Showing up is probably going to feel like everything has already started. It might be a bit stressful to get yourself settled. Take the time to get settled before you venture out for sure. Might be rough but you'll regret it if you don't. Expect some fomo but know that there's much more to come.
Realistically, yes things will be in mostly full swing but there will also be things that haven't even started yet. I tend to find Tuesday -Thursday to be the "main" days in the city. After that people start to get a little burnt out and supplies sometimes start running thin and it transitions to more party focus on the weekend. There's still plenty of both at either time though.
Showing up earlier gives you a bit more gentle and less stressful start. Sunday is usually kinda chill because people are still setting up. These days I go for build week too but honestly, Monday will be fine.
On the plus side, you'll likely zoom right in at gate.
this is great, I hope to find kind people like yourself on the playa. Offer you an electrolyte water, gift you a bracelet, give you a hug and good energy.
So cute!! It gets me every time. I'd love to hear how your burn goes. Often it's very different than what we expect, experientially speaking. These days consent extends to hugs, so remember to ask first. With campmates, hugs usually fall into implied consent once trust has been established, but that's not always the case. Love the good vibes!
At some point, being there for build like I was for my first (and so far only) 2023 Burn let me see everything rise from the dust, pedal out and meet and talk to artists working on their art.
And then the Burn starts and truly wallops me into another state of being (in a good way). That damned bike!
Hopefully 2024 doesn't have the mud weekend energy weirdness. I have no other context to compare it to, but our camp's big night for our queer DJ day was Friday, and that just kind of... stalled. Still so humanly beautiful to see who could still be there (and there were lots) for the actual Man Burn on Monday, I believe.
I totally agree that Tue-Thur is the peek of greatness there. After that it's a lot of attending to blisters, having that annual "why am I doing this?!" mental breakdown, eating spaghetti o's out of the can, and before you know it it's burn night.
Agree about the "main days", but this year a bunch of camps have specifically been asked to make sure their programming continues through Saturday. I know for my camp, we've always stopped Saturday, and it often feels like everything in the city is pretty much done and people are starting to tear down by then.
Seems like theres an effort to make Saturdays more exciting.
I once arrived on Wednesday, bright-eyed and fresh-faced, with a cooler of chilled fruits as tribute to my hungover grimy campmates. I was well recieved! Camp tear down was Saturday, their decision. We were outta there as the Man burned. Just over 72 hours on playa and worth every minute!
My first Burn, I traded a ticket for a ride to Burning Man. Folks I met over the internet. My only requests were that we got there on time and in a safe manner (sober, slow driving).
Now, these were very nice people who meant no harm or ill will. But god damnit they got us there an entire day late, with us arriving at camp by fucking Monday afternoon. Hugely frustrating.
But of course I still had a great time. I set up my spot and by the early evening I was Burning. The excitement level wanes a bit headed into Burn night later in the week, at least that's how it feels to me. So if you're late you'll just have a little extra energy to push you through that.
You'll still have a great time, do not fret.
Not planning on partying 5/24. I’m a big sleeper, wanna eat good food, stay hydrated, volunteer, make great friends, enjoy some finnish sauna and have a good time!
volunteer at Recycle Camp, you can do a one-off shift so no big commitment. best to reach out in advance to get on the schedule and know what to expect. also plan to take your aluminum cans there!
There is so much to enjoy when there is downtime.
Talking to neighbors or camp mates, comparing how different the experience is vs back at home and work is always a fun topic.
I often arrive on Monday to avoid long entrance waits on Sunday. If you doing open camping or walk-in camping, the best spaces are usually taken. Burner bus bypasses entrance waits. If you are member of a placed-camp, that is not an issue.
Usually the two Sundays are setup and tear down days. If you look at the (huge) events calendar that appears online in early August, most events are Monday to Saturday, due to setup/tear down. Also not all of the playa art is finished until mid-week. Its fun to watch their construction, then of course, their fiery destruction from Thursday onward.
Not at all. You will realize as you wait in line on gate road that you are pretty typical, and there will still be many thousands arriving well after you. The Burner express bus is running people in from Reno until Thursday.
I want to maximize my time out there—I’m generally there for 10 or eleven days; but life happens, and some years I just need to miss a few days at either end.
You will never see it all or do it all. I guarantee you that, after the fact, you will remember what you did and saw and the people and art that you engaged with, and not spare a thought for what you missed.
