Burning Man Tickets
Getting tickets to Burning Man is complicated. I am not sure whether this is deliberately so, to keep out half-hearted observers, or just the way things naturally developed. The purpose of this newsletter will be to help you cut through the red tape if you feel called to go.
To get any type of ticket, one must first have a Burner Profile. Anyone may sign up for a profile for free at profiles.burningman.org . Following are the various types of tickets.
Ticket Aid
5,000 tickets at $225 each are available through the Ticket Aid Program for low-income burners. Applications must provide proof of income and expenses. For information on that can be found at tickets.burningman.org.
FOMO
FOMO is an acronym for Fear of Missing Out. These tickets are meant for wealthy observing burners who don’t want to take their chances and jump through the hoops necessary for cheaper tickets. 3,000 tickets were available for $1,500 and 1,000 at $2,500. This sale is already over.
Stewards Sale
About 35,000 tickets are sold for $475 to Burners who are deemed to be essential to Burning Man. Those who are involved with art projects and cars may apply for these tickets. So many those who contribute towards Burning Man’s goal of racial diversity. I personally suspect a lot of people ride the coattails of friends involved in an art installation by being listed as helpers who aren’t really helping.
Main Sale
The Main Sale first requires registration. The two-day registration period is NOW! It goes from noon (Pacific time) March 23 to 25. Registration only gets you a code to compete in the actual sale. That sale is March 30 and is supposed to be first come first serve. Expect tickets to sell out in minutes. Even with your finger on your mouse at exactly the second the sale opens, expect to be rebuffed.
I can take losing in a fair system, but in the last Burning Man of 2019 they contracted the sale an outfit of incompetent clowns. Most people, including me, sat there with a message saying something to the effect we were in a queue and to not click “back” for three hours. It would seem those who cheated by clicking “back” over and over were the ones who were successful. Previous years were fraught with computer wizards finding ways to cheat the system and cut the line. It is all very frustrating. I think they should just have a fair lottery.
Even if you have no intention of going, consider registering for the Main Sale and trying your luck on March 30. If you are successful, you can surely score a lot of points with the Burner friends by reselling the tickets to them.
I would like to emphasize that selling Burning Man tickets above cost is strictly against the rules and contrary to the spirit of the event.
Personally, I have not committed to going this year. I think I will probably leave it up to chance in the Main Sale. There are already other adventures I have planned for the summer and squeezing in Burning Man would be tough. I’ll let you know what happens in the March 30 Main Sale in the March 31 newsletter.