Arizona's Burning Man Alternative Is A Smaller, More Intimate Event Full Of Art And Music

Burning Man has been a staple of art, counterculture, and community since its origin in San Francisco back in 1986. Unfortunately, as the event's fame and popularity have grown, it has started to attract eventgoers who misinterpret its core 10 Principles. Instead of promoting gifting, radical self-reliance, community, decommodification, and participation, among others, many veterans feel the new era of burners is doing more trading, partying, and vacationing here instead. For some, the event has become too big and mainstream, now hosting over 70,000 people in a desert that continues to become even more unpredictable with weather extremes due to climate change.

But Burning Man is more than just a single event in Nevada's Black Rock Desert. Its values and themes have spread around the world and been adopted by different regions in America and around the world. These days, you can avoid Burning Man crowds at eclectic regional "Burns," like Element 11 in Utah and NECTR in Connecticut. However, if you're looking for a small and intimate Burn that harkens back to Burning Man's earliest days, you should check out Saguaro Man in Arizona.

Organized by a regional Burning Man community, Saguaro Man takes its inspiration from the innumerable saguaro cacti that populate Arizona's desert landscape like dutiful soldiers. Originally called Toast until 2010, Saguaro Man is quickly becoming one of the more sought-after regional Burns around the country. "Saguaro Man is one of the better-known regional events," said burner Ricky Fawley to Phoenix New Times. "People come from all across the country to participate in Saguaro Man." And why not? Saguaro Man provides a space to lean into those original 10 Principles (plus an all-important additional one: consent), with about 1,000 other like-minded people. 

One of Burning Man's 10 Principles is participation, meaning everyone who attends Saguaro Man is an active collaborator rather than a spectator. This helps drive many of the other 10 Principles, including radical self-expression, communal effort, and radical inclusion. It also stops people from consuming passively, as we often do in the outside world. Participating in Saguaro Man might mean helping build installations or creating artistic pieces yourself. At the Center Camp, creatives can reserve a time slot to share music (with an amplified sound system), performances, classes, and art exhibits for everyone to enjoy. You could also find yourself playing miniature golf, joining a fashion show, learning to belly dance, greeting the sunrise with a yoga flow, or competing in Olympic events completely naked. The main event, like at Burning Man, is the burning of a temple or effigy made by all attendees on the final night.

Saguaro Man probably won't ever grow to the size and mainstream nature of Burning Man in Nevada, but there's something special about attending a more intimate burn. In 2026, Saguaro Man will take place from April 22 to 26 on a playa just outside of Willcox in Arizona. Willcox is just a 40-minute drive from the Chiricahua National Monument, Arizona's "Wonderland of Rocks," which is great for stargazing and getting into the mood for Saguaro Man. You can drive to Willcox from Phoenix in about three hours. 

At the time of this writing, standard admission tickets for the four nights are now available for $185 per person. This is considerably cheaper than Burning Man, which ranges from $550 to $3,000. If you need a tent, check out the Kodaik brand for a Burning Man-approved canvas tent that can handle any weather.