Submit your proposal for the 2026 Temple from October 1 through October 31, 2025!
In the spirit of streamlining and giving artists more time to plan and build, we are experimenting with a simplified application process for 2026. There is no longer an application form, and we’ve streamlined the information we request.
Temple of the Heart by Ela Madej and Reed Finlay, 2023 (Photo by Rand Larson)
The Temple is an ephemeral structure created annually at the Burning Man event in Black Rock City. It serves as a sacred, communal space for contemplation, reflection, celebration and remembrance, before its ceremonial burning at the culmination of the event. We invite you to learn more about the Temple History and Meaning to understand the significance of this community tradition.
Each year, the Burning Man Art Department selects a Temple design to be built in Black Rock City, and provides a grant to the artist via the Temple Grant Program to partially fund its construction and installation.
Temple Design Considerations
While we like for each Temple to have its own unique characteristics, there are a few things that we look for in a successful proposal:
Visual appeal
Adequate niches or smaller spaces for participants to place small offerings, plus sufficient wall space for written and hanging offerings
Protection from the elements at ground level so the wind doesn’t blow offerings away
A central gathering place, possibly with smaller alcoves for more private reflection
Multiple entrances/exits
A design that incorporates ways for unskilled volunteers to contribute creatively in meaningful ways
While not required, we do suggest including some kind of fence, enclosure, or markings to:
Keep bikes out
Hold mutant vehicles at a distance
Signal to participants that they are entering a reflective, quiet space
A design that is not based on a particular religion, belief, or theme, as the Temple is meant to be inclusive for all Black Rock City citizens
In the spirit of sustainability, we are especially interested in moderately scaled designs; bigger isn’t better
Eligibility and Requirements
The lead artist(s) of the Temple must have been to Black Rock City at least once and they must have participated in building something while there, preferably a relatively large or complex project. The environment and culture in BRC is unlike anywhere else, and having build experience on playa will ensure greater success for the Temple artist and crew. Ideally the lead artist will also have significant experience leading a team and fundraising.
A. For the 2026 Temple, you are invited to email us your proposal starting on October 1, 2025. We have simplified the application process: there is no longer a lengthy application form, and we’ve streamlined the amount of information we request. Please submit your proposal as a PDF via email to templegrant@burningman.org. Submissions will be accepted through October 31, 2025. Details about what to include in your proposal are outlined on the How to Submit a Temple Grant Proposalpage.
A. The selection is made by an art grant committee that has a long history of being involved with Burning Man Arts’ annual grant cycles and award processes. This committee has extensive personal experience in creating and managing art on playa, particularly the Temple.
The committee reads and discusses every submission. There may be follow up questions or additional information that the committee may request before making a final decision.
We look for designs with strong visual appeal that meet the criteria and can feasibly be built in a short time frame. We appreciate proposals that include well-crafted images that give us a good idea of the proposed concept. And in the spirit of sustainability, we are interested in moderately scaled designs; bigger isn’t better.
Because we partner so closely with the lead artist, and because this project is as much about community as about construction, we’re especially interested in selecting someone with integrity whose values are aligned with our culture, who possesses a balance of leadership skills and humility, and who is motivated by offering a gift to the community. We check references and conduct interviews with a short list of finalists before making a decision.
A. Burning Man Project awards $150,000 for the Temple Grant. We understand that this is only a portion of the total project cost. It is important to think through your expenses so that you propose a design that is feasible because Temple artists are responsible for fundraising for all expenses beyond the grant award amount.
A. We no longer require you to submit a fully detailed budget with your proposal. However we recommend you do some preliminary budgeting so you understand the scale of what you’re proposing to undertake. We may request, with some time for you to prepare, a rough budget in November.
When thinking about your overall budget, the grant funds are meant to cover particular expense categories, as detailed below. While we only award funds for particular expense categories, all of your expenses can and should be considered a part of your total cost when calculating your budget.
Eligible for Grant Funding
Materials and supplies, including tools, consumables, hardware, fuel, and Leave No Trace supplies
Transportation of your materials and supplies to and from the playa
Specialty services such as welding, laser cutting, etc.
A. In addition to funding $150,000 of the project costs, Burning Man Project provides the Temple team with up to $15,000 of on-playa resources such as decomposed granite, fire wood, and potable water. We also provide the use of a 500-gallon potable water tank and a 250-gallon grey water tank plus pumping services for that tank. In addition, Burning Man Project may offer the use of a large solar shade structure capable of powering a moderate light design for the Temple; this is subject to additional requirements such as abstaining from using fuel-powered generators for the build on playa.
These resources are unique to the Temple as a municipal structure and not transferable or typically available for regular Honoraria art projects. The Temple crew will also get placement for their art support camp after they submit the art support camp registration form through the Placement team.
A. Given the scale of the Temple project, our Art Support Services (ASS) and Heavy Equipment and Transportation (HEaT) teams are available to assist with heavy equipment, if needed. Typically this includes crane support, as well as equipment such as VRs, scissor lifts, and boom lifts. Don’t worry if you don’t know exactly what equipment you might need; we work closely with artists to identify what equipment works best and what’s available. In recent years, the Temple crew has typically brought their own rented equipment such as one or two telehandlers (VRs) and a skid steer to augment the heavy equipment support they receive from HEaT.
A. Burning Man Project does not require insurance. However, some artists have sought to obtain insurance to cover their work on playa. If your proposal is selected, we can connect you with previous Temple artists to learn how they managed this.
A. The Temple crew is allowed to build on-site for up to 15 days before the event begins. Please see Significant Dates on the What to Expect page for details.
A. Building the Temple is a communal effort. Please anticipate that your Temple crew will not only be comprised of professional artists and builders, but also citizens of Black Rock City who have very limited previous building experience. One of Burning Man’s 10 Principles is radical inclusion; we welcome and respect newcomers. It is important to honor this principle when assembling your crew. It is also important to integrate elements into the design such that unskilled workers can make meaningful creative contributions to the build.
A. While engineered and glue-laminated wood have excellent strength and may be useful in larger structures like the Temple, they are designed to be fire-resistant. Through experience, we have found that these types of beams can end up mostly unburned, remaining upright long after the rest of the materials have burned. As a result, the perimeter needs to be held for as long as it takes for the unburned sections to be made safe. It may be possible to use these types of wood in limited horizontal runs but this must be discussed with the Fire Art Safety Team (FAST) early in your design work and before those designs are finalized.
A. Over the years we have found a short list of materials that create excessive embers and floating burning materials when burned. These loose sources of unintended ignition can cause issues for participants and mutant vehicles at the burn perimeter as well as nearby art projects.
A. No, Burning Man’s in-house pyro team will make sure it burns quickly and evenly. This team will meet with you early in your planning to make sure the Temple is built in a way that can be burned and collapsed in a predictable and safe manner. Your help will be needed early Sunday to strike the non-burnables and to help place the additional firewood.
A. Leaving No Trace is one of the 10 Principles of Burning Man. Our community respects the environment and we are committed to leaving no physical trace of our activities wherever we gather. We clean up after ourselves and endeavor, whenever possible, to leave places in a better state than when we found them. Because Leaving No Trace is an integral value in our community, you and your crew will be responsible for fully cleaning the Temple site of all debris and ashes after the burn. You will need to identify an LNT Lead and, if you are selected as the Temple artist, you will also need to submit an LNT plan. Please read this page for general information on LNT for Black Rock City artists before writing your LNT plan.
A. After fully reading the FAQs and other Temple grant program materials on this website, you can send any other questions to us via templegrant@burningman.org.
