Perspectives on Burning Man

Reasons for Going to Black Rock City This Year*

Error bars indicate the upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals.

* Participants selected up to three options.

** The exact wording of the answer option in the online survey was, "To be with friends or like-minded people / feel a sense of belonging."

*** The exact wording of the answer option in the online survey was, "To satisfy my curiosity / check it off my 'bucket list.'"

	2015			2016			2017			2018
	Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %
To Feel a Sense of Belonging**	58.2	1.2		59.2	1.4		57.7	1.6		62.1	1.4
To See/Experience the Art	56.7	1.2		62.5	1.4		54.1	1.6		61.4	1.4
To Play and Experience Freedom	44.0	1.2		39.7	1.4		43.1	1.6		42.8	1.4
To Escape the World for a Time	32.7	1.2		28.8	1.4		34.9	1.6		27.9	1.2
To Grow or Connect Spiritually	23.6	1.0		21.6	1.2		20.6	1.4		22.0	1.2
To Create/Work on a Project	13.7	0.8		12.0	0.8		13.3	1.0		14.9	0.8
To Meet People Who Are Different from Me	11.2	0.8		13.5	1.0		12.3	1.2		11.4	0.8
To Express Myself	9.0	0.8		9.3	0.8		8.7	1.0		9.6	0.8
To Experience Gifting and Decommodification	10.2	0.8		8.7	0.8		9.5	1.0		8.2	0.8
To Satisfy My Curiosity***	8.4	0.8		10.2	1.0		10.4	1.2		8.2	0.8
To Rely on Myself and Practice Useful Skills	9.3	0.8		7.5	0.8		8.3	0.8		7.9	0.8
To Consume Intoxicants	4.0	0.6		3.7	0.6		4.8	0.8		3.9	0.6
To Perform and Practice Artistic Skills	3.3	0.4		2.3	0.4		3.3	0.6		3.1	0.4
To Satisfy Someone Else’s Wish That I Be There	3.1	0.4		2.7	0.4		3.5	0.6		2.8	0.4

Evaluation of Intent to Return to Black Rock City in the Future

Error bars indicate the upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals.

	2013			2014			2015			2016			2017			2018
	Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %
Absolutely	76.1	0.8		78.2	1.0		75.3	1.0		76.8	1.2		75.7	1.4		78.9	1.2
Probably	17.4	0.8		15.8	0.8		18.4	1.0		17.6	1.2		17.6	1.2		17.2	1.0
Not Sure	4.9	0.4		4.6	0.4		4.8	0.6		3.8	0.6		4.6	0.6		3.0	0.4
Probably Not	1.4	0.2		1.0	0.2		1.3	0.2		1.5	0.4		1.6	0.4		0.8	0.2
Absolutely Not	0.2	0.0		0.3	0.2		0.2	0.0		0.4	0.2		0.5	0.2		0.2	0.2

Error bars indicate the upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals.

	2016			2017			2018
	Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %
No	4.1	0.6		3.8	0.4		3.8	0.4
Sort Of	23.4	1.2		22.7	1.0		21.4	1.0
Yes	72.5	1.2		73.5	1.2		74.7	1.0

Attendance at Regional Events/Mixers/Gatherings

Error bars indicate the upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals.

	2013			2014			2015			2016			2017			2018
	Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %
No	35.5	1.0		32.2	1.0		35.3	1.0		38.5	1.4		39.0	1.2		37.0	1.2
Yes, at Least One	35.3	1.0		37.0	1.0		32.9	1.0		32.3	1.2		29.8	1.0		31.5	1.0
No, but on Email List	16.9	0.8		16.4	0.8		19.8	0.8		18.2	1.0		17.4	0.8		18.0	1.0
Yes, and Volunteered	12.4	0.6		14.4	0.8		12.0	0.8		11.1	0.8		13.7	0.8		13.6	0.8

Regional Burning Man Event Involvement*

Error bars indicate the upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals.

* Responses reported here are from participants who indicated having volunteered with at least one regional Burning Man event/gathering/mixer. Participants selected all option(s) that applied.

