How to Make Burning Man More Appealing for Older Adults

Dust storms, dehydration and 3 a.m. drum circles? Hard pass. Here’s how to upgrade the desert rave for the 50+ crowd

a woman standing among a flock of flamingos

Radical self-reliance means bringing your own flock.

Naomi Harris

Eric Spitznagel,

AARP

Published August 22, 2025

I’m in my 50s, and this year a friend hit me with a question I never expected:

“You coming to Burning Man?”

Burning Man, for the blissfully uninitiated, is an annual gathering held in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert, where some 80,000 people build a temporary city from scratch and spend a week of radical self-reliance. Aside from ice, nothing is sold. Everything — meals, massages, art, rides on a flame-shooting dragon — is bartered, gifted or shared. There’s no plumbing, no Wi-Fi and no exit strategy. It’s just you, your tent and the constant sound of EDM.

I’ve never been, despite having plenty of friends who swear by it. They come back raving about life-changing sunrises and spontaneous dance parties. Me? I won’t even use the restroom at an airport. I get lower back pain from loading the dishwasher wrong. How am I supposed to survive a week in the desert with no toilets and strangers offering hugs as currency?

But maybe I’m wrong. According to the Black Rock City Census, while mid-30s is the median age of festival attendees, 20 percent of Burners in 2024 were 50 and older, up from 16.7 percent in 2014. That’s a lot of people with readers and blood pressure meds signing up to wear mesh and barter for grilled cheese. And it’s not like older adults aren’t curious. On the contrary, many of us are intrigued by the festival’s radical self-expression, mind-blowing art installations and the promise of riding a giant neon praying mantis across the desert.

Even so, Burning Man, which returns this year from Aug. 24 to Sept. 1, was never optimized for anyone with a lumbar pillow and a Lipitor prescription. That doesn’t mean we don’t belong, it just means a few tweaks wouldn’t hurt. After all, we’ve earned our wisdom and our right to clean bathrooms.

So if Burning Man really wants to welcome the over-50 crowd into the dusty fold, here are a few friendly suggestions for making the playa a little more older-adult-friendly without losing the weird.

Couple’s yoga, Burning Man edition

Naomi Harris

1. Replace the location with something easier on the knees

Burning Man takes place on a playa, also known as a dry lake bed — a flat floor of a sandy, salty or mud-caked desert basin. This giant sheet of sun-baked dust can’t be good on the knees. Uneven terrain can aggravate arthritis and joint inflammation, according to the Arthritis Foundation. So let’s add a level bocce court, a shaded walking loop or even a “plush path” lined with recycled yoga mats. Provide orthopedic sandals at check-in and suddenly radical self-reliance feels a lot like a wellness retreat.

2. Daytime raves that end by dinner

Who says you can’t party hard before sunset? A 2022 study published in the Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology shows that older adults demonstrate peak alertness earlier in the day, which means a 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. silent disco is basically our sweet spot. That way you can still get the serotonin rush, grab an early buffet and make it back to camp for Jeopardy! via Starlink.

a split image of three people dressed uniquely while posing in the desert

Somewhere between Vegas, Disney, and a rodeo lies the truth of Burning Man.

Naomi Harris

3. A fully stocked cooldown tent

It’s not whining, it’s thermoregulation. The risks of extreme heat increase significantly for those over age 50, so having a shaded tent with misting fans and cucumber water isn’t an indulgence, it’s first aid. Plus, the collective sighs of “It’s not the heat, it’s the lack of shade” build instant community.

4. More folding chairs, fewer flaming trampolines

Let the kids with cartilage jump over pyrotechnics. We’ll be here with padded camp chairs and footrests, basking in the wisdom of not needing to prove anything. Numerous studies have shown that sitting with proper lumbar support reduces spinal compression. So you’re not being “lazy,” you’re preserving mobility for the art walk later.

people sitting at an art installation in the desert

Burning Man tip: choose art installations with shade and backrests.

Naomi Harris

5. A designated “nothing after 9” camp

Adventure is great, but so is not hearing some guy named Cosmic Dave play his didgeridoo at 3 a.m. A 2022 study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives shows that people over 50 are more sensitive to nighttime noise, which means one rogue bass drop can feel like someone’s firing a cannon into your dreams. This camp would be a sanctuary: solar lanterns for ambiance, chamomile tea on tap and one guy softly reading Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance until everyone slips into a blissful cosmic nap.

