If you haven’t heard yet, this year Center Camp is a giant rumpus room for dusty humanimals of all stripes and species to gather, play, and meet their neighbors.
Here is a calendar of planned events and activities coming to Center Camp in 2023. We’ll update it as new experiences come to light. The schedule is chock-a-block with celebrations, workshops, participatory experiences… and Burners serving tasty beverages.
Of course there will also be many spontaneous happenings and surprises. Which means YOU are also encouraged to show up, bring whatever it is you love to do, and share it with your dusty friends in the heart of Black Rock City.
Prefer to plan ahead? Fill out this form to tell us what you’re bringing to Center Camp, and to request resources that will help make it sparkle.
SUNDAY, AUGUST 27
7:00 pm – 11:00 pm: Center Camp Kick Off Party
MONDAY, AUGUST 28
9:00 am – 12:00 pm: Contact Improv Jam
11:00 am – 1:00 pm: Life Drawing
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Speaker Series
1:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Fofō Samoan Massage
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Happy Hour Drinks
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Playa Salon
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Evening Fun Drinks
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Church of Cannabis Light / Sound Healing
8:00 pm – 8:45 pm: The Stoned Ape Show — TED Talk + Comedy
10:00 pm – 12:00 am: Late Night Insane Drinks
10:15 pm – 11:00 pm: Word Play Cafe Game Show
TUESDAY, AUGUST 29
6:00 am – 7:30 am: Aranava Sunrise DJ Set
9:00 am – 11:00 am: Find Your Power Animal
11:00 am – 12:30 pm: Black Lives Matter R.I.D.E. Event
11:00 am – 1:00 pm: Life Drawing
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Speaker Series
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Learn Arm Wrestling
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Shitty Coffee and Good Scotch
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Shuffle Dance
4:10 pm – 5:00 pm: Laura Day — Epigenetics & Burning Man
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm: Playa’s Next Top Model
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Sweet Nothing
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Mini Manhattans (BYOC!)
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Evening Fun Drinks
7:30 pm – 8:30 pm: Sunset Intentional
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm: Genre Gathering
10:00 pm – 12:00 am: Late Night Insane Drinks
10:00 pm – 11:00 pm: Discoballs Deep — Neo-soul grooves to come dance and remember your groovy roots
11:30 pm – 1:00 am: Fusion/Blues Dance
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 30
8:00 am – 11:00 am: Moroccan Tea Service
11:00 am – 1:00 pm: Life Drawing
11:00 am – 11:35 am: 25 to Thrive: The Burning Man Regional Network Evolution Project
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Speaker Series
2:00 pm – 3:00 pm: Learn Arm Wrestling!
2:30 pm – 4 pm: Art Speaks! Speakeasy Stage — this is your chance to hear about the inspiration, challenges, mechanics and processes of creating art for the playa from a curated selection of artists and artist teams. You’ll hear from: Walker Babington (“Burden of the Beast”), Michael Garlington (“Babel”), and Mr & Mrs Ferguson (“Lincoln Bear”)
1:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Playa Matchmaking
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Happy Hour Drinks
4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Playa Salon
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Cacophony Society Cocktail Party — reviving a tradition from Burning Man’s early days, join the Cacophony Society for a formal dress cocktail party. BYOC!
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Body Painting
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Evening Fun Drinks
7:30 pm – 9:30 pm: Full Super Moon Rise Wolf Gathering — Furries and all wolf enthusiasts are encouraged to come howl
10:00 pm – 11:00 pm: Sweet Nothing
10:00 pm – 12:00 am: Late Night Insane Drinks
10:00 pm – 12:00 am: Whisky shots (BYOC!)
THURSDAY, AUGUST 31
9:20 am – 9:50 am: Poose the Puppet — Poose The Puppet performs skits/songs to find PURPOOSE
10:00 am – 10:45 am: The Ira Liss show, off-Broadway cabaret
11:00 am – 1:00 pm: Life Drawing
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Speaker Series
1:00 pm – 2:00 pm: Guided Meditation
2:00 pm – 3:15 pm: Leeway’s “Somebody Had to Build the Zoo” — How the DPW makes Black Rock City appear in the dust and disappear without a trace
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm: Art Speaks! Speakeasy Stage — This is your chance to hear about the inspiration, challenges, mechanics and processes of creating art for the playa from a curated selection of artists and artist teams. You’ll hear from: KJ Boheme & Stefan Spins (“Exquisite Animalus”), Mark Rivera (“Jbaro Soy”), and Alexia deFluff (“Conversation with a Squad”)
3:00 pm – 4:00 pm: Sweet Nothing
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Happy Hour Drinks
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Kinda Shitty But Ultimately Refreshing Instant Lemonade (BYOC!)
4:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Billion Bunny March to Protest Humanity! Get your bunny on and protest humans! Gather 4-6pm in Center Camp. We march at 6:00 pm sharp!
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm Gather for the Furry Furillion March — bring Nets and cages to capture Animal Control should they try to deny you your freedoms! We march at 6:00 pm!
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Playa’s Next Top Model
7:30 pm – 8:30 pm: People’s Fashion Show: Circus Animalia — open to All! Let your fashion animal out. Join us onstage to show off your playa finery! From nude to full costume, display your inner circus animal! To strut your stuff, meet behind the Big Stage at 7:00 pm.
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Evening Fun Drinks
8:30 pm – 9:30 pm: Arm Wrestling Tournament
10:00 pm – 12:00 am: Late Night Insane Drinks
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 1
6:00 am – 7:30 am: Aranava Sunrise DJ Set
11:00 am – 1:00 pm: Life Drawing
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Speaker Series
2:00 pm – 3:30 pm: Swag Swap — share your awesome swag with other Swaggers
2:30 pm – 4:00 pm: Art Speaks! Speakeasy Stage — This is your chance to hear about the inspiration, challenges, mechanics and processes of creating art for the playa from a curated selection of artists and artist teams. You’ll hear from: Ela Madej & Reed Finlay (“Temple of the Heart”), Zulu Heru & the Burger Boyz (“Farmer The Rigger”), and NiNo Alicea (“ATABEY’s Treasure”)
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Happy Hour Drinks
3:20 pm – 4:05 pm: Nonsense Man — Reality The Festival: a cure for “default” consciousness
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Playa Weddings
5:15 pm – 6:00 pm: Word Play Cafe Game Show
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Marching Band March-off — Marching Bands! Competition! Trophies! Come celebrate and vote for your favorite Marching Band!
6:00 pm – 7:00 pm: Sweet Nothing
6:30 pm – 7:30 pm: Running of the Bulls
7:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Hot Dog Camps!
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Evening Fun Drinks
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Parlor Tricks Industrial Ragtime Band
9:00 pm – 10:00 pm: Vote for Mayor of Black Rock City
10:00 pm – 12:00 am: Late Night Insane Drinks
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 2
12:00 am – 1:00 am: SHRED – Musical Performance not to be missed!
1:00 am – 2:30 am: Chris el Raton — Dj-ing the greatest Afro Beat and Organic House tunes
11:00 am – 1:00 pm: Life Drawing
12:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Speaker Series
12:00 pm – 1:00 pm: PlayaPops Symphony Orchestra — see a 50-piece orchestra play a mix of Stravinsky, Strauss, Pink Floyd and Journey. Many opportunities to sing along!
1:30 pm – 3:30 pm: Polaroids
3:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Happy Hour Drinks