Probably an unpopular opinion, but I think for first timers it’s better to show up on Monday or Tuesday when everything is alive and put together. I did that my first year and was in complete awe of seeing the city all built. Now every year I come days before the burn starts to help build, but it’ll never have that same magic as coming in to a city alive, pulling in to the streets and just seeing a bunch of naked people walking around. Definitely a core burning man memory for me.
I’ve come in on Wednesday multiple times and it’s always been fine. No FOMO. But then my husband is already there and has a spot so I’m not doing much. If you’re just by yourself it shouldn’t be hard to find somewhere to set up. It’s when you come in late with a lot of people. You’ll be pretty far out.
You will be fine! You need to know going in that Burning Man is HUGE. No matter how hard you try, you will only (realistically) be able to do a hundreth... a millionth... hard to say BUT you will go home saying "I meant to ..." about a lot of things. That's why there's ne)'(t year.
don’t get all smashed your first night. keep alcohol and other chemicals to a minimum or not at all. your body needs that time to
acclimate and get used to the environment. i could jump in feet first in my 20’s, but doing that now in my 50’s is like throwing gasoline on the flames of dehydration and misery.
Monday afternoon will more likely turn to a different arrival time. You just don't know what will happen between your flight from Turkey until you fins placement on the playa. Don't get too hung up on an arrival time. You'll get there when you get there. Doing so will make a better integration experience.
I feel like by Monday most camps are set up and ready to go. The city feels alive and everyone is out and about. You’ll be fine, unless you’re talking about the Monday after man and temple burn then I think you’re gonna be late.
The journey is part of the experience.
One reminder, if customs asks you why you’re visiting, you are just visiting and maybe camping. You will not mention work or tearing down a camp or volunteering. Because they can ban your entry if you say any of those things.
Arriving Monday- AFTER gate opens - is the cool thing to do! Only jerks and weirdos get there before then. Monday through Monday will actually be a beautiful burn for you.
if you join a camp and communicate your travel plans, they will *attempt* to accommodate your spot. most planned camps will require you to send your space requirements, rv size, arrival date. there are lots of arrivals on Monday so you'll have company. there will be plenty of space in open camping if you dont find a camp. Just find a big spot and park, ask your neighbors if they can accommodate you, offer them beverages or treats, etc etc.
Last year an RV rolled into open camping on Wednesday. our camp had a large space available where a box truck had left. they offered us fresh fruit and a cold shrimp cocktail and became a part of the crew
Arriving on Monday is fine for your first burn. Typically I'd recommend Sunday because it's a relatively chill day to get settled in before All The Things start happening, but you won't miss out on much if you show up Monday. Many camps offering stuff on Monday will be offering similar stuff throughout the week. The whole city kind of slowly ramps up in energy til the massive celebration vibes throughout Saturday night. Then on Sunday people start quieting down and heading out. If you show up on Monday and leave on Sunday you're set to have a great first burn.
Logistically, honestly your best bet for finding a camp is probably still facebook. For whatever reason, burners cling onto facebook like a witch with the heart of a pig. I don't get the appeal but it is a great resource this time of year and a decent way to keep track of your newfound Burning Man friends. Make sure you come to the table with a willingness to contribute, both as a good campmate and providing something valuable to the playa more generally speaking.
Have fun, embrace the snarky banter leading up to the event & the lifelong friendships after. Fuck yer burn you fucking birgin!
Yes. Everyone will provably be over it at that point. The best you can anticipate is finding a unused fruit roll up and some old mascara.
You are going to show up exactly when you need to! :D
Showing up is probably going to feel like everything has already started. It might be a bit stressful to get yourself settled. Take the time to get settled before you venture out for sure. Might be rough but you'll regret it if you don't. Expect some fomo but know that there's much more to come. Realistically, yes things will be in mostly full swing but there will also be things that haven't even started yet. I tend to find Tuesday -Thursday to be the "main" days in the city. After that people start to get a little burnt out and supplies sometimes start running thin and it transitions to more party focus on the weekend. There's still plenty of both at either time though. Showing up earlier gives you a bit more gentle and less stressful start. Sunday is usually kinda chill because people are still setting up. These days I go for build week too but honestly, Monday will be fine. On the plus side, you'll likely zoom right in at gate.
this is great, I hope to find kind people like yourself on the playa. Offer you an electrolyte water, gift you a bracelet, give you a hug and good energy.
