IMPORTANT NOTE
For starters, know that only Burning Man sell tickets for their event. There is no point trying to purchase your ticket outside the official network, unless you wish to get scammed or turned away at the entrance to the event.
Be careful of websites such as Viag…o who sell tickets before they have even officially been put up for sale. These websites have no authorizations and are all smoke and mirrors.
Ticket resale is supervised by the organizers, to ensure that you receive a real ticket and that the reseller makes no profit.
Reselling a ticket for a price higher than the original purchasing price is forbidden. Do not get involved with someone who wishes to sell you a ticket for more than the official price.
Never buy a ticket outside the official channels. This ticket may be cancelled by the organizers if it has been declared stolen or lost by its previous owner.
HOW TO PURCHASE YOUR BURNING MAN TICKET ?
So, you’ve decided to go to Burning Man, and you’re wondering how to purchase your ticket ? Follow the guide.
There are different types of tickets, whose sell dates follow a very specific calendar, available on the official website : https://tickets.burningman.org/
A burner profile is required to take part in a ticket sale, and you must sign up for the sale approximately one week ahead of time. Check the calendar on the official website carefully to make sure you don’t miss anything.
Each kind of ticket is only available in limited amount. And they sell like hot cakes!
MAIN SALE
This is the « general public » sale. It usually takes place at the end of March or early April. A ticket costs $575 (2024 price), and you can purchase two per order, as well as a vehicle pass ($150). Don’t forget to take into account the additional taxes, as well as provision fees. You can choose to have the ticket delivered through mail, or to collect it at Will Call.
Approximately 15,000 tickets are available during the main sale. They are gone within minutes, so you must be punctual to hope to land one.
A couple of tips for the Main sale:
- Be on time and don’t forget about the time difference – the sale often starts at 9pm, French time.
- Make sure you have enough money in your bank account and your purchase limit is high enough. Two tickets and one vehicle pass come to more or less 1,600€, including taxes and delivery fees. You wouldn’t want to miss out on the sale because your purchase was denied.
- The sale is confirmed once your payment has been accepted. Be patient and try to stay philosophical: every year the website is saturated, and there is no counting the number of bugs that occur at the very last step. Getting a ticket during the main sale is also (and especially) a matter of luck.
THE OFFICIAL RESALE PROGRAM : STEP (Secure Ticket Exchange Program)
Those who have purchased their ticket can resell it safely on the official website. On the buyer side of things, STEP guaranties that the ticket being sold is a real ticket and that it is resold at the proper price. Making a profit off the resale of a Burning Man ticket is forbidden.
Just like for the main sale, you have to sign up at a set date. It seems that the system works like a waiting list: tickets are offered to the buyers according to the order in which they registered. You’re going to have to be quick to sign up!
Don’t lose hope: between those who bought too many tickets, those whose plans changed in the meantime (the main sale is in April while Burning Man takes place in August-September), and those with a last minute hitch, you may very well manage to land your golden ticket this way!
THE PRESALE : FOMO SALE
The FOMO sale is a kind of presale: about 4,000 tickets are offered up before the main sale. They are more expensive than the “regular” tickets: between $1,500 and $2,750. These tickets help finance the Low Income tickets (Ticket Aid Program) thanks to the difference between their price and the price of a regular ticket. You can purchase up to two tickets and one vehicle pass ($150) per order.
It is easier to buy a ticket during the FOMO sale than the main sale. If you can afford it, it is a good way to purchase a ticket and contribute to the democratic system of Burning Man.
Careful, purchasing a FOMO ticket disqualifies you from the other sales, and these tickets are not as easy to resell in the STEP because of their cost.
REDUCED PRICE TICKETS FOR LOW INCOME : TICKET AID PROGRAM
Every year, part of the tickets are available at a reduced price for people with low or modest incomes. In 2024, the organizing committee is saving 5,000 tickets for this program, at a price of $225 each. It is also possible to purchase a $75 vehicle pass.
To benefit from this program, you need to put together a file while the program is open. Don’t wait too long: the tickets are distributed based on date of reception of your file, if you fulfill the conditions. The tickets are nominative and individual. Tickets purchased through this program cannot be sent to you – you will have to retrieve yours at Will Call, upon presentation of your ID.
This program is not only for American citizens. You can participate and potentially receive a ticket whether you live in the United States or not. Instructions for putting together your file are available on the official website : https://tickets.burningman.org/2024-ticket-aid-program/
Be careful: purchasing a ticket during another sale disqualifies you from the LOW INCOME program.
LAST CHANCE : OMG SALE
A few tickets are sold at the last minute, at the very beginning of August. Be careful, as these tickets go very fast: 3,000 tickets at a price of $575 each are expected in 2024.
TICKETS FOR THE CAMPS : STEWARDS SALE
The largest share of tickets is reserved for the camps: 30,000 tickets in 2024. They are assigned by the organizing committee based on the size and interactivity of each Theme camp.
This program enhances the essential participation of the Theme camps in the interactive aspect of the event. This way, each camp is guaranteed that their core members will be present to see through the camp’s project.
You cannot sign up to this sale, only camp leaders can invite you to purchase a ticket at this sale. These tickets are limited in number – recipients in each camp are therefore chosen carefully, based on the skills they can provide during the key steps of camp preparation.
Although most of these tickets are distributed based on seniority in the camp, camp leaders sometimes seek very specific profiles to develop new projects. Be on the lookout for these ads, and don’t hesitate to be proactive!
KIDS TICKETS
Children under the age of 12 can attend Burning Man for free, with their parents or legal guardians. However, they must present an individual ticket that you will have to print via the official Burning Man website.
VEHICLE PASS
Only vehicles with a Vehicle Pass sticker are allowed to enter Burning Man. Far from incidental, this pass is essential to transport all your equipment to your camp site, unless you plan on travelling to the event by bus (Burner express).
Le Vehicle Pass s’achète en même temps que votre ticket. Il coûte $140 (tarif aThe Vehicle Passes must be purchased at the same time as your ticket. It costs $150 (2024 price).
Terms and dates are regularly updated on the website: https://tickets.burningman.org/.