6. Consider expanding the theme

One of Burning Man’s principles is “radical self-reliance.” Sounds poetic, but radical self-reliance at 55 means prepacking electrolytes, fiber supplements and three gallons of drinkable water per day. Dehydration risk increases with age because the body’s thirst signals weaken. Keep string cheese handy for high protein and no-refrigeration panic.

7. Mandatory morning stretch circles (with a PT on-site)

Morning yoga with “Moonfish” is fine for Instagram, but what we really need is a certified physical therapist leading us through mobility exercises that won’t shred our hamstrings. Numerous studies have confirmed that regular stretching improves balance and reduces injury risk — which, in a place where your bathroom is a 200-yard hike, is basically survival. Bonus points if the PT also does impromptu ice-pack triage.

a person wearing a bunny head looking at a car with a cat face and fur

Pink Speedo. Bunny head. Cat car. Welcome to Burning Man.

Naomi Harris

8. A “lost and found and found again”

This is less about sunglasses and more about conversational déjà vu. Here, repeating your favorite story is encouraged. According to cognitive researchers in a 2024 study led by UCLA Health, repetition strengthens neural pathways, so you’re basically hacking your brain while entertaining your camp mates.

9. Offer a camp called “Where the hell are my glasses?”

Half of festival survival is locating your stuff. If you’re finding it more difficult to read, you might have presbyopia, with Greek and Latin origins roughly meaning “old eye.” The condition affects approximately 128 million people in the United States, according to the American Optometric Association. But fear not, the charming inability to read anything smaller than a freeway sign without readers is solved by this camp: Every attendee gets a lanyard for their glasses, a backup pair and a headlamp.

10. An on-site massage therapist who specializes in “I slept funny”

You don’t need a full chakra alignment. You need someone who can handle neck cricks, frozen shoulders and the mysterious lower back twinge you get from bending over to zip a tent. Geriatric massage therapy is a real thing. And here, it’s as essential as sunscreen.

a man smiling and wearing a Burning Man shirt

Proof that Burning Man is basically an extreme sport.

Naomi Harris

11. The “radical rest area” nap dome

Multiple studies show that a power nap can boost brain power, so we’d love to see a fully ventilated, softly lit camp with noise-canceling headphones and comfy cots. Need more than a quick snooze? Stay the night! Let’s serve decaf, hand out melatonin and kill the FOMO. We’ve seen the sunrise. It’s nice. Sleep is nicer. You’ll wake up ready for art walks without the caffeine crash.

12. Host a dust-proofing workshop

Black Rock dust gets everywhere, irritating skin and lungs. Older adults with respiratory issues are doubly at risk. We’ve caulked tubs; we can caulk yurts. Hand out painter’s tape, weather stripping and a barrier cream for your skin to keep airborne contaminants at bay. Younger Burners will marvel at your dust-proofing skills like you invented plumbing.

Is it music, or a summoning ritual? At Burning Man, it’s both.

Naomi Harris

13. A sound bath that’s just a literal bath

Warm-water immersion reduces cortisol and eases joint stiffness, benefits no gong can match. Skip the “third eye” chatter and just give us Epsom salts, lavender oil and blessed quiet. You’ll leave more relaxed than after any humming session, and with skin that’s actually moisturized.

14. A 24-hour camp called “Is this too loud or am I just done?”

Low-frequency noise disrupts heart rate and sleep. This camp keeps music at 30 percent volume, filters bass and hands out earplugs. A decaf iced tea bar seals the deal. You’ll still hear the beat, you just won’t need a chiropractor afterward.

a man sitting on a bicycle in the desert

A pedal-powered Harley, Playa edition.

Naomi Harris

15. Dustproof, mesh-lined fanny packs that say “Burn Responsibly”

Mesh-lined packs reduce sweat; dustproof zippers keep essentials clean. Stock yours with SPF 50, electrolytes, a map, an AARP card and one hard candy for emergencies. Studies show having essentials on hand lowers stress in unpredictable environments, like the desert when the ice camp runs out.

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