When one onlooker shared a video of a private jet's takeoff from Burning Man on TikTok, online reactions were swift and to the point. They questioned the need for private jets at events like this and worried about how private jets harm the environment.
The clip, posted by user Ivoryringlord (@ivoryringlord), is overlaid with text that captures the poster's disbelief: "Look how much dust a private jet kicks up when taking off from [the] playa."
@ivoryringlord Private jets at Burning Man. .#burningman2025 #burningman #privatejets #blackrockcity ♬ Outro - M83
In the video, the dust cloud kicks up almost immediately. As the jet roars down the sandy runway, the desert floor explodes into a thick, swirling haze.
The video has since sparked heated debate online. Viewers called out what they saw as a jarring contradiction between Burning Man's stated values and the reality unfolding on the ground.
Burning Man is often framed as a countercultural gathering rooted in principles like communal effort, radical self-reliance, and respect for the environment. Scenes like this one have become emblematic of a different narrative — one where extreme wealth and high-consumption lifestyles visibly collide with a fragile desert ecosystem.
While radical inclusion (meaning anyone, including the wealthy, is welcome) is one of the festival's 10 Principles, so is Leaving No Trace. And one could argue that doesn't just apply to not littering at Burning Man.
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Private jets aren't just symbolic excess. They come with a heavy environmental footprint. A single private jet flight can emit more carbon pollution per passenger than many people generate in an entire year.
The dust storms stirred up by takeoffs and landings can also damage the playa, making long-term restoration more difficult.
Several viewers pointed out the irony of flying private planes into an event that often promotes climate awareness and eco-friendly living. Others argued that it underscores a widening class divide. Those with enough money can bypass discomfort entirely and co-opt a space originally meant to challenge consumer norms.
One user wrote: "Wasn't burning man for like hippies and stuff?? What [happened] to the no money aspect to it?? It's completely changed for the worse I feel."
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Absolutely 💯 Another agreed, saying, "I fear they have lost the plot."
A third summed up the sentiment, adding, "Remember what burning man started out as…[it's] just a trust fund play ground now."
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