In it, we examine two questions: can a community live long-term by the principles of burning man? And if so, can those principles be applied outside closed communities, onto society at large?
The village is a community of theme camps staying long-term on secluded rural land, all which have adopted the values of Burning Man, and which are participating in building this new society together.
It will be a hub for burners to come, live, and co-create all year round, and a home for Portugal's future regional burn.
If we can show that a society living by those values can thrive and meet the human needs better than the current “default” society, the door would open to spread those values globally and to make a deep impact in our world.
Read the full manifesto...
What's New
May 2023: The village is open, and center camp development has started! If you want to come to the village for a while, please join the Facebook group
Mar 2023: Now that the land purchase is pretty much done, the village is ready to open its gates in April 🔥 We're getting prepared to fly to Portugal at the beginning of April, buy a van, move to the land and start working on the village.
Jan 2023: We've found a land! Located in the central-east of Portugal, this relatively flat land is ideal for a village. We nicknamed it "Pasture Land" :) . The contract was already signed, and now we're waiting for the legal process to finish.
Nov 2022: After the deal for purchasing the land fell through, we're back in Portugal. This time we've rented a van and we're going to be traveling around for the next 3-4 weeks, mostly in the eastern and northern areas of the country, meet with agents and locals and visit properties, on the search for a piece of land that would be ideal to host the village.
Aug 2022: Unfortunately, the deal fell through. We were waiting for the council to publish the new regulations regarding fire hazards and building permits. The new regulations were due to be published in January but were published only recently. After we got updated by the council, we contacted the agent again - just to discover that the land was already sold to somebody else. This is a big setback, and we'll need to go back to Portugal soon and look for a new location.
Dec 2021: We are waiting for information from Penamacor's council regarding the possibility to build on the land. Since the law is about to change in January 2022, this can take a few weeks. We'll keep updating.
Nov 2021: After seeing several pieces of land, we're now focusing on the area of Penamacor, in the middle of Portugal, close to the Spanish border. We've seen two pieces of land that we liked a lot and that are suitable to host the village. We'll keep updating.
Nov 2021: We spent the last 2 months in Portugal, scouting for suitable land to host the village.
Portugal was chosen due to its abundance of rural lands, comfortable weather, easy bureaucracy, openness to alternative lifestyles, and affordable land prices.
The land we are looking for should be large enough to host several camps and also a regional event. We're aiming at 5 hectares or more, with water resources, seclusion, and some building permits. We'd also love to have the option to purchase adjacent plots if needed in the future.
The Plan
We're here → Step 2: Purchase land
We're here → Step 3: Vanguard team moves in
We're here → Step 4: Basic village development: power, water, etc
We're here → Step 5: Mini-burn event
We're here → Step 6: First theme camp on site
We're here → Step 7: Multiple camps live long-term in the village
In Brief
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What is it?
A village for the Burning Man community placed on rural land in Portugal.
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Who is it for?
The simple answer is: everyone, as long as you feel inspired by Burning Man, want to take an active role in participation, and are adopting the Burning Man and the village principles. At this stage we're escpecially looking for active, positive, creative, "can do" people to kick-start the village.
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Where is it?
The village is located in central-east Portugal, close to the Spanish border. It is 2:30 hours from Lisbon and Porto, and about 40 minutes from Castelo Branco, the nearest town which has a direct train from Lisbon.
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Who owns it?
The village will be operated by a nonprofit assoication, with the community members as its assembly. The association will hold the land under a lease agreement for a symbolic fee.
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Who is behind it?
We're a group of burners who are mostly based in Portugal and the rest of Europe as well as in Koh Phangan, Thailand. Burn Village is a group initiative, started by Avner & Valerie in 2022. You're welcome to join the Facebook group to meet the people invloved.
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Can I be a part of it?
Sure! Check out the "get invloved" section below.
The 10+4 Principles
- Radical Inclusion
- Gifting
- Decommodification
- Radical Self-reliance
- Radical Self-expression
- Communal Effort
- Civic Responsibility
- Leaving No Trace
- Participation
- Immediacy
- Each One Teach One
- Power Sharing
- Respect
- Conflict Mediation
Get Involved
If you're searching for the right place & community to manifest your project, if you need a space to build your artwork, or if you've been looking for a base to start a long-term camp with your friends - the village is your playground.
We welcome any kind of involvement: supporting with an expert advice, joining the seed group that will cultivate the land, spreading the word, donating money, initiating a project that is close to your heart, creating artwork, or just staying in touch - all are valuable and appreciated.