For those who don't know, Burning Man is an event in the Nevada desert the week before Labor Day. It's a lot of things but don't call it a festival unless you want to debate with a bunch of burners over the meaning of "festival".
It's a temporary city for people from all walks of life to explore new things. Art in all forms including music, sculpture, food, and even the erotic can be found there.
Burning Man offers a unique opportunity for individuals to explore their kinks and fetishes in a nonjudgemental, sex-positive, and educational environment. There are few places outside of a kink convention that offer such a wide variety of ways to learn and practice kink fairly openly. There are dozens of theme camps that have classes, demonstrations, or entertainment with a fetish or kink theme. the purpose of this blog isn't to explain what Burning Man is and isn't. You can find many articles by doing a quick search. For sure, do your research on what you will have in store given the harsh desert environment.
It's safe to say you can find most kinks of interest to a wide variety of people. Suspension? Yes! BDSM dungeon? Yes! Spankings? As many as you want or need! There is even a camp for the Furry's.
First, let's take a look at the different theme camps that have at least some kink offerings. This list is not a complete listing of every camp with kink nor is it necessarily accurate for the current year. some camps may take a year off and there may be new camps that come in that I don't know of yet. I'll update the list as needed.
Retrofrolic: With over 2000 square feet of dungeon space, it's one of the larger kink camps. they have intro classes on dungeon play, impact play, electro-stim play, sex swings, and much more. Near and dear to my heart. It's where you will find me as a camp member. A consent-safe camp and LGBTQ+ positive space.
Suspended Animation: Specializing in erotic rope bondage and suspension play. Take a ride on their suspension swing or enjoy a workshop.
Playfully Yours: Playfully Yours has been around for a while and they know what they are doing. Classes, workshops, and a well-equipped dungeon space will keep you coming back.
Orgy Dome: Part of the And Then There's Only Love... village. If you are a bit of an exhibitionist and enjoy having sex in a relatively dust-free tent with others, then check out the orgy dome. It's one of the most famous and infamous camps at Burning Man. No, it's not really a dome anymore. The line to get in can be pretty long at times. Yes, you will need a partner and they need to be enthusiastically willing to have sex with others around. Despite the name, there aren't many orgy-like activities going on most of the time. Most sexual activity is between consenting couples or possibly some threesome or moresomes going on. There is an open area where everyone is visible doing various sex acts. If you prefer a bit of privacy, they have curtained-off areas for those not into the exhibitionism. To keep it as dust-free as possible, they require you to be nude going in the main tent. They provide space for belongings, condoms, and clean sheets.
Bad Boy's Discover Your Kinks Camp: A smaller kink camp where you can take a quiz to discover your kinks, get some education on them, and even try them out in their dungeon room.
Grilled Cheese Experiment: There's no dungeon and they don't necessarily consider themselves a kink camp. They do, however, serve some tasty grilled cheese sandwiches and give some talks on kink subjects. A kink and sex-positive camp.
Mas Komodo Dragon: They have some fun and kinky workshops. You will have to find their listings online to see what and when they are offering kink workshops. No dungeon that I know of.
MASSochists: They offer kink education and have a Boston-themed dungeon space for your kinky needs. I have no idea what "Boston-themed" means but check them out if you find them and let me know!
Pandemonium: I'm not sure if they have dungeon space but they offer kink classes and demos.
Sex AF: Kink positive workshops but I don't believe they have a dungeon.
!knot!: As the name implies, they specialize in rope bondage. Workshops, suspensions, and a dungeon of unknown quality are offered.
Dante's InFURno: Here's your camp for furries. It's probably best to wear your furry outfits after sunrise unless you want heat stroke. I believe they have a variety of fun dance parties and a stripper pole.
Down Low Club: They list an air-conditioned erotic play space for adult male-identified individuals. I'm guessing something similar to the orgy dome for gay men. I don't know much about this camp, however.
Saints & Sinners: Later in the day, they have adult-themed presentations from what I understand. The sinners come out at night I guess.
Beaverton: LGBTQIA+ safe space with educational classes, and workshops. They are not considered a kink camp but have kink and sex-positive offerings.
Brulee: Sexy Cabaret, erotic circus. Not a kink camp but fun sexy entertainment is offered nightly.
