AfrikaBurn

AfrikaBurn began in 2007 as a regional event in the Burning Man tradition and has become one of the largest of them, held in the Tankwa Karoo - one of the driest, emptiest places in South Africa. For a week a temporary town appears: large wooden sculptures, theme camps, mutant vehicles, performances, and at the end, burns. The organising principles are the ones that define these events: no money changes hands on site beyond ice and fuel, so everything is gifted; participants bring all their own water, food and shelter; and leave-no-trace is enforced seriously, with the site inspected afterwards. Conditions are hard - heat by day, near-freezing nights, dust storms, and gravel roads that shred tyres on the drive in. It is participatory rather than a spectator festival, and people who arrive expecting to be entertained tend to have a poor time.

Highlights

• The temporary city - a week-long settlement in empty Karoo, then nothing.
• The gifting rule - no sales on site; everything shared rather than bought.
• The burns - large wooden artworks built to be destroyed at the end.
• The leave-no-trace standard - a site inspected and returned to bare veld.

When to go

Late April or early May, on the announced dates. Five to seven days including travel.

Before you go

You must bring all your water, food and shelter - there is nothing to buy. The roads in destroy tyres; carry two spares. Dust storms, extreme heat and freezing nights all occur in one week. It is participatory; passive attendance is discouraged and disappointing.

Nearby

The Tankwa Karoo National Park is adjacent; Ceres is the last real town.