Burning Man needs a competitor

[nasu_dengaku]

Monopolies tend to stifle innovation.  It's true whether the monopoly is making software or radical-self-reliance festivals

Comments

[merovingian]

There's also Meadow Muffin, Barter Fair, the Rainbow Gathering, the Love Parade, and a few others out there.

[nasu_dengaku]

None of those other festivals appear to have the same level of creative production or cultural impact as Burning Man. Maybe they have an intensity to them that makes them special in their own way, but I can't discern that from their websites.

[merovingian]

No, I think you're right on that.

However, as I thought about this more, another thought hit me: maybe Burning Man isn't optimizing for quality of art, and maybe instead it's optimizing, increasingly, on broad appeal.

[radven]

Meadow Muffin? Haven't heard of that one...

[merovingian]

Oh, I don't even know if they have it any more. It's a festival-y thing.