The annual Burning Man Festival of art and music, held at the end of summer in Nevada's Black Rock desert, celebrates the act of self expression. Over the course of a week, visitors from all walks of life gather to create, sing, dance and simply enjoy the feeling of being immersed in a global community of free thinkers. Nearly 70,000 people attended this year's event, now in its 27th year.
The Burning Man Festival Of Art And Music
![A "man" is burned toward the close of the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival on August 31.](https://gdb.rferl.org/ea19d40d-7d55-4323-8228-6a829196cfb2_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A "man" is burned toward the close of the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival on August 31.
![An aerial view of the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival taken from high above the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.](https://gdb.rferl.org/12b9601e-cd4b-4ec0-8375-9fe575e33e27_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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An aerial view of the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival taken from high above the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.
![Festival-goers dance in a special dome during the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in Nevada.](https://gdb.rferl.org/14249d62-3deb-438b-9671-4c3cd3fc98da_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Festival-goers dance in a special dome during the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in Nevada.
![Gessica Preto Martini (left) and Amma Antwi-Agyei pose for a photo atop an art installation.](https://gdb.rferl.org/c4265fa6-1b4f-4ea4-88cb-1bcfb776d276_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Gessica Preto Martini (left) and Amma Antwi-Agyei pose for a photo atop an art installation.
![Participants gesture toward the rising sun at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in Nevada's Black Rock desert.](https://gdb.rferl.org/2ad24267-5a88-4151-8b60-88e4c37c0bb9_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Participants gesture toward the rising sun at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in Nevada's Black Rock desert.
![Participants dance atop a moving "hookah lounge" art car at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival.](https://gdb.rferl.org/9ebb1b3c-aa43-4e96-b885-ba90fe90c139_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Participants dance atop a moving "hookah lounge" art car at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival.
![A man pays homage to the pyramidic "Temple of Whollyness" as it burns toward the end of the 2013 Burning Man.](https://gdb.rferl.org/eaff426d-7d56-499f-8940-50d9a42591d9_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A man pays homage to the pyramidic "Temple of Whollyness" as it burns toward the end of the 2013 Burning Man.
![Jed Vassallo (left) and Erin Bohlmann cheer as the "man" burns during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival.](https://gdb.rferl.org/697e026f-f97f-4d02-9ac6-843e50433215_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Jed Vassallo (left) and Erin Bohlmann cheer as the "man" burns during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival.
![Christian Jacobsen (center) stands by the "Guardian of Dawn" art installation during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert.](https://gdb.rferl.org/3e2753f0-5c0d-478b-9e65-5bcfff0e2e96_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Christian Jacobsen (center) stands by the "Guardian of Dawn" art installation during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in Nevada's Black Rock Desert.
![Participants dance on top of a car parked beside the "Truth is Beauty" sculpture, created by Marco Cochrane, at the Burning Man arts and music festival in Nevada.](https://gdb.rferl.org/3389ed7b-3685-4494-a685-2cf8a959cb55_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Participants dance on top of a car parked beside the "Truth is Beauty" sculpture, created by Marco Cochrane, at the Burning Man arts and music festival in Nevada.
![A couple rest at a piano in the desert at sunrise during the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival.](https://gdb.rferl.org/2c0fce5c-b3c3-4d78-94e0-cd57286d96f4_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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A couple rest at a piano in the desert at sunrise during the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival.
![Festival-goers sit atop an art project to watch the sun rise.](https://gdb.rferl.org/ff1632e1-3ecc-47e0-aa07-05de75c73b9e_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Festival-goers sit atop an art project to watch the sun rise.
![Mutant vehicles drive across the main area during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.](https://gdb.rferl.org/14574b54-725a-49af-917c-f1f4c17dc5ec_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Mutant vehicles drive across the main area during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.
!["Shabalaba," as this man calls himself at the festival, loses himself in dance.](https://gdb.rferl.org/ab74fb24-2188-4b44-9de0-82b53bc8dba4_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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"Shabalaba," as this man calls himself at the festival, loses himself in dance.
![Festival-goers gaze at the rising sun during this year's Burning Man arts and music festival.](https://gdb.rferl.org/fd567b36-6572-48da-b0a4-17ced9f5a876_cx0_cy4_cw0_w1024_q10_r1_s.jpg)
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Festival-goers gaze at the rising sun during this year's Burning Man arts and music festival.
![Participants cuddle at sunrise at the "Temple of Whollyness" during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.](https://gdb.rferl.org/8d85c01d-1207-4f33-a4a2-be77bd17c538_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Participants cuddle at sunrise at the "Temple of Whollyness" during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.
![Rochelle Schieck dances near the "Truth is Beauty" sculpture, by Marco Cochrane, at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in Nevada.](https://gdb.rferl.org/5151f042-217d-4d65-8968-fc201af0d087_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Rochelle Schieck dances near the "Truth is Beauty" sculpture, by Marco Cochrane, at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in Nevada.
![Rhonda Clark cooks breakfast on the burned remains of the "man" during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.](https://gdb.rferl.org/6ad1ee02-f534-4a03-8f4c-66156037b997_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Rhonda Clark cooks breakfast on the burned remains of the "man" during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.
![Participants bike across the desert at sunrise at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in Nevada.](https://gdb.rferl.org/bf2fb483-2345-4326-b5df-d21d96f0c515_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Participants bike across the desert at sunrise at the 2013 Burning Man arts and music festival in Nevada.
![Dust envelops art installations during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in Nevada.](https://gdb.rferl.org/62cc5765-3d1c-4e80-848a-fdd2119c3c98_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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Dust envelops art installations during the Burning Man 2013 arts and music festival in Nevada.