Smallbusiness
Jim Urquhart/Reuters
- Burning Man is a cultural festival taking place in the Nevada desert that has attracted up to 80,000 attendees for its many art installations, musical performances, and general mayhem.
- Ahead of this year's festival, Nevada federal authorities proposed building a 10-mile concrete wall around the site to improve security and prevent trash blowing away in dust storms.
- The wall will not be constructed for this year, but it's a real possibility in order for organizers to secure a 10-year permit for future Burning Man events.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Burning Man is built around ideas of freedom and unstructuredness for festivalgoers in the middle of the desert, but it's possible the event may have a bit more structure in the future.
The federal agency that administers the Black Rock Desert, where Burning Man takes place, proposed back in March that a 10-mile concrete barrier be built around the perimeter of the site. Burning Man organizers have protested that such a wall goes directly against the festival's core principles.
For Burning Man 2019, which kicked off Sunday, no barriers or wall will be erected, authorities told Business Insider. But Burning Man's future depends on its ability to secure a permit from Nevada land officials, who decide whether or not the festival can continue on as is at in the desert.
Here's everything you need to know about why there's a proposal for concrete barriers around Burning Man, and how the wall could change the future of the festival: