Burning Man 2022 changes coffee sales policy

For years, the only things that were officially available for purchase with currency at the week-long event were ice and coffee. Otherwise, the entire economy depends on the gift system. However, this year the price of coffee has fallen to zero dollars.

Since 1995, Burning Man has had a cafe called Center Camp Café Where attendees can gather to buy coffee. Over the years, it has grown from a single espresso machine to an operation that employs 1,000 volunteers. This year, the area known as Center Camp will still function as a social space, without coffee sales.

In a post on the official burning man blogAssociate Director of Operations Laura Day wrote about the decision. “Every great city should provide these spaces – and this is the space – but do cities provide the same coffee?” Today wrote. “No, that’s what community members offer. And in our off-the-cuff town, coffee can be a component of the dominant gift economy. The townspeople may have grown enough to caffeinate from [Burner] Nation. We aim to test this theory.”

The decision was inspired in part by a recommitment to the buy-nothing philosophy, but also environmental concerns, given that the café uses 30,000 cups and 25,000 gallons of gray water over the course of a week.

Fortunately for attendees, that doesn’t mean there won’t be any coffee at the playa – there are still plenty of campsites that dedicate their contribution to the gift economy to keep caffeine in the burners. The organization estimates that 10 percent of campsites serve coffee, which in historical numbers indicates approximately 150 do-it-yourself coffee shops.

Editor’s Note: This story was edited at 11:30 p.m., August 31, to correct an error regarding the Burning Man gift economy.