1. We have never registered our camp with Placement before. Why should we bother?
2. How should I start to plan my Theme Camp?
3. Are there size limitations for camps?
4. I want to start a Village. What should I think about as I start planning?

1. We have never registered our camp with Placement before. Why should we bother?

You don’t need to! But… Receiving placement comes with reserved camping space and you will allow you to enter Black Rock City early for your set-up crew by receiving Setup Access Passes. Reserved placement also allows you to submit your camp events for the  WhatWhereWhen guide and lists your camp on our Camp Listings Archive and for the current year (optional if a support camp). Theme camps approved by Placement also get access to Stewards Sale tickets.

You will also be privy to loads of information we send out in the Placement Newsletters every year. We understand that registering and paperwork is not for everyone, so we encourage participants to bring their theme camp whether they get reserved placement or not. There is plenty of space left unreserved in open camping where you can set up shop–just be sure to do it outside our blue Placement flags.

If you choose to set up a camp in open camping, we ask that you only take as much space as you need and refrain from “land grabbing.” Land grabbing is claiming a swath of space in open camping for all your friends that have not yet arrived. Claiming land with caution tape, cones, stakes, random pieces of equipment, setting up trailers in a large perimeter, etc. is not okay!  Trailers should not be dropped and abandoned before their inhabitants arrive.

2. How should I start to plan my Theme Camp?

The Camp Resource Guide is chock full of information on planning and executing a Theme Camp at Burning Man.

You’ll also want to familiarize yourself with the Placement Process and can read through our Placed Camp Handbook.

3. Are there size limitations for camps?

• Art Support = number of people receiving SAPs from the Art Department plus 1 support person for each SAP holder.
• Work Support = number of people volunteering or working for a Burning Man Department and receiving a SAP plus 1 support person for each SAP.
• Mutant Vehicle Support - please see the chart listed here for camp size caps.
• Civic Support - capacity is on a case by case basis depending on what department the camp is sponsored by and the level of participation by camp members.

4. I want to start a Village. What should I think about as I start planning?

Placement has now ended the village designation as a placed camp category.

Groups of people/camps can still call themselves a “village” in name, but will be treated as a single theme camp.

If multiple camps are interested in sharing resources with other placed camps, you can form a hub instead. Please review our HUBS (Humans Uniting for Better Sustainability) page for more information.