Kiwiburn

In 1994, Mark ‘Yonderman’ Stirling and his partner Jane discovered [http://www.burningman.com/ Burning Man] by accident while on a camping trip in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada.{{cite news |last1=Rowe |first1=Don |title=Burned out: The Kiwi Burning Man has been cancelled |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/music/06-08-2018/burned-out-the-kiwi-burning-man-has-been-cancelled/ |access-date=24 July 2021 |publisher=The Spinoff |date=6 August 2018}}{{cite news |last1=Kane |first1=Jenny |title=7 mini-Burning Mans (with easier-to-get tickets) |url=https://www.rgj.com/story/life/arts/burning-man/2016/03/23/7-mini-burning-mans-youve-never-been-and-can-get-tix/82122350/ |access-date=24 July 2021 |publisher=Reno Gazette Journal |date=22 March 2016}} Mark decided to stage the first regional burn in New Zealand in late 2003 as part of the South Island's Visionz festival. It was met with great enthusiasm from the participants, so the 2005 and 2006 burns took place as stand-alone events, attracting around 200 people (Mark co-ran these events with Grant ‘Tribalman’ Knowles, a friend and local drum-maker/festival organizer).

2007 marked the first year the festival was held in the North Island. In mid-2006, amidst the planning for the 2007 event, a group of highly enthused, motivated burners joined with Yonderman to form an organizational structure and bring the event north. The event was aptly named Megamorphosis, which means Massive Change. [http://kiwiburn.com/ Kiwiburn] has helped create a large community of burners around New Zealand, and the annual event, along with the occasional localized gatherings,{{cite web |title=fire on all cylinders – ignition is go |url=https://kiwiburn.com/news/fire-on-all-cylinders-ignition-is-go/ |website=Kiwiburn |access-date=24 July 2021}}{{cite web |title=Southern Smoulder, August 2019 |url=https://kiwiburn.com/news/southern-smoulder-august-2019/ |website=Kiwiburn |access-date=24 July 2021}} continue to maintain its unique culture.

Kiwiburn celebrated its 10-year anniversary in 2013 with the theme enlighTENment, {{cite web |last1=Kiwiburn |title=Celebrating 10 burning years! KIWIBURN 2013: enlighTENment. |url=https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/CU1211/S00629/celebrating-10-burning-years-kiwiburn-2013-enlightenment.htm |website=Scoop Independent News |access-date=24 July 2021}} and its 20th anniversary in 2024 with Decadance.{{Cite web |title=Theme Announcement! |url=https://kiwiburn.com/news/theme-announcement/ |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=Kiwiburn |language=en-NZ}}

After seven burns in Whakamaru Doman, Mangakino, Kiwiburn moved to a private farm in Hunterville in 2014. It was a huge undertaking to find a new site, close to a town and away from roads, where the locals immediately embraced the festival's culture.{{cite news |last1=Wilson |first1=Zared |title=Kiwiburn rises in riverside paddocks |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/whanganui-chronicle/news/kiwiburn-rises-in-riverside-paddocks/MTUVF6PGCMO4JTI5YSYU537G44/ |access-date=24 July 2021 |publisher=Whanganui Chronicle |date=24 January 2015}}

The event is now held annually at the end of January.{{cite news |last1=Rowe |first1=Don |title=Burned out: The Kiwi Burning Man has been cancelled |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/music/06-08-2018/burned-out-the-kiwi-burning-man-has-been-cancelled/ |access-date=24 July 2021 |publisher=The Spinoff |date=6 August 2018}}{{cite news |last1=Thomas |first1=Carly |title=Kiwiburn festival comes back to Hunterville |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/76321752/kiwiburn-festival-comes-back-to-hunterville |access-date=24 July 2021 |publisher=Stuff |date=28 January 2016}}

In mid February 2025, Kiwiburn organisers confirmed they were investigating allegations of inappropriate behaviour at the 2025 Kiwiburn festival at Hunterville between 22 and 27 January. A person attending the festival told Radio New Zealand that several individuals had masturbated and had open sex in the presence of children following the burning of the effigy.{{cite news |title=Children reportedly left distraught by public sex at cult Kiwi festival |url=https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/kiwiburn-organisers-ask-attendees-to-dob-in-people-having-public-sex-possibly-in-front-of-kids/ |access-date=13 February 2025 |work=Newstalk ZB |date=11 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250212082245/https://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/news/national/kiwiburn-organisers-ask-attendees-to-dob-in-people-having-public-sex-possibly-in-front-of-kids/ |archive-date=12 February 2025|url-status=live}}

