Burning Man Project announced the 2026 Temple—the Temple of the Moon, by James Gwertzman, with support from the Moonlight Collective and the Temple Build Crew.
The nonprofit’s annual gathering in Black Rock City, Nevada will again bring together over 70,000 participants from more than 100 countries, this time under the theme of Axis Mundi, to build art, camps and mutant vehicles and create connection and joy.
Inspired by the Queen of the Night, a desert cactus flower which blooms for a single night each year, and by the lunar cycle, this year’s Temple reflects the ephemeral nature of Black Rock City itself and the annual cycle of appearance and release. The Temple is BRC’s soul —a non-denominational physical space for reflection, community and letting go.
“The Temple is a truly unique and heart-warming tradition,” Burning Man Project’s Director of Art Katie Hazard said. “This year’s design invites each of us to connect with ephemerality and the principle of immediacy. In a world that is always changing, the Temple of the Moon offers the opportunity for reflection while forming experiences that will transform participants beyond the event.”
James Gwertzman comes to the Temple through a lifetime at the intersection of art, technology and collaborative making. Trained first in theater as a set and lighting designer, Gwertzman spent decades in the video game industry creating interactive worlds before returning to the physical act of making art. His recent Burning Man artworks, “Prairie of Possibilities” (2022 and 2023) and “The Moonlight Library” (2025, now installed at Burning Man Project’s Fly Ranch property), brought together more than 50 volunteers and helped form the Moonlight Collective, a growing community of artists and builders.