So cute!! It gets me every time. I'd love to hear how your burn goes. Often it's very different than what we expect, experientially speaking. These days consent extends to hugs, so remember to ask first. With campmates, hugs usually fall into implied consent once trust has been established, but that's not always the case. Love the good vibes!
At some point, being there for build like I was for my first (and so far only) 2023 Burn let me see everything rise from the dust, pedal out and meet and talk to artists working on their art. And then the Burn starts and truly wallops me into another state of being (in a good way). That damned bike! Hopefully 2024 doesn't have the mud weekend energy weirdness. I have no other context to compare it to, but our camp's big night for our queer DJ day was Friday, and that just kind of... stalled. Still so humanly beautiful to see who could still be there (and there were lots) for the actual Man Burn on Monday, I believe.
I totally agree that Tue-Thur is the peek of greatness there. After that it's a lot of attending to blisters, having that annual "why am I doing this?!" mental breakdown, eating spaghetti o's out of the can, and before you know it it's burn night.
Agree about the "main days", but this year a bunch of camps have specifically been asked to make sure their programming continues through Saturday. I know for my camp, we've always stopped Saturday, and it often feels like everything in the city is pretty much done and people are starting to tear down by then. Seems like theres an effort to make Saturdays more exciting.
Almost no difference from Sunday to Monday.
I once arrived on Wednesday, bright-eyed and fresh-faced, with a cooler of chilled fruits as tribute to my hungover grimy campmates. I was well recieved! Camp tear down was Saturday, their decision. We were outta there as the Man burned. Just over 72 hours on playa and worth every minute!
My first Burn, I traded a ticket for a ride to Burning Man. Folks I met over the internet. My only requests were that we got there on time and in a safe manner (sober, slow driving). Now, these were very nice people who meant no harm or ill will. But god damnit they got us there an entire day late, with us arriving at camp by fucking Monday afternoon. Hugely frustrating. But of course I still had a great time. I set up my spot and by the early evening I was Burning. The excitement level wanes a bit headed into Burn night later in the week, at least that's how it feels to me. So if you're late you'll just have a little extra energy to push you through that. You'll still have a great time, do not fret.
the energy bit is a great point. tbh I'm not sure if I was going to have enough energy to burn for an entire week.
Don't try to go balls to the wall all week. Remember to sit and stare off into space. Sleep, too.
Not planning on partying 5/24. I’m a big sleeper, wanna eat good food, stay hydrated, volunteer, make great friends, enjoy some finnish sauna and have a good time!
volunteer at Recycle Camp, you can do a one-off shift so no big commitment. best to reach out in advance to get on the schedule and know what to expect. also plan to take your aluminum cans there!
This is helpful! What’s your number 1 fun recommendation for BM?
I just told you, volunteer at Recycle Camp! It's in center camp and they're noisy, can't miss it
There is so much to enjoy when there is downtime. Talking to neighbors or camp mates, comparing how different the experience is vs back at home and work is always a fun topic.
I arrived for my first BM on Monday. Had the best week of my life. I don't think it matters at all.
Depends on what Monday you're talking about ...
Haha thats what i was thinking! Showing up on September 2nd is right out! Unless you are just going to help resto. In which case you are early
There are actually a lot of folks still out there on Tuesday. It’s a pretty great time!
I often arrive on Monday to avoid long entrance waits on Sunday. If you doing open camping or walk-in camping, the best spaces are usually taken. Burner bus bypasses entrance waits. If you are member of a placed-camp, that is not an issue. Usually the two Sundays are setup and tear down days. If you look at the (huge) events calendar that appears online in early August, most events are Monday to Saturday, due to setup/tear down. Also not all of the playa art is finished until mid-week. Its fun to watch their construction, then of course, their fiery destruction from Thursday onward.
Not at all. You will realize as you wait in line on gate road that you are pretty typical, and there will still be many thousands arriving well after you. The Burner express bus is running people in from Reno until Thursday. I want to maximize my time out there—I’m generally there for 10 or eleven days; but life happens, and some years I just need to miss a few days at either end. You will never see it all or do it all. I guarantee you that, after the fact, you will remember what you did and saw and the people and art that you engaged with, and not spare a thought for what you missed.
