Burning Man is a week-long experimental community and arts festival held each year in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. Participants build a temporary city—Black Rock City—based on principles like radical self-expression, self-reliance, and communal effort. The event culminates in the burning of a large wooden effigy (“the Man”) and a separate Temple structure, both of which are central symbolic moments.

Art installations range from massive sculptures to immersive environments, often interactive and frequently illuminated at night. The desert setting—dark skies, dust, and open space—creates a striking backdrop for large-scale visual experiences.

Lasers at Burning Man

Lasers are a prominent part of the nighttime environment, used on art cars (“mutant vehicles”), in camps, and in standalone installations. These displays can include scanned beam effects, volumetric atmospherics enhanced by dust, and synchronized lighting elements.

Burning Man has banned handheld lasers since 2015, after a woman suffered serious eye injuries in 2014.

Laser use on mutant vehicles, theme camps, and art installations is rigidly controlled and regulated. The Burning Man laser use policy is here.