I heard about the Orgy Dome during my first burn in 2010, but I thought it was a joke because, when I looked at the map, there was no listing for the Orgy Dome on it. This is because the Orgy Dome’s actual name is “And Then There’s Only Love,” or ATTOL. And, according to Penelope* who I interviewed for this article, Love is the foundation of the Orgy Dome.
I’d never heard anyone speak about their spiritual practice and the Orgy Dome in the same sentence until I met Penelope at the 2018 Burn, her first year camping with ATTOL. She told me that her spiritual path is the practice of Universal Love, which is one of the reasons she loves ATTOL’s intention to be a safe container to express love in community.
As any tantrika will tell you, safety is key to connected sex, and ATTOL does everything they can to create a safe container. The camp provides condoms, lube, and small towels to stay hygienic. Camp volunteers regularly check the dome for anything that looks non-consensual, for unaccompanied individuals, or for people who’ve passed out. Everyone who comes to the dome has to confirm they are sober enough to give verbal consent then listen to a detailed talk on consent. ATTOL estimates that they educated 10,000 people in consent in 2022. That’s a pretty awesome service to a world waking up to #meToo.
And you also have the choice to go into the ‘Just Us’ space, or to the ‘Open to More’ space, where you can invite others into your lovemaking. “That choice gives you the feeling of autonomy, and autonomy gives you the sense of safety,” Penelope told me.
Before Penelope camped with ATTOL, she worked professionally as a dominatrix and was on the list for every kink party and sex club in Europe. So there isn’t much that could sexually shock her. What did surprise her about the Orgy Dome is the focus and detail they give to consent. “In the Orgy Dome, you need to get consent just to watch,” she told me. “I’d never heard anything like that in Europe but it makes so much sense, because your focus makes you a participant in the sex.”
But of the many personal accounts I’ve heard and the reviews I’ve read on Reddit, experiences of the Orgy Dome vary wildly. From my very unscientific research, negative reviews are far more common than positive. The most common negative reviews mention the long lines, the smell, or the phrase “the people at the orgy dome are never the people you want at the orgy dome.”
With 8000 people served each year at the Orgy Dome, there can be very long lines to get in. Some have waited hours in the heat only to walk out shortly after a few minutes, completely turned off by the atmosphere they found there. In a place with few showers and heavy partying, it’s not surprising that there will be a stench in the sex tent as the week goes on. So if you want to try it, it’s probably a good idea to get in there early.
There are glowing reviews too. One friend told me her experience was revelatory. She and her then-partner felt like their public lovemaking allowed them to see one another in a new way which deepened their intimacy. Penelope’s first experience in the ‘Open to More’ space involved having sex facing another couple. “As I began to climax, the man across from me reached out to hold my hand. It was a simple gesture but deeply intimate. And, as I orgasmed, the woman reached across and touched my forehead at my third eye. It was a powerful moment.”
ATTOL it isn’t the only container for sexual exploration at Burning Man. Camps like Naked Heart offer workshops such as “The Joy of Penetration,” Suspended Animation camp can teach you the art of Shibari, and even Playalchemist hosted a workshop involving group masturbation last year.
As Penelope says, “Any day of Burning Man, you can open the Burning Man Guide and find a range in sexual practices on offer: Do I want to paint a yoni self-portrait? Or do a guided masturbation meditation? It’s all there to explore.”
*Penelope’s name has been changed for obvious reasons