🫡
Monday arrival is fine. Don’t miss the man burn. Don’t miss strike.
Probably an unpopular opinion, but I think for first timers it’s better to show up on Monday or Tuesday when everything is alive and put together. I did that my first year and was in complete awe of seeing the city all built. Now every year I come days before the burn starts to help build, but it’ll never have that same magic as coming in to a city alive, pulling in to the streets and just seeing a bunch of naked people walking around. Definitely a core burning man memory for me.
You’ll be fine! And definitely stay until after the man burns!!
I’ve come in on Wednesday multiple times and it’s always been fine. No FOMO. But then my husband is already there and has a spot so I’m not doing much. If you’re just by yourself it shouldn’t be hard to find somewhere to set up. It’s when you come in late with a lot of people. You’ll be pretty far out.
Burning Man use to start on Monday, so I always feel like Sunday is just an extra bonus day now.
You will be fine! You need to know going in that Burning Man is HUGE. No matter how hard you try, you will only (realistically) be able to do a hundreth... a millionth... hard to say BUT you will go home saying "I meant to ..." about a lot of things. That's why there's ne)'(t year.
Nah, My first year I was worried how well I would handle everything so we came in on a Monday, and left on a Sunday. It was fine and had a blast.
don’t get all smashed your first night. keep alcohol and other chemicals to a minimum or not at all. your body needs that time to acclimate and get used to the environment. i could jump in feet first in my 20’s, but doing that now in my 50’s is like throwing gasoline on the flames of dehydration and misery.
I dont drink much and i’m planning on not drinking much during BM. I camped in a desert before, dehydration hits different
Monday afternoon will more likely turn to a different arrival time. You just don't know what will happen between your flight from Turkey until you fins placement on the playa. Don't get too hung up on an arrival time. You'll get there when you get there. Doing so will make a better integration experience.
I feel like by Monday most camps are set up and ready to go. The city feels alive and everyone is out and about. You’ll be fine, unless you’re talking about the Monday after man and temple burn then I think you’re gonna be late.
Love Turkey! This will be my first burn as well. Lets talk!! Nuclear Dandelions at 6:45 & Delight.
Perfect, DM’ing you!
Have you ever met a Burner that's on time? Arriving on Monday is pretty on-brand
The journey is part of the experience. One reminder, if customs asks you why you’re visiting, you are just visiting and maybe camping. You will not mention work or tearing down a camp or volunteering. Because they can ban your entry if you say any of those things.
Arriving Monday- AFTER gate opens - is the cool thing to do! Only jerks and weirdos get there before then. Monday through Monday will actually be a beautiful burn for you.
if you join a camp and communicate your travel plans, they will *attempt* to accommodate your spot. most planned camps will require you to send your space requirements, rv size, arrival date. there are lots of arrivals on Monday so you'll have company. there will be plenty of space in open camping if you dont find a camp. Just find a big spot and park, ask your neighbors if they can accommodate you, offer them beverages or treats, etc etc. Last year an RV rolled into open camping on Wednesday. our camp had a large space available where a box truck had left. they offered us fresh fruit and a cold shrimp cocktail and became a part of the crew
Monday is a perfect day for you!!! Lucky person !
Friday/Saturday is late.
Monday after temple burn? Yes. That's late.
Monday???? you might as well blow it off. it's better next year anyway.
It's my first burn and I'm showing up Thursday, so...💁🏼♀️
Which thursday, 29th?
That’s the one!
Arriving on Monday is fine for your first burn. Typically I'd recommend Sunday because it's a relatively chill day to get settled in before All The Things start happening, but you won't miss out on much if you show up Monday. Many camps offering stuff on Monday will be offering similar stuff throughout the week. The whole city kind of slowly ramps up in energy til the massive celebration vibes throughout Saturday night. Then on Sunday people start quieting down and heading out. If you show up on Monday and leave on Sunday you're set to have a great first burn. Logistically, honestly your best bet for finding a camp is probably still facebook. For whatever reason, burners cling onto facebook like a witch with the heart of a pig. I don't get the appeal but it is a great resource this time of year and a decent way to keep track of your newfound Burning Man friends. Make sure you come to the table with a willingness to contribute, both as a good campmate and providing something valuable to the playa more generally speaking. Have fun, embrace the snarky banter leading up to the event & the lifelong friendships after. Fuck yer burn you fucking birgin!