind it.

Technically, this year marks Burning Man’s triumphant comeback: after 2 years of COVID-related closures, this year should have been a roaring delight of weirdness, music and artistry. Instead, it’s a sad echo of what was once the signature counter-culture festival of the world. In 2020 and 2021, the event was held “unofficially” and saw largely diminished numbers – but perhaps the most true-to-soul festivals in a decade.

If you look at Burning Man by the number of attendees, you see a very different picture: every year, numbers go up. In 2019 alone, just under 80K people attended. What you can’t see by looking at the numbers is the soul of the festival.

It used to be that you attended Burning Man to capture the soul of the unheard, to connect with other weirdos and lovers, and to make music and art a statement on society, set aflame at the end because there was a point to it all.

Now, it’s just another festival. Now, Burning Man is just about cute outfits and getting the biggest headliners. What does that sound like? Every other music festival in the world. Yawn.

That’s not to say you won’t have fun at Burning Man. After all, fun in the desert, good booze and easy sex at every corner – all against the backdrop of some of the world’s most popular artists – it all sounds fun. It’s just not Burning Man.

Like every big social event, eventually the mainstream and modern seeps in until what was originally there is a husk of its former self. Now, counter-culture nerds and artists are giving away to dudebros and designer drugs. Instead of sharing weed with strangers under the moonlight with the Burning Man installations lighting up the night sky, everyone’s tuning into the integrated tech, talking about the latest festival fashion, and competing to find the “trendiest” cocktail on the grounds. If that sounds like the paragon of counterculture you’re looking for, then Burning Man 2022 is right up your alley – it’s just not what it used to be. Final answer.

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