Creating a culture of consent for event tourism.

Abstract Transformative festivals have emerged as a fascinating trend in events literature. These festivals promise long-lasting personal transformation in what are often billed as modern-day rites of passage. Some scholars view Burning Man as the progenitor of all transformative festivals, although the decommodified nature of the now 75,000-person annual arts and culture event marks it as distinct in several key ways. Foremost among these is the official code of conduct for the community known as the 10 Principles. A grassroots commitment to consent, known as 11th Principle Consent, also distinguishes the community from outwardly similar festivals. Within the liminal space of the event, these rules supplant many of the hegemonic structures of everyday life, making Burning Man, and its global network of smaller events, a fascinating case study from which to explore the creation of alternative cultural norms and their effects. This chapter explores the evolution and implementation of a culture of consent through in-depth interviews with the female-identifying Burners who drove the creation of this movement. It also traces the development of community-protected safe spaces to explore and grow. The liminal nature of the tourism event experience makes such an experimental culture possible and serves as a unique case study for scholars interested in the transformative potential of tourism events.