The all you need to know guide to attend Burning Man this year!
One of the greatest large scale festivals, that is Burning Man, is right around the corner, marking the 30th year since its inception, and we couldn’t be more excited! The festival is a unique community art and music festival that is held in the temporary setting of Black Rock City in the deserts of Nevada in the USA. This year, Burning Man will take place from August 27th to September 4th.
Previous editions of the festival stunned attendees from everywhere with their mammoth art and more than insta-worthy picturesque set ups and this year shall be no different! With just 54 days left until the man goes burning down, here’s a low down on all the important dates and what you’ll need to attend the festival.
Lineup:
This year the acts expected to take centre-stage at Burning Man are Nico Stojan, Madmotormiquel, Unders, Amine K, KMLN, and Jake The Rapper. While no official announcement has been made about the lineup yet, it’s safe to assume that these DJs will be the entertaining acts for this year’s edition.
1. Festival Tickets
With a majority of the early passes having already sold out, Burning Man will be conducting a resale of tickets. Tickets up for grabs will be the “OMG Sale” tickets, priced at $425, approx. 27,410 INR, and the limited sale $1200 (approx. 77,394 INR) tickets. All purchase of tickets require you to register and create a Burner profile, here. Tickets are limited to 2 festival tickets and 1 vehicle pass per person. Registration for the OMG Sale began on Thursday, July 27th at 12:30 am IST and goes on till Saturday, July 29th, 12:30 am IST. Official sale of the “OMG Sale” tickets begins on Thursday, August 3rd at 12:30 am IST.
2. Air Fare
The closest airport from the temporary Black Rock City is the Reno-Tahoe International Airport. A round-trip from India can cost anywhere from 80,000 INR upwards.
Mumbai:
New Delhi:
Bengaluru:
3. Getting There
Once at Reno-Tahoe International Airport, Burning Man has a transportation service that will take you to BRC Municipal Airport and to the campsite. Burner Express Air will offer flights from Wednesday, August 23 through Monday, September 4, from Reno-Tahoe International Airport, the Bay Area and Southern California. To avail this service, festival attendees must have a valid Burner Express Air booking along with a Burning Man ticket, Will Call confirmation number, or other valid entry credential to fly into BRC Municipal Airport. A round-trip from Reno will cost you 35,233 INR and a round-trip from Oakland International (East Bay) will cost about 69,370 INR.
Make your Burner Express Air flight booking here.
This year fliers will be allowed an extra piece of baggage, for those who fly from Reno, making the total count five pieces of baggage not exceeding 11 kilograms. From BRC Municipal Airport, there will be shuttle bus services every 20 to 45 minutes, that will take you to the venue. There will be no detours along the route, so prepare to walk the rest of the way to your campsite if it doesn’t fall in the specified bus route. Burner Express fliers can stock up on water on arriving at BRC for a fee of 96 INR for almost 6 litres of water.
People who drive in to BRC will have to pay a fee of 5,162 INR to avail a vehicle pass.
4. Camping and Accommodation
Burning Man operates on the principle of planned theme villages that house camps for attendees. The final layout and plans are announced closer to the date of the event. As Burning Man thrives on the ideology of community effort and sustenance, people who will be staying at the camps within the villages will have to pitch in to contribute during the duration of the stay. As Burning Man is a commerce-free zone, attendees must carry everything they may need, and we do mean everything! Right from the tents, to the food, water, clothing, etc.
Tents may be the economical way to go with you only having to carry your gear and setting up tent at either the theme camps or anywhere in Black Rock City premises that aren’t cordoned off. Theme Camps do have a fee of about 10,000 INR, to set you up within their camp premises. Another option is to rent an RV, which will cost you about 64,530 INR, for almost a week, depending on the kind of RV you choose. RV’s are an expensive option and require a vehicle pass to get into BRC as well, which will set you back by 5,162 INR again.
Burning Man is a pedestrian-friendly zone and the best way to commute the grounds is to bring/rent a bicycle or to walk.
5. Food & Beverages
Burning Man has a strict NO VENDING policy, so say goodbye to all your hopes of finding a Subway in Black Rock City. All food provisions are to be brought by each individual, including water, ahead of their arrival at Black Rock City. Stocking up on essential meals will cost you anywhere between 12,900 INR to 32,265 INR for 7 days. This cost varies from person to person and is dependent on the items a person brings to the festival.
6. Total Expenditure
Considering the exuberant you might have to shell out for this extraordinary event, we list out the most economical budget so that you get the real bang for your buck with this experience.
Burning Man can be a one-of-a-kind experience when done right. Keep the principles of Burning Man in mind and follow the principle of recycling and leaving no trace behind! See you on the other side of the world folks!