RADICAL RITUAL

Exclusive: Inside Burning Man 2017, the World’s Most Outrageous Rave


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Burning Man, the elaborate rave that takes place in the Nevada desert every year, drawing as many as 70,000 people—or Burners, as they’re called, including many celebrities like Paris Hilton, a first-class #burnerbae—is a strictly social media and camera-free zone, an oasis in the middle of Black Rock where you’re supposed to let go of your inhibitions and let loose. Photographer Christian Lamb, though, is a regular, a veteran for nearly a decade who knows the ins and outs of this yearly pilgrimage. Like last year, he documented the scene again for W, capturing the incredible sights, the exuberant costumes, and the beauty of Radical Ritual, as this year’s bonfire bacchanal was themed. Here, a rare look inside the most outrageous rave in the world.

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Photo by Christian Lamb for W Magazine.

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Photo by Christian Lamb for W Magazine.

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Photo by Christian Lamb for W Magazine.

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Photo by Christian Lamb for W Magazine.

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Photo by Christian Lamb for W Magazine.

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Photo by Christian Lamb for W Magazine.

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Photo by Christian Lamb for W Magazine.

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Photo by Christian Lamb for W Magazine.

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Photo by Christian Lamb for W Magazine.

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Photo by Christian Lamb for W Magazine.

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Photo by Christian Lamb for W Magazine.