Burning Man’s Orgy Dome is back in business this week after a windstorm left it in ruins last year, organizers confirmed as the festival opened in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.
The 6,000-square-foot camp, known formally as And Then There’s Only Love, had raised $70,000 through multiple Kickstarter campaigns to rebuild after 50 mph gusts tore apart its 50-foot sex tent and inflicted $20,000 to $30,000 in damages. The nonprofit behind the operation announced its return with a significant logistical boost: a grassroots donation of 15,000 condoms, plus supplies of lube and commemorative towels for participants.
A rule change greeted returning visitors. “[W]e are NOT accepting sheet donations this year, sorry! This also means there will be no line skipping opportunities,” the organizers posted on Instagram as the festival kicked off. Previously, attendees could jump the queue by bringing their own linens. That perk is now dead.
The camp’s other regulations remain intact. Participants must be at least 18 with ID, must attend a pre-orgy seminar on consent and etiquette, and must arrive already partnered up. The final rule is absolute: either come with others, or don’t come at all.
“We want an atmosphere where people are playing, and not walking around staring at people, or looking at people to pick up on. A lot of our guests, they don’t want to be picked up on by singles,” organizer “Maze” said, explaining the “couples and moresomes” entry policy that has defined the Dome since its inception.
The policy does not require group activity. Couples who prefer to keep their encounter exclusive can use a smaller “just us” space, while the 50-foot “open to more” dome tent accommodates those seeking additional partners. Both areas are air-conditioned, a rarity on the playa.
Roughly 10% of all Burning Man attendees make their way to the Orgy Dome each year, according to And Then There’s Only Love, making it one of the festival’s most visited installations despite — or perhaps because of — its strict protocols. The organization has operated the camp for years as a nonprofit, distinguishing it from the increasingly corporate spectacle that surrounds it.
The 2023 collapse had threatened that legacy. The windstorm shredded the main tent and scattered equipment across the desert floor, leaving organizers to assess whether rebuilding was financially viable. The crowdfunding response, which more than doubled the damage estimate, answered that question emphatically.
Burning Man itself has faced mounting challenges in recent years, from extreme weather to infrastructure strain, yet the Orgy Dome’s specific catastrophe became a flashpoint for the festival’s broader community of dedicated participants. Donors identified themselves as “horny burners” in campaign materials, framing the rebuild as both a practical necessity and a statement of cultural persistence.
The camp’s emphasis on structured consent practices has drawn attention from sex educators and festival organizers worldwide, though Maze and colleagues have consistently rejected any effort to soften their entry requirements or expand access to unaccompanied individuals.
The rebuilt installation opened to the public as the 2024 festival began its weeklong run in the Nevada desert.