Burning Man is one of the most well-known festivals out there. Its eccentric atmosphere attracts thousands of people to Nevada’s Black Rock Desert each year. This year’s event has just received its permits to operate, giving Burning Man the green light. It is set to take place August 30 – September 7 and will see around 70,000 attendees.
The US Bureau of Land Management (BLM) presented Burning Man organizers with the permits required to start construction of Black Rock City, the makeshift city where the event takes place. This isn’t exactly shocking news, as organizers are required to get these permits each year.
However, the process to get this year’s permits was a little different than normal. What some may find extremely odd is the request the BLM had sent to the Burning Man organizers. The BLM had requested a $1 million ‘VIP style’ housing unit for its officials. Supposed to be called the “Blue Pit Compound,” this building would have had full access to flushing toilets, air conditioning, laundry machines, hot/cold water, couches, and refrigerators, along with a number of other amenities. To top this all off, officials even asked for 24-hour access to ice cream from Choco Taco in their $1 million building. BLM Director Neil Kornze even called some of the requests “lavish” and “outlandish,” as they seem more like an artist’s rider than ‘necessary’ facilities for BLM officials. Fortunately, Burning Man organizers will not have to grant this absurd request as it has since been revoked. 
