1986 - 1989
There was no Black Rock City as the event was held on Baker Beach in San Francisco.
1990
Population 120
Ticket Price Free
Black Rock City is created with the first Burning Man held on the Black Rock Desert, technically a Bad Day At Black Rock (Cacophony Society Zone Trip #4).
No map exists as far as I know.
1991
Population 600
Ticket Price $25
First year amplified music appeared at Burning Man. Craig Ellenwood and TerboTed set up a camp, approved by Larry Harvey one mile from center camp and launched the first EDM camp
No map exists as far as I know.
1992
Population 600
Ticket Price $25
First year amplified music appeared at Burning Man. Craig Ellenwood and TerboTed set up a camp, approved by Larry Harvey one mile from center camp and launched the first EDM camp
1993 to 1995
Man Burn 1993
The missing years...
I have not been able to find any maps of Black Rock City for the years 1993 to 1995.
If you have an image of one, send it to me please and I will include it.
1993
Population 1,000
Ticket Price $25 - $40
First Theme Camp "Christmas Camp"
1994
Population 2,000
Ticket Price $30
Lamplighters Established
1995
Population 4,000
Ticket Price $35
Unofficial theme "Good and Evil"
1996
Population 8,000
Ticket Price $35
Theme Inferno a.k.a HELCO. Over 130 theme camps. The man is on a base for the first time.
1997
Population 10,000
Ticket Price $65
DPW is formed. Over 400 theme camps. Held on the Hualapai not Black Rock. Theme "Fertility: The LIving Land".
1998
Population 15,000
Ticket Price $65 - $100
Black Rock City back on the Black Rock Desert and much closer to Gerlach. Theme "Nebulous Entity".
1999
Population 23,000
Ticket Price $65- $100
Theme "Wheel of Time". Over 320 theme camps.
2000
Population 25,400
Ticket Price $95 - $200
Theme "The Body".
2001
Population 25,659
Ticket Price $200
Theme "Seven Ages".
2002
Population 28,979
Ticket Price $135 - $200
Theme "The Floating World". First FAA approved airport.
2003
Population 30,586
Ticket Price $145 - $225
Dogs are banned. Theme "Beyond Belief".
2004
Unofficial camp. Name Kanuckistan was adopted for the camp.
Population 35,664
Theme "The Vault of Heaven". Over 500 theme camps.
2005
First year Iron Star Flag was flown on playa.
Population 35,567
Ticket Price $145–$250
Theme "Psyche: The Conscious,
Subconscious & Unconscious".
First year Burning Man attendance dropped year over year.
2006
Civil War within Kanuckistan. Also know as the Dark Days.
Big Shade also tried to kill us all.
Population 38,989
Ticket Price $185–$280
Theme "Hope and Fear: The Future".
2007
Kanuckistan's first year as a placed theme camp.
Population 47,097
Ticket Price $195–$280
Theme "The Green Man".
Year of two Man Burns and a solar eclipse.
2008
Population 49,599
Ticket Price $210–$295
Theme "American Dream". The first year tickets were not sold at gate.
City size is enlarged.
Due to high winds conclave was canceled.
2009
Population 43,558
Ticket Price $210–$360
Theme "Evolution: A Tangled Bank".
Second time population dropped year over year. Tickets sold at gate once again this year.
2010
Population 51,525
Ticket Price $210–$360
Theme "Metropolis – Life of Cities".
First time attendance exceeds 50,000. Over 700 theme camps.
2011
Population 53,963
Ticket Price $210–$360
Theme "Rites of Passage".
First time all tickets sold out for the event.
2012
Population 56,149
Ticket Price $240–$420
Theme "Fertility 2.0".
Due to the previous years sell out of tickets, BM Org does complex multi-round, random selection systems. Extreme demand for tickets resulted in directed tickets for the first time issued to theme camps.
2013
Population 69,613
Ticket Price $380
Theme "Cargo Cult".
2014
Population 65,922
Ticket Price $390
Theme "Caravansary". First year vehicle passes were required.
2015
Population 67,564
Ticket Price $390
Theme "Carnival of Mirrors". The first year in nearly 10 years that the Man base is on the ground.
2016
Population 67,290
Ticket Price $390
Theme "DaVinci's Workshop".
2017
Population 70,000
Ticket Price $425
Theme "Radical Ritual".