Imagine being serenaded by a dozen sequined cowboys while a 100ft neon daffodil trundles past in the distance. This is a typical moment at the Burning Man festival.
For eight days from the end of every August, Black Rock Desert in northern Nevada becomes a plain of artistic creativity. Some 50,000 participants, or Burners, arrive to build, dress, dance and sing as expressively as they can. The result could be a 10-tonne steel serpent or a musical car shaped like a giant fish. Most structures, including the eponymous Man figure, end the festival in flames.
Everyone is encouraged to rely on their own resources, participate fully in the experience, use no money and leave no trace behind.





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