Burning Man around the world: Nude dancers, neon fish and teapots on wheels are among bizarre highlights of 'radical' art events inspired by Nevada's desert showpiece

  • The counterculture art festival began in 1986 and now takes place annually in Nevada's Black Rock Desert
  • It has inspired similar events in Israel's Negev Desert and the Tankwa Karoo National Park in South Africa
  • The event prides itself on principles including 'radical self-expression' and 'radical inclusion'

Advertisement

These stunning pictures reveal the color and creativity of Burning Man festivals around the globe, inspired by the annual counterculture gathering in the Nevada desert. 

Photos show visitors at the artistic showpiece - which prides itself on 'radical self-expression' - posing nude in the desert, dressing in elaborate costumes and watching as sculptures of humans are set alight. 

Bizarre installations including a tottering complex of wooden towers, a collection of teapots on wheels and a giant motorized fish are also on display.   

Radical self-expression: A woman poses almost nude in the Nevada desert during the Burning Man festival
A male visitor wears huge goggles at the festival which began in California

Radical self-expression: A woman poses almost nude in the Nevada desert (left) while another visitor wears oversized goggles (right), during the Burning Man festival which encourages principles including 'radical self-expression' and 'radical inclusion'

Visitors: A group of mainly female guests poses in front of one of the installations at the Burning Man festival, which began in the United States and has inspired similar copycat events around the world 

Two nude dancers strike a pose in the Nevada desert
A visitor shows off his elaborate feathered costume

Counterculture: Two nude dancers strike a pose in the Nevada desert (left) while another man shows off his elaborate feathered costume (right) 

Long way from the sea: An electric motorized fish lights up the darkness in the Nevada desert as festival-goers climb aboard

Long way from the sea: An electric motorized fish lights up the darkness in the Nevada desert as festival-goers climb aboard

The burning man: A human figure inside a wheel is set alight in the desert as festival-goers watch and take pictures, in the ritual which gives the 33-year-old festival its name 

The burning man: A human figure inside a wheel is set alight in the desert as festival-goers watch and take pictures, in the ritual which gives the 33-year-old festival its name 

The first Burning Man celebration took place in 1986 in San Francisco, when artist Larry Harvey burned a 9ft wooden sculpture of a man on a beach to mark the summer solstice. 

In 1990 the festival moved to Nevada's Black Rock desert, where a steampunk city pops up every year, and has inspired copycat events around the world. 

The tribute festivals including Afrika Burn, held at Tankwa Karoo National Park in South Africa, and MidBurn in the Negev Desert in Israel. 

The week-long festival hosts some 70,000 people, who pay up to $1,200 for a ticket.  

Attendees are expected to abide by Burning Man's ten core principles, which included 'radical inclusion', 'radical self-reliance' and 'radical self-expression'.  

Stable? A temporary city pops up every year in Black Rock Desert in Nevada including these tottering wooden towers, as tens of thousands of guests attend the festival 

Stable? A temporary city pops up every year in Black Rock Desert in Nevada including these tottering wooden towers, as tens of thousands of guests attend the festival 

Creative: Festival-goers inspect one of the most bizarre installations, a set of oversized teapots on wheels and stilts

Creative: Festival-goers inspect one of the most bizarre installations, a set of oversized teapots on wheels and stilts

Sunset: The embers of a Burning Man festival in a South African national park - another of the events inspired by the original in Nevada - burn out under the sunset 

Sunset: The embers of a Burning Man festival in a South African national park - another of the events inspired by the original in Nevada - burn out under the sunset 

Fire and flame: A man in an extravagant head-dress walks by the fire while hundreds of people gather around to watch the ceremonial burning at Afrikaburn, in South Africa

Fire and flame: A man in an extravagant head-dress walks by the fire while hundreds of people gather around to watch the ceremonial burning at Afrikaburn, in South Africa

Bizarre: One of the unusual vehicles at a Burning Man festival, which appears to be producing flames  while people ride on it 

Bizarre: One of the unusual vehicles at a Burning Man festival, which appears to be producing flames  while people ride on it 

The collection of pictures was taken by Marek Musil, a Czech photographer who has traveled the globe attending radical arts festivals. 

'A few years ago I was living in New York and my flatmate was a regular visitor of Burning Man,' he said. 

'Since then I had a dream to see this crazy world for myself. After I came back from my first Burning Man in 2016, I found out that the burners' world is not only in the Nevada desert.

'The planet is full of burners and there are festivals everywhere. The biggest are in South Africa and in Israel. 

'So I thought three different continents, three different kinds of burners but the same philosophy everywhere - that would be the basis for my Burning Man Collection.'

Praising the concept of the event, he said: 'I think it could be a very simple model for a better life in today's society.

'You can see in my photos that it's a different world - dust and light, grains of sand. All mixed in with the positive atmosphere of freedom and tolerance.

'Crazy art cars and installations, lucky people from all over the world, cool costumes, dance, love, smiles, wine, breath-taking sunsets and bright early morning light.

'It is a big party where people like each other, everyone is friendly and open to new enjoyments.' 

Artistic: A man sits and eats food in front of an illuminated outline of a human head, with other festival-goers in tents nearby during the MidBurn event in Israel - one of the festivals inspired by Nevada's Burning Man extravaganza 

Artistic: A man sits and eats food in front of an illuminated outline of a human head, with other festival-goers in tents nearby during the MidBurn event in Israel - one of the festivals inspired by Nevada's Burning Man extravaganza 

Representation: The LGBTQ+ community makes itself known by waving huge flags at the Burning Man festival in Nevada 

Representation: The LGBTQ+ community makes itself known by waving huge flags at the Burning Man festival in Nevada 

Elaborate: Two festival-goers show off their decorative outfits, with one guest wearing a pair of goggles which look as though they are encrusted with jewels, while another has feathers in his hat 

Elaborate: Two festival-goers show off their decorative outfits, with one guest wearing a pair of goggles which look as though they are encrusted with jewels, while another has feathers in his hat 

Lots to see: A woman examines a huge pair of glasses, next to another pair decorated with many colors, which were a centerpiece of the Israeli Burning Man Festival

Lots to see: A woman examines a huge pair of glasses, next to another pair decorated with many colors, which were a centerpiece of the Israeli Burning Man Festival

Advertisement

Burning Man events around the world inspired by Nevada's showpiece

The comments below have not been moderated.

The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline.

What's This?

By posting your comment you agree to our house rules.