Well, slap my spurs and call me dusty, you’ve made yourself one fine decision! Hosting a theme camp out in Tankwa Town is like hitching your wagon to the real Burn experience – wild, dusty, full of heart, and definitely full of pancakes (and maybe a few questionable decisions).
This here handbook? It’s your trusty saddlebag of knowledge – everything you need to turn that Theme Camp dream of yours into a real-deal dusty desert hoedown.
If you’ve got yourself a question that ain’t wrangled up in this here handbook, mosey on over to the Quaggapedia and see if it’s been rounded up there. Still comin’ up dry? Then holler at your camp wrangler or send a smoke signal (or, y’know, an email) to themecamps@afrikaburn.com.
From disco roller rinks to body painting saloons, from tea tents to psychedelic pancake parlours – if you can dream it, dust it off and bring it. The stranger, the better.
A good camp crew is like a strong rodeo team – everyone pulls their weight, no one rides the bull alone. Don’t let yourself get burnt out before you even set foot in Tankwa Town. Delegate!
A rough theme camp map
You should be open Monday to Sunday, for at least a couple of hours a day.
Make an info board! Write a blurb for the WTF guide. Make a jingle for RFT (Radio Free Tankwa). Let the townsfolk know what wild wonders await in your camp.
Radical Self-Reliance is the name of the game, but… Sometimes a stretch tent or generator helps to make your project come alive. Please read the Supplier Policy and follow the rules.
Email suppliers@afrikaburn.com for ya questions and answers.
As you know, you need to be radically self-reliant and bring everything you need to Tankwa Town, including water.
For grey water tips look in the Quaggapedia
For Moop questions, email MOOP@Afrikaburn.com
For water questions, email water@afrikaburn.com
Questions? Email ice@afrikaburn.com
Gifting booze? Only to over 18s please, check wristbands.
Read the Generator Policy
Ain’t everybody gonna wanna hoot ‘n’ holler when you do – and not everyone’s hitting the hay when you are, neither. So be neighbourly, y’hear? Most important of all, lay out your sound plans as clear as a desert sky in your Theme Camp application. That way, our placement posse knows where to stick ya.
If y’all are bringing the rowdy rodeo vibes, you’ll be wrangled into the Loud Zone. If you’re more of a peace-and-quiet, incense-burnin’, star-gazin’ kinda outfit, you’ll get settled in a softer, quieter neck of the woods.
The Theme Camp Committee? They ain’t throwing darts at a map – they put a heap o’thought into making sure y’all end up where you’ll fit best. So trust ‘em.
Now don’t go saying you’re a silent saloon and then sneak in a sound system on the sly. If your buddy shows up with big bass dreams, you might have to hitch up your wagon and move along. This here’s a community, so pick your neighbourhood with care – and remember, honesty makes for being good neighbours.
Read the Sound Policy.
Now, if you’re setting up a sound rig, listen closely – it comes with its own rulebook and a few non-negotiables. You’ll need to chat with the sound wrangling crew before the Burn kicks off. Yup, there’ll be sound meetings beforehand – and you best saddle up and show face.
Before you even think about setting up them speakers, mosey on over to Off Centre Camp and call one of the AfrikaBurn Sound Wranglers to advise you. They’ll ride out to your plot, take a gander at your setup, and make sure your tunes don’t go battling your neighbour’s beats – or worse, blast the wrong folks with unwanted noise (that’s what we call SOOP: Sound Out Of Place).
Real important: point them speakers toward the open stretch of Binnekring road – not toward your peace-lovin’, early-snoozin’ neighbors up the hill. Ain’t no one wants a rave in their hammock zone at midnight.
Bottom line? Be thoughtful. Be decent. We’re all sharing this dusty ol’ town together, and a little sound sense goes a long way in keeping the peace.
Sunday Midnight = music stops, pardner. The crew are tired and have a long drive home on Monday.
Ain’t nothing worse than tripping over someone’s sparkly unicorn bike.
Why not provide a bike rack or a parking zone?
As Theme Camps need to be set up and be operational from Monday, you and your set-up team (this does not include the entire camp, only those who will be setting up the space) will be eligible for WAPs. So plan ahead by getting WAPS for your essential setup crew. This happens in March, check your inbox for the email.
Tankwa Town Rangers ain’t just any old folk. They’re the heart and soul of this dusty frontier, holding the line between wild freedom and looking out for one another. In the middle of the harsh, sun-cracked beauty of the Karoo, these orange-vested Rangers ride tall to keep the peace and keep folks connected.
They ain’t lawmen, but they sure as heck are guardians – Burners who give the mighty gift of their time, grit, and know-how, all in service of them 11 Principles we hold so dear.
You’ll spot them wearing orange waistcoats, standing calm in the storm, ready with a steady word or a helping hand. They ain’t here to boss ya around – they’re here to help you find your way through the dust. So if you’re lost, rattled, or just need a friendly steer, don’t be shy to holler.
Show them the same respect you’d give a trail guide in a thunderstorm -‘cause out here, that’s exactly what they are.
So saddle up, ride smart, and build something unforgettable.
See ya out there, cowboy.