It’s inevitable cool and interesting things will evolve, and the people there early will bemoan how it used to be cooler.
replyNo, it's not inevitable. Burning Man is just making excuses for selling out.
Look at how high school kids dress these days. The cool kids today style themselves much the same way as the cool kids did back in the 2000's, the 1980's, the 1950's, and to some extent even back to the 1930's.
Blue jeans and white t-shirts. Concert shirts. Doc Martins. The infamous "little black dress." Dorm room posters and pin-ups. Even hair styles. Some things are "classic" and always cool. Burning Man isn't one of them.
I feel like you are just listing things you think are cool. I don't think everyone finds those things you listed cool.
replyFair. My less cynical take is Burning Man made the choice that what they had created should be experienced by lots of people, even at the expense of it being a little less cool or counter-culture.
replyPersonally I think the world is a little better off by it going somewhat mainstream.