If you’d like to be considered for an opportunity to receive a reserved camping spot for your camp or village in Black Rock City, this page is for you! On here, you’ll learn about the placement process required forms to complete in order to participate, and what we’re looking for when you apply. This process is facilitated by a fabulous set of volunteers on the Placement Team.
Placed Camp Questionnaire
Placement Timeline
Camp Placement Criteria
Camp Types and Categories
Camp Standing
Statement of Intent
Post-playa Report
Camp Support
Placed Camp Questionnaire
All camps desiring placement in Black Rock City must fill out the Placed Camp Questionnaire (PCQ), which goes live typically in February and closes at 12 pm Pacific Time on the last Thursday of March for all new and returning theme camps, villages, and camps within a village no matter what type. All art, mutant vehicle, and work support camps can submit the questionnaire until 12 pm Pacific Time on the second to last Thursday in April. Camp types and categories are described in a couple sections below. See Burner Profiles for exact dates in a specific year. The questionnaire is completed within Burner Profiles.
The PCQ is completed by a single lead for a camp/village who acts as the main point of contact for the camp/village with the Placement team. The PCQ asks for descriptions about camp size, interactivity, infrastructure, fire safety, acculturation, leave no trace, and other important aspects of the camp.
Additionally, a Statement of Intent is also required for returning theme camps and villages seeking access to the Stewards Sale to submit in mid-January. A small set of tickets may also be offered to new camps after the PCQ is reviewed.
Placement Timeline
- November: Statement of Intent opens for returning theme camps and villages in your Burner Profile
- January: Camp Standing announced to previous year placed theme camps/villages
- Mid-January: Statement of Intent due at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 7pm GMT
- February: Stewards Sale ticket allocations provided to camp leads of returning theme camps and villages
- February: Form opens in Burner Profiles for Camp Leads from returning camps to distribute Stewards Sale ticket access
- Late February: Placed Camp Questionnaire opens for all camps in Burner Profiles
- Last Thursday in March: Placed Camp Questionnaire for new and returning theme camps, villages, and camps within a village due at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 7pm GMT
- Second-to-last Thursday in April: Placed Camp Questionnaire for all support camps due at 12pm PT / 3pm ET / 7pm GMT
- March and April: Placement team reviews each questionnaire we receive
- May: Placement team creates the map of Black Rock City
- June: Final Placement decisions and addresses announced
- June: Tickets allocated to new theme camps
- July: Placement team announces neighbors
- July: Work Access Pass numbers are finalized
- August: Work Access Passes emailed to placed theme camps/villages
- September: Post-playa Report opens
- October: Post-playa Report due
Camp Placement Criteria
Camps are offered reserved placement after meeting a set of criteria that we expect as valued citizens of Black Rock City. Camps receiving placement are expected to be good neighbors, reflect the culture and values that stem from Burning Man’s 10 Principles, operate safely, respect the land and leave no trace, and be self-reliant.
Returning theme camps and villages are additionally offered placement and potential access to Stewards Sale Tickets if they meet criteria to be interactive, have visual impact, and provide unique offerings. Please review the Camp Placement Criteria in its entirety to understand the full set of expectations. Each criterion includes a detailed explanation of what we encourage your camp to strive for (Here’s What We Hope To See), as well as the things we consider when determining your camp standing (Here’s What We’ll Look For).
Camp Types and Categories
Most placed camps in Black Rock City are theme camps, but there are other types of placed camps, too. When you fill out the Placed Camp Questionnaire through the BRC Participation Page of Burner Profiles, you will be asked to choose the appropriate category for your camp. Here’s a quick run-down of camp categories, and please see the Placed Camp Types page for more details about expectations.
- Theme camps began in 1995 and have become the way the majority of people camp and participate in Black Rock City.
- Villages are groups of two or more theme camps containing a minimum of 38 to 50 people.
- Art support camps support registered art installations on the playa.
- Mutant vehicle camps support registered mutant vehicles and are subject to size limitations.
There are also Burning Man Project Department and work support camps for staff helping to keep BRC city safe and running.
Camp Standing
After Black Rock City has become dust once again, the Placement Team collects feedback about all camps (including mutant vehicle camps and art support camps) and determines their standing. Camps are either in good standing, limited standing, or not in good standing each year.
Your camp standing will impact things like Stewards Sale ticket allocations as well as your ability to be placed in the following year. Placed theme camps and villages must be in good standing and complete a Statement of Intent (see below) in order to receive access to Stewards Sale tickets the following year. If a camp is not in good standing, they will not be invited to the Stewards ticket sale and may not receive future placement. If a camp is in limited standing, they may receive between 25-75% of their otherwise allotted Stewards tickets.
If a mutant vehicle camp or art support camp is in limited or not in good standing with the Placement Team based on the criteria to be in good standing, Placement will share the camp’s standing and their Stewards recommendation (if eligible) with the DMV or Art Department.
For detailed information about how Standings are determined, please review this page.
Statement of Intent (SOI)
Since 2022, Placement requires returning theme camps and villages that are in good standing to submit a Statement of Intent (SOI) in order to receive Stewards Sale ticket allocations for the upcoming year. Camps and villages are not guaranteed tickets each year and allocation quantities may vary year-to-year.
Village mayors should complete this on behalf of all the camps within their village, and camps within villages should not complete this individually as you would a Placed Camp Questionnaire. The SOI gives camps/villages a chance to tell us their preliminary plans for size and interactivity.
Theme camps and villages who have not been placed within the last 3 event cycles or are not in good standing should not complete the SOI. Support camps including art support, mutant vehicle support, and work support camps must contact their respective departments to inquire about Stewards Sale allocations for their groups. We’ve prepared this nifty FAQ if you have more questions about the SOI.
Post-playa Report
The Post-playa Report is the final step in the Placement process for camps – a way for them to tell Placement about how the burn went for their camp. The report to Placement is critical in improving our understanding of what happens on the ground and helping make Black Rock City even more vibrant in following years. Data collected from the Post-playa Report is also shared with camps for their use in self-improvement. Photos of a camp’s daytime and nighttime frontage and interactivity is one of the most helpful elements we’ll request, so make sure to document your camp!
Completing this report is required to remain in good standing with Placement and to be eligible for future placement in Black Rock City.
Camp Support
If you have questions regarding camp placement, first read through the Camps and Placement section of the website, check the FAQ, and you can always email placement@burningman.org.
If you have questions on how to make your camp amazing or handle a challenge within your camp, check out the offerings of the Camp Support Team and read the Camp Resource Guide.
Thank you for creating a theme camp or village for Black Rock City!