	2015			2016			2017			2018
	Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %
Theme Camp	6.5	0.6		5.9	0.6		7.7	0.6		7.6	0.6
Production	6.1	0.6		5.6	0.6		6.9	0.6		6.5	0.6
Art Project	5.1	0.4		4.0	0.4		5.3	0.4		5.3	0.6
Other	3.4	0.4		4.0	0.6		5.0	0.4		4.4	0.4
Performance	2.9	0.4		2.4	0.4		3.1	0.4		2.7	0.4
Vendor	0.1	0.0		0.3	0.2		0.2	0.2		0.2	0.0

Evaluation of Whether the Burning Man Organization Should Be Involved in Facilitating and Producing Year-Round Activities

Error bars indicate the upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals.

	2015			2016			2017			2018
	Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %
Yes	51.6	1.2		64.4	1.4		62.0	1.2		61.3	1.2
No	19.3	1.0		14.8	1.0		15.9	1.0		16.6	1.0
Don’t Care	29.1	1.0		20.8	1.2		22.1	1.0		22.1	1.0

Familiarity with Programs and Affiliates of the Nonprofit Burning Man Program

Error bars indicate the upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals.

* "Black Rock Labs" was listed in as "Black Rock Solar" in the 2015-17 online surveys.

** "Fly Ranch Project" and "Burning Man Fellows Program" were first provided as answer options in the 2018 online survey.

	2015			2016			2017			2018
	Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %		Percent	MoE +/- %
Burners Without Borders
Not Familiar	13.4	0.8		15.0	1.0		13.4	0.8		11.8	0.8
Heard of It	37.5	1.2		38.8	1.4		32.5	1.2		35.6	1.2
Familiar with It	49.0	1.2		46.3	1.4		54.0	1.2		52.6	1.2
Burning Man Arts
Not Familiar	25.5	1.0		30.0	1.4		29.9	1.2		25.2	1.0
Heard of It	33.8	1.0		33.3	1.4		32.0	1.0		33.7	1.2
Familiar with It	40.7	1.2		36.7	1.4		38.1	1.2		41.1	1.2
Burning Man Regional Network
Not Familiar	22.7	1.0		25.5	1.2		28.3	1.0		28.5	1.2
Heard of It	35.0	1.2		36.9	1.4		34.9	1.2		35.3	1.2
Familiar with It	42.4	1.2		37.6	1.4		36.8	1.2		36.2	1.2
Fly Ranch Project**
Not Familiar	NA	NA		NA	NA		NA	NA		41.9	1.2
Heard of It	NA	NA		NA	NA		NA	NA		27.0	1.0
Familiar with It	NA	NA		NA	NA		NA	NA		31.1	1.0
Black Rock Labs*
Not Familiar	39.0	1.2		47.8	1.4		52.1	1.2		57.1	1.2
Heard of It	26.1	1.0		24.5	1.2		21.8	1.0		23.7	1.0
Familiar with It	35.0	1.2		27.7	1.2		26.2	1.0		19.2	1.0
Burning Man Fellows Program**
Not Familiar	NA	NA		NA	NA		NA	NA		81.7	1.0
Heard of It	NA	NA		NA	NA		NA	NA		14.0	0.8
Familiar with It	NA	NA		NA	NA		NA	NA		4.3	0.4

If You Were Given $1,000 to Donate to Programs of the Burning Man Project, How Would You Want it to be Distributed*?

Error bars indicate the upper and lower bounds of the 95% confidence intervals.

* Participants were asked to provide a dollar amount for each option provided, up to $1,000 total across all options.

	2018
	Total (USD)	MoE +/- %
Disaster relief and local community building initiatives	16.6	0.6
BRC art	15.9	0.6
BRC planning and infrastructure	14.9	0.6
BRC low income ticket program	13.8	0.6
Placing large interactive art in public places in the U.S.	13.4	0.4
Placing large interactive art in public places abroad	8.0	0.4
Supporting the Burning Man regional network in my local community	6.5	0.4
BRC multimedia (audio, photo, video) projects	5.9	0.4
Supporting Burning Man Project’s Fellowship Program	3.3	0.2
Other	1.7	0.2

BRC Census has included similar questions in past years’ online survey, but the question was revised in 2018 so past responses are not directly comparable.