Episode
The Battle for the Future of Burning Man
- Podcast
- KQED's Forum
- Published
- Jul 17, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 3284
- Processing state
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Summary
Burning Man turns 40 this year, and its changed dramatically since the first event in San Francisco. The first gathering drew a couple dozen people who gathered to burn an 8-foot wooden effigy at Baker Beach to celebrate the summer solstice. Four decades later, it’s a multi-million dollar operation that every August draws more than 70 thousand people to the Black Rock Desert in Nevada. A new HBO documentary called “The Man Will Burn” looks at the staying power of the massive pop-up commune and the struggles to maintain its founding values. We’ll talk with the directors and one of the producers for the series. Guests: Jehane Noujaim, co-director, HBO’s “The Man Will Burn” Vikram Gandhi, co-director, HBO’s “The Man Will Burn” Muriel Soenens, series producer, HBO’s “The Man Will Burn” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices