History of MicroBurn

In 2014 three amazing Burners, Laura, Louise, and Duncan, with the help of others, decided to put together a Burner event based in the North of the UK called MicroBurn. 

They wanted to create an event more accessible to people in the Northern areas of England and the UK as there were already events available in the South.

The first event took place over two days from 25th – 27th April 2014 in the Snowdonia National Park next to the beautiful Llyn Gwynant lake. The main venue was a 3 barn complex with private camping fields surrounding it. 

There were about 70 people attending which created a wonderfully intimate event which has been the ethos of all MicroBurns since. It was a truly magical experience of beautiful souls coming together to share love, joy, laughter, music, dancing, creativity, and connection with one another. Friendships and bonds were forged in that time that are still going strong today and which will last a lifetime.

After the roaring success of the first MicroBurn the community could not wait another year for the next event. Eager to build upon what had been created the same team organised MicroChill in September 2014. A slightly smaller event set in the heart of the scenic lake district it was supposed to so people could relax and unwind after the busy summer. Well there was plenty of that going on but a fair bit of partying too as only Burners know how.

We struggled to find a suitable venue for an outdoor event in 2015. Snowdonia had found MicroBurn too awesome to handle so we moved away from the countryside into the city for one night only. MicroBurn Spring Fling in Liverpool City centre was a triumphant one-night club event to rival any that Liverpool had to offer. We had live music, dance, workshops, chill out spaces and all the usual delights of a Burner event without an actual burn. We did however have a wonderful display of fire spinning on the street outside from a full fire troop which more than made up for no effigy burn.

After that first year we moved to our present location in September 2015, a remote, beautiful, Eco farm in a Welsh valley surrounded by gorgeous hills. We had grown in number to a capped 150 participants that year as we wished to maintain the amazing community feel and intimacy of being “Micro”. We have since grown steadily to an increased 175 maximum participants over recent years. Due to the popularity of MicroBurn there has always been huge demand to attend and for the first time, in 2024, we have increased the number to 195. We are aware demand is high but we really want to maintain that original, intimate, community feel of the very first MicroBurn in 2014. 

We have also grown, and continue to grow as an organisation, welcoming new leads, and contributors all the time and learning together as we grow. The event has also grown in regard to the number of days it runs for. It is now a five-day event running from Thursday until Monday usually over the second weekend in September. MicroBurn is only possible because of the incredible people who get involved each year both before, during, and after the event.

We believe regionals are a fantastic way to spread the Burner love and the 10 principles to communities around the world and especially to people who may not have the opportunity to go to Burning Man. To that end, it was fantastic that MicroBurn became an official, Burning Man Regional, in 2018.

MicroBurn also registered as a Private Limited Company with an official listing on the UK Companies House directory in 2018.

Due to the Covid pandemic there was no MicroBurn in 2020, however we returned in 2021 with our 7th annual event. The event was four days long, with approximately 150 memberships sold. 

There was much uncertainty & discussion whether we would be able to return in 2021 due to local Covid laws and our responsibility to the safety of our community. In the end MicroBurn 2021 was organised in just four weeks compared to our usual six months or more. We were very fortunate to be able to have a venue who provided us with this flexibility to make a last minute decision without financial risk as well as a wonderful community working super hard to make it happen. It was a very different type of event to our usual with the additional covid measures and restrictions in place. No access to indoor spaces such as the Chapel or Yurts for example, and more noticeably, no hugs. It was still incredible though with many people saying it was the best MicroBurn yet. We were extremely proud to be one of only a handful of Regionals worldwide to have an event that year and thanks to how well it was managed there was not a single covid case reported afterward.

I was honoured to be a part of the first MicroBurn back in 2014, in fact, it was my very first Burn experience. It was transformational to me, cheesy, yes, I know, but true. 

I have been involved with MicroBurn ever since and attended every event as part of the core crew. I have done many different roles over the years and am currently one of the Co-Directors for MicroBurn but also one of the U.K Regional Contacts for Burning Man. The Burning Man community is incredible but the MicroBurn community is family. 

This year marks MicroBurns 10th Anniversary and I know it will continue for many more years to come thanks to the dedication and hard work of our wonderful community who make it such a special place to be.

Big Hugs to all, John (Buzz) Woods.