Securing tickets to Black Rock City can feel like a daunting task. But there are several paths to a ticket and vehicle pass. The best way is through the STEP program, but you must register through your Burner Profile in advance to participate. Tickets also circulate through friends, Craigslist (be careful about swindlers), and even eBay.
STEP: Secure Tickets Exchange Program
STEP, the Secure Ticket Exchange Program, facilitates the safe resale of tickets and vehicle passes that have been bought directly from Burning Man. It’s meant to keep out scammers and speculators, and it doesn’t require registration but rather is accessed through your Burner Profile portal. It opens up for buyers in April and offers tickets on a first-come, first-served basis based on the timestamp of when you registered.
If you’re looking to get a ticket in this way, it’s wise to register as soon as registration opens up and block off the day the sale happens (dates are listed below). Typically, registering for the FOMO Sale is your best bet — as is enlisting a group of friends who are also interested in getting a ticket and can help you nab one.
Other ways to get a ticket include low-income tickets, which are available to anyone who can articulate their financial limitations and desire to attend in an essay application; and volunteering for departments at the event, which is rewarded with a ticket the following year. Finally, paying attention to the ePlaya forums starting in June is a good bet as many Burners sell tickets through this method. Just be sure to only buy from trusted sellers and never pay more than face value – making a profit is against the ethos of the event.
Online Sales
For a week every August, tens of thousands of people descend upon the Black Rock Desert in Nevada to create a temporary society based on community and self-expression. They are known as burners, and they endure sweltering heat, eight-hour traffic jams, and an endless expanse of mud in pursuit of the transformational experience that is Burning Man.
The festival’s organizing committee reserves a portion of tickets for a discounted price for those with modest incomes and for participants in large camps. Camps are required to demonstrate their ability to sustain themselves during the week of the event through a questionnaire, and these ticket recipients are given priority in the FOMO sale. This option is not ideal for first-timers because it disqualifies them from purchasing standard tickets in the main sale, and they cannot resell their ticket or vehicle pass after the sale.
The main sale, which is usually held at the end of March or early April, provides a limited number of original-standard tickets and vehicle passes. To participate, you must register through your Burner Profile. Once you have registered, an email will appear in your inbox, letting you know when the online sale is open. During the sale, you must be available to purchase your tickets within a specific window of time. Once you click “Buy Now,” a progress bar will appear. Don’t close or refresh the page, and take some mindful breaths until it reaches 100% and you can complete your purchase.
Resale
Burning Man frowns on profit-making when it comes to tickets and vehicle passes, so people who sell them for more than face value are not welcomed at the event. This is illegal, and you can report violators to the organizers through a form available on your Burner Profile. However, tickets and vehicle passes can be transferred among participants for free, as long as the final name on the will-call ticket or vehicle pass is the one that gets you into the Black Rock Desert.
Besides the main sale, there are some other ways to score tickets. Participating in local art projects or volunteering for specific departments of the event gives you access to tickets and vehicle passes. However, these tickets are usually given the following year, so they are not a good option for those looking to attend this year.
Another way to get a ticket is through the FOMO sale, which takes place approximately a month before art cars begin to spill into the Black Rock Desert. Registration for this sale opens before the actual sales, and it’s a good idea to sign up early to improve your chances. People who have been to the event before also tend to have better access to resale tickets. Finally, don’t forget about participant-run tools for ticket resale; these sites allow you to purchase tickets from other participants without being exposed to scammers or scalpers. Just make sure that the seller provides you with a verification code to ensure that they are selling a valid ticket.
Group Sales
This is an annual ticket sale where the organizers reserve some of their tickets to sell at a discount to people who can prove financial need. This is a very competitive avenue for tickets, as the organizers are looking to ensure that only those with a need can access the event. They ask applicants to provide extensive documentation of their situation and to answer a series of questions, including why they want to attend. Those who provide the most compelling answers and can best articulate their need are usually awarded tickets.
It’s important to note that this ticket purchase method is not a guaranteed way to attend the burn, as these passes are largely assigned to theme camps for their core members. However, it can be a great path to purchase tickets and can give you an advantage over others, especially in the FOMO and main sales.
To take advantage of this, you’ll need to create a new burner profile and apply a week before the actual ticket and vehicle pass sale. Then you can participate in the STEP sale, which is a secure and trusted resale program. It’s only available through a Burner Profile and is a great way to avoid scalpers and other scams. In addition to this, many of the local theme camps hold a live conference call during both the FOMO and main sales so that those who are new can get their questions answered in real time.