Camp Shameless: I'm not sure they have a dungeon space but they do promise a BDSM-friendly, sex-positive experience.
Comfort and Joy: They offer sex-positive classes and have a playspace for your enjoyment.
PolyParadise: PolyParadise isn't a kink camp but they offer education on polyamorous relationships. Not swinging but loving relationships with multiple ethically consensual individuals. If you are feeling dusty and want a unique experience, they offer the famous human carcass wash where people take turns showering each other in a non-sexual environment.
Eroticamp - They offer professional nude photography. Pose with your favorite fetish gear or pose in a favorite porn position. They are very good at helping people look their absolute sexy best. You get the photos sent electronically after the burn from what I understand.
Spanky's Wine Bar: Wine with a hefty offering of spankings. Spanky's has been around a while and is a favorite among the kink-positive burners.
Scarbutt's Cafe: Not to be confused with Starbuck's. If it's too early for wine, you can get your spankings with your morning coffee. I believe they offer pancakes as well if you are early enough.
Orgy Bus Camp: Basically like the orgy dome on wheels. Poly play parties can be had but I'm not sure how you get invited or how they operate.
Other camps that offer at least some kinky stuff:
Still Saturday?
Yes, Please
The Okay Hole
The Spanktuary
The FAQ's
How do you find a specific theme camp?
If you score a ticket to Burning Man and want to find a camp, they come out with a guide that shows all the events, who is offering them, and where to find them. The online version is called Playa Events and comes out mid-summer. You can browse prior years to get an idea of what camps normally offer. It is searchable by camp or keywords. Use the online version before the burn to search and organize what and where you want to visit throughout the week. They provide a guide with some listings in a book version when you get to the gate. The book version only has a very small sample of the offerings, however. When you find a camp you want to visit, you will need to find their address where you can find it. There is of course a theme camp listing with addresses that will be available later in the summer. You will need to educate yourself on how the streets are laid out and the best way to navigate them. There are apps that will be very useful. The first is "iBurn". It lists Art, Camps, and a map of the city. Download it before the Burn as cell phones are mostly nonfunctional once you are there. It will show your location on Playa as well if you are lost. A very useful navigation guide for newbies especially at night when its easy to get disoriented. The second is very similar and is called "TimeToBurn". Both are updated yearly close to the event date with all the info you will need to find camps and locations. Both also have event listings if you are looking for something to do.
Can you just get your kink on anywhere at Burning Man?
Yes and No. There are acceptable things you can do and things that will get you in trouble with law enforcement. You can be as nude as you want pretty much anywhere. You can put a collar and leash on your nude submissive and lead them around the Playa. You can dress in your favorite pet play gear and walk around all day if you want. Wear a butt plug with a tail attached. There is a family-friendly area of Black Rock City that you might want to avoid those activities. Sexual activity is not allowed in open areas. Sex inside personal tents, dungeons, orgy domes, and other adult play spaces is fine. That being said, you can probably get away with most things at night in the deep playa if no one can really see you. A blow job in center camp in broad daylight will not be welcome. Use common sense.
Can I join a theme camp?
Sometimes. There are camps that are larger and look for new members every year. Some are close-knit friends and don't take on newcomers often. Kink camps in particular are more careful to vet anyone they don't know. Joining a camp even if it isn't a kinky one has some advantages such as camp members who can help new members, perks such as showers, electricity, and some provided meals. Probably the best way to join a kink-themed camp is to visit that camp and participate in their events. Get to know the camp members and offer to help out if you find they fit what you are looking for. Get contact info for the camp lead and let them know you are interested in joining next year if there is an opening for new members. Most camps won't look to add new members until after the new year when they have a better idea of who will be returning.
I'm going solo. Can I participate in kink without a partner?
In most cases, to participate in dungeons or sex spaces you need a partner. Most theme camps don't just provide someone to play with you. You usually don't need a partner for educational classes since they don't normally involve actual play. Some classes or workshops do require a partner so find out ahead of time. Some camps have meet-and-greets or social spaces where you may be able to find someone who is looking for play as well. Burning Man is after all a great place to meet new people. Retrofrolic has in years past provided a signup board where people can list their availability for play and what they are looking for. There are typically several camp members at Retrofrolic who are willing to negotiate a scene within their preferences.
You can email any other questions to me at: thekinkmanifesto@gmail.com
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