What does a new event site mean for the main annual AfrikaBurn event?

Image of the AfrikaBurn event from Stefan Rheeders

It means a chance to dream, a chance to innovate and experiment – and a chance to invent the world anew! The potential is huge – and something worth getting very excited about, as it offers our operational team and community a chance to collaborate on ways to develop our event’s layout and infrastructure in new innovative and sustainable ways.

From the perspective of participants, the challenges of the Tankwa Karoo’s desert climate and landscape will remain the same – but the shape of Tankwa Town may change, in response to a new landscape that will differ in some respects to that of Stonehenge. So, from 2021, Tankwa Town’s layout of streets and camping areas may be different – but at this stage, not even we know what that shape will look like. Over the coming months, our Town Planning team will be sitting and plotting the various factors involved in choosing an ideal city grid – and you will be able to add your input and get involved on this aspect if you wish.
Will this new home mean an expansion of our event numbers? For the foreseeable future numbers will continue to be dictated by the interest and participation levels of our community. If our community grows in number, this new home enables expansion, without encroaching on previously undisturbed areas of Tankwa landscape.

Among the many factors that will inform the shape of Tankwa Town from 2021 will be:

– sound curation
– access & road size (in terms of Health & Safety and Disaster Management needs)
– the intention to create larger ‘plaza’ spaces within Tankwa Town
– greater distance between artworks and camps where necessary
– orientation
– more regular deployment of toilets