Kiwiburn did not run in 2019 due to difficulty obtaining resource consent,{{cite news |last1=Kilmister |first1=Sam |title=Kiwiburn festival granted 10-year noise consent, but won't return until 2020 |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/108578831/kiwiburn-festival-granted-10-year-noise-consent-but-wont-return-until-2020 |access-date=24 July 2021 |publisher=Manawatū Standard |date=16 November 2018}}{{cite news |last1=McSweeny |first1=Jacob |title=Kiwiburn to return to Rangitikei in 2020 |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/whanganui-chronicle/news/kiwiburn-to-return-to-rangitikei-in-2020/XMP5VSAWMDJFQ65Z7RZYHDHSH4/ |access-date=24 July 2021 |publisher=Whanganui Chronicle |date=12 November 2018}} or in 2022 due to COVID-19.{{Cite web |title=Kiwiburn 2022 TimeTravel: Cancelled |url=https://kiwiburn.com/news/kiwiburn-2022-timetravel-cancelled/ |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=Kiwiburn |language=en-NZ}}

Each year's event is centered around an Art Theme, selected from community submissions.{{cite web |title=The Theme |url=https://kiwiburn.com/the-event/at-the-burn/theme/ |website=Kiwiburn |access-date=24 July 2021}}

Image:Kiwiburn 2008 firewhip.jpg at Kiwiburn '08]]

As a Regional Burning Man Event, Kiwiburn adheres to the ten principles of Burning Man. Among these are the Leave No Trace philosophy, radical self-expression, radical self-reliance, and communal effort.{{cite web |title=Guiding Principles |url=https://kiwiburn.com/the-event/culture/guiding-principles/ |website=Kiwiburn |access-date=24 July 2021}}

Theme Camps are one of the key components of vibrant regional Burning Man events. Theme Camps are established by participants to enhance the experience for all participants. Theme Camps often put on events during Kiwiburn so that participants get to know each other and encourage each other to get more involved [http://www.kiwiburn.com/participate/theme-camps/].{{cite news |last1=Wilson |first1=Zared |title=Kiwiburn blazes by the Rangitikei |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/whanganui-chronicle/news/kiwiburn-blazes-by-the-rangitikei/WQNBRGIC6HSWOVLZKIK4TZL5NM/ |access-date=24 July 2021 |publisher=Whanganui Chronicle |date=30 January 2016}}

Notable, recurrent theme camps include "The Hangout", "Where did all our couches go?", "funkhutt", "The Flojo", "Pillowtopia", "DanceAlot", "Chur", "Taradise", "Swing Fling", and "Camp F*ck Yeah".{{cite web |title=Theme Camp Central |url=https://burningwiki.com/wiki/Theme_Camp_Central |website=burningwiki |access-date=24 July 2021}}{{cite news |last1=Thomas |first1=Carly |title=Robots take over the countryside as Kiwiburn festival starts |url=https://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/88736105/robots-take-over-the-countryside-as-kiwiburn-festival-starts |access-date=24 July 2021 |publisher=Manawatū Standard |date=26 January 2017}}{{cite web |title=What is Kiwiburn |url=http://auckland.burners.nz/kiwiburn/ |website=Auckland Burners |access-date=24 July 2021}}

The theme for 2025 will be Trash Renaissance Fair.{{Cite web |title=The Kiwiburn 2025 Theme has been decided! |url=https://kiwiburn.com/news/the-kiwiburn-2025-theme-has-been-decided/ |access-date=2024-09-05 |website=Kiwiburn |language=en-NZ}}

• List of regional Burning Man events

{{reflist}}

• {{official website|http://kiwiburn.com}}

{{Burning Man}}

Category:Burning Man

Category:Clothing-optional events

Category:Counterculture festivals

Category:Cultural festivals in New Zealand

Category:Naturism in New Zealand