Why no-camera rules matter
Nightlife and festival scenes consistently point to one thing: phones on the dance floor change the vibe. Clubs like Berghain—where resident DJs such as DVS1 have helped cement a strict no-camera culture—show how far a clear, enforced policy can go. In Minneapolis, the techno community has leaned into that model and quickly learned phones-off spaces preserve privacy, consent and the feeling of being fully present.
How festivals and camps can make it real
- Start with leadership: camp leads, stage managers and headliners set the tone—ask them to model phones-off behavior.
- Designate phone-free zones: mark one or more stages or dance areas where recording is prohibited.
- Clear signage & messaging: tell attendees ahead of time and on-site what the policy is and why it exists.
- Provide alternatives: phone lockers, official photo hours, or staffed photo spots give people options without policing every person.
- Train enforcement teams: volunteers and security need a script and consistent consequences so rules aren’t arbitrary.
- Frame it as consent and safety: emphasize presence, respect and the protection of other people’s images.
There’s a useful conversation and short talk that inspired this approach — watch it here: DVS1 on no-camera culture.
If organizers want to protect the dance-floor vibe, the path is simple: make no-camera rules part of leadership values, communicate them clearly, and give crews the tools to enforce them fairly. It works in clubs—there’s no reason festivals and camps can’t follow suit.
Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/BurningMan/comments/1od9aus/enjoy_right_now_the_importance_of_no_camera/