The Man Will Burn is a four-part 📝HBO documentary series, directed by Jehane Noujaim and 📝Vikram Gandhi, that traces the evolution of 📝Burning Man from a San Francisco beach bonfire to an 80,000-person desert gathering.
Filmed over five years with access to Burning Man Project leadership and archives, the series follows the organization through several consecutive years of crisis, from the pandemic to the financial strain and extreme weather of recent events, as it works to stay operational while holding to its founding values. It weaves archival history of the founders with the stories of longtime Burners, first-timers, and the builders who raise Black Rock City before the gates open, and features CEO Marian Goodell and members of the Project's board.
The series premiered at the Tribeca Festival in June 2026 and aired weekly on HBO and HBO Max from July 9 to July 30, 2026. Its score was composed by 📝Tori Letzler and Steven Richard Davis. Because the Burning Man Project permitted and promoted the production, some critics, including a reviewer at Jacobin, have questioned its independence.
The title reaches past the literal effigy: with more than 100 official Burning Man events held worldwide, "the Man will burn" is shorthand for the resilience of a creative culture that extends well beyond Black Rock City itself.
The music is the work of 📝Steve Davis and Tori. It's a beautifully told version of a complex moment in a dense mythos.