Skip to content The idea of Burning Man can be enticing for those who aspire to a countercultural lifestyle. The yearly
weeklong festival in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert attracts some 70,000 individuals, on average. Many of
them are intent on forgetting the outside world for a while and basking in the glow of the nightly
campfires and the much larger conflagration that takes place during the event’s culmination on Saturday
night, when the Man burns.
Adults who want to let their freak flag fly do so at their peril. Many years, someone dies at Burning Man,
a victim of desert exposure or misadventure. In 2026, the death count was three, tripling the yearly
average.
It makes sense when you think about it. Combine harsh desert conditions with drug use, vehicles that
aren’t street legal, and performative fire displays, and injuries and deaths are practically unavoidable.
However, the one thing you can say about the adults who go is that they presumably do so
understanding the risks. They’re of age, and they know the potential consequences of their actions. But
what about the minors who attend Burning Man every year?
Underage Children Are Brought to a Dangerous Environment
It would be one thing if Burning Man only allowed adults to attend. There’s evidence that the festival
harms the environment, but setting that aside for the moment, if the event were adults-only, those who
attended could do so knowing that if they were injured or killed, they willingly put themselves in a
position where that could happen.
The reality, though, is that children are allowed to attend Burning Man. They are generally meant to
spend time at Kidsville Camp, a section of Black Rock City that is described as family-focused and kid-
friendly.
In a sense, it’s admirable that Burning Man is at least attempting to sequester children in a designated
section of the event where they will not bear witness to widespread debauchery and drug use. Kidsville
Camp is also subject to vehicle restrictions, as cars are generally prohibited from driving through it.
Adult supervision is required, so kids have less chance of getting into trouble, at least in theory.
Burning Man Isn’t a Safe Environment for Kids, Period
Here’s the thing: while a setup like Kidsville Camp is better than nothing, a far better solution would be
not to let anyone under 18 attend Burning Man at all. Yes, a child’s parent, guardian, or babysitter is
supposed to watch over them while they’re there, but the fact that they’re on the playa at all is
inherently problematic.
Adults accept that they’ll be at the mercy of the glaring sun, and that they’re at risk of inhaling the
alkaline dust kicked up by foot traffic and the many heavy vehicles that frequently go thundering past. A
child can’t consent to any of that. Grownups bring them to this event, exhibiting callous disregard for
the welfare of their kids.
Prohibiting Children from Attending Burning Man is Sensible
Trying to keep kids away from the more troubling aspects of Burning Man isn’t enough, so why do event
organizers and parents let them come? There’s one potential answer to that question, and it’s a
worrying one.
It could be argued that at least some kids are brought to Burning Man at a young age for indoctrination.
It’s like bringing children to houses of worship when they are too young to consent to such activities.
If you baptize kids in the faith when they’re too young to understand what’s happening, then you’re
involving them in a situation before they realize the full implications of what it means. It would be nice
to think of Kidsville as a fun picnic where children can run around without a care in the world, but if a
depraved orgy and rampant drug use are happening nearby, the whole picture takes on a much more
sinister aspect.
It would be much more sensible to have a firm “no children” policy at Burning Man. Sadly, though, that’s
not what this event is about. The younger generation must be schooled in their parents’ ways so that
one day they will hold similar values, and that’s despicable.