Experience the Scale—Burning Man from a Bird's Eye View and More (21 Photos)

Winds up to 60 km/h, dust, and giant insects—none of this could stop those who came to the Burning Man festival this year. And judging by these aerial photos, there were a LOT of them. Sprawling in a huge semicircle across the Nevada desert, Black Rock City, as it's known, hosted 65,000 people who lived and partied there for seven days. This gigantic city boasts its own movie theater, clubs, temples and churches, bus service, and even an airport. After the festival, it will be dismantled and await its moment of glory next year.





Source: dailymail.co.uk

1. Although up close the city appears to be nothing more than a chaotic cluster of vans, from a distance it all looks like a neat, carefully organized semicircle.

2. By the way, each horizontal road has a name—from the Esplanade, the internal road before the first block of camps, to Laffing Sal, the road behind the last block.



3. The vertical "streets" are named after the positions they occupy on the clock. For example, 6:00 is in the very center, 10:00 is on the left, and 2:00 is on the right. In the very center, in an empty space, stands the Man—the sculpture after which the festival is named. It's set ablaze on the last day.



4. The camp in 1997 was the first and only one outside the Black Rock Desert due to planning issues. It was square. The rounded edges were added the following year.



5. At first, the city occupied only half the circle and housed only 9,000 people at five intersections. Today, it houses 65,000 at 15 intersections, occupying more than two-thirds of the circle.



6. The festival takes place in the desert, where no one bothers tourists for seven days... except for dust storms.



7. But seasoned partygoers can't be fooled: they've long come to the festival fully equipped, complete with goggles and masks.



8. This year's theme is "Festival of Mirrors," which is why you'll find numerous mirror installations throughout the camp.



9. In the very center of the camp stands a sculpture of the Man, which will be burned at the end of the week-long celebration.



10. In addition to the Man, the center of the camp contains many sculptures that are also scheduled for burning.



11. Each year, the festival has a theme.



12. Money is illegal here, so guests barter for goods, and many fans have tried to "buy" festival tickets with various treasures, such as crystals. The camp is temporary, so guests must bring everything they need—from food and tents to furniture.



13. Partygoers gathered in front of the "Robot Heart" sound system to enjoy the music.



14. There's plenty to do around the camp. For example, riding on a swing.



15. Art installation "Totems of Repentance." Festival participants are asked to write their repentance on pieces of paper, which are attached to the inside of the tower... and then burned along with it.



16. Some sculptures are movable, like this one by El Pulpo Mecanico.



17. The skeleton of a snake named Mother Snake bristles with fire.



18. Some installations are interactive, like this skeleton, which can wave its arms and legs like a puppet.



19. A game of skeeball.



20. The festival's main sculpture, set against the backdrop of the moon in the middle of the Nevada desert, awaits its burning.