Burning Man 2013 Tickets: the Holiday Sale

Here’s the deal: we don’t know yet what Black Rock City’s allowable peak population for 2013 will be. Some of the details of agreements that impact that number have not yet been finalized, which means we don’t have enough data to determine precisely how many tickets will be sold and at what price. We are working hard to get our permits and agreements in place, and will be announcing the full ticket plan on Friday January 4, 2013. That said…

We know you’re super curious about some big questions, and we’d like to put your mind at ease about a few things right now: tickets will be sold first-come first-served — that’s right, no lottery. Secondly, purchasing tickets will require pre-registration so that we can weed out known scalpers beforehand. We’ll offer a robust Low Income Ticket Program, as we have in the past, and we’re bringing back the Secure Ticket Exchange Program (STEP) to facilitate the safe, hassle-free exchange of tickets between people in the aftermarket.

So there are the big ones for you. We’ll have the rest — all the details — on January 4th. And with that, here’s information about the Holiday Sale …

Burning Man Tickets Holiday Sale
Early-birds can participate in our Holiday Sale, which allows folks to buy tickets in time for holiday gifting. PLEASE NOTE: Holiday Sale tickets are priced dramatically higher than our regular tickets will be and Black Rock City, LLC will donate 3% of the price of each ticket from this early Holiday Sale to the Burning Man Project, a new nonprofit dedicated to spreading Burning Man culture around the world. (In addition, Black Rock City, LLC makes other substantial contributions throughout the year to support the Burning Man Project, including contributing the proceeds from fundraising events and many other forms of support.)

So … here are the details for the Holiday Sale:

  • 3000 tickets will be offered at $650 each for the Holiday Sale.
  • In order to participate in this sale, you must pre-register here.
  • Registration is open NOW and will close at noon PST on Wednesday December 19th.
  • Those pre-registered will be able to participate in the first-come first-served sale on Thursday December 20th, starting at noon PST.
  • You may purchase a maximum of 4 tickets per person.
  • These tickets are not eligible for STEP, but are transferable (you may resell them on your own, if you wish).
  • The only payment types accepted are Mastercard or Visa credit cards, or debit cards with either the Visa or Mastercard symbols. If you don’t have one of these cards, you will need to obtain a one-time use card.
  • Physical tickets will be shipped between June 1 and July 15, unless you opt for pick-up at Will Call in Black Rock City.

(We will not be implementing identity-based ticketing (e.g. name-on-ticket) … for more information, see this blog post from Larry Harvey.)

As always, you can find find full ticket information on http://tickets.burningman.com, and answers to your questions in our Ticketing FAQ and spiffy new online ticketing forum.

About the author: Will Chase

Will Chase

Will Chase is Burning Man's former Minister of Propaganda, working on global communications strategy. He was the editor-in-chief for the Jackrabbit Speaks newsletter and the Burning Man Journal, and content manager for Burning Man’s web properties. He also oversaw the ePlaya BBS and Burning Man’s social media presence. Will first attended Burning Man in 2001. He volunteered as the Operations Manager for the ARTery (Black Rock City’s art HQ) and was on the Burning Man Art Council from 2003-2008. He was Web Team Project Manager and Webmaster from 2004 until he transitioned to the Communications Department in 2009.

128 Comments on “Burning Man 2013 Tickets: the Holiday Sale

  • simon of the playa says:

    im ok with that if you guys are giving out S&H Green Stamps with each ticket.

    there’s this inflatable raft i really want.

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  • Scott says:

    Wow, $650 each? Way to gentrify the event, or at minimum the pre sale. I wonder who is profiting from this increase in prices?

    Report comment

  • Rob says:

    Sounds perfectly reasonable to me. But I’ll be waiting until tickets are a tad cheaper!

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  • Lamb says:

    Yeah, if you smoke crack…

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  • Doug says:

    Merry Christmas mother fuckers!
    Sincerely,
    Larry Harvey

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  • JohnSned says:

    “Decommodification”

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  • Todd says:

    $650 per ticket. Gross. I hope you pave em a yellow brick road for easy in-and-out.

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  • Lenny says:

    Great way to raise a bit of capital. Good idea but like Rob, I’ll wait until the prices is a little bit cheaper. See you in 2013 :)

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  • aleXander says:

    Why wait for scalpers to do it later in the year when you can have INSIDER SCALPING!

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  • Jeff says:

    No, really. The part I like is 3% will be donated to world wide marketing of the event.

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  • willow summers says:

    Since when do we need marketing what a joke grrrr!!! will there also be more “private parties” with security, a line, and ropes to keep common burners out like the OSIRIS party this year too!!!?

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  • Efka says:

    650$ Not profit organization? End who you call scalpers?

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  • Mutant vehicle owners of America says:

    Let’s see….I paid $280. For a ticket two years ago. $390. Last year. So….that would make this years ticket somewhere in the vicinity of….say…..$500. for a ticket to the big event. I won’t be able to afford two tickets at that price.

    Can’t wait to see how it plays out……

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  • Joeyo says:

    3% of each ticket isn’t very much. So why mark it up so high? I understand this money gets the event started. $650? You guys are giving the scalpers a ridiculous reasons to scalp. What a way to start he ticket sales. Who pulls these ideas out of there ass?

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  • Ghost says:

    Boy, $650/ticket, 3000 tickets, about $1.8M and the event does not have a permit and is still engaged in a lawsuit with Pershing County which must be resolved before the permit can be issued, if the location of the event remains the same.
    Well if history is a guide, it is going to be a very expensive year just on the ticket. I will plan on going, but this years event is going to have to way better than last years or it will be my last.
    Ghost.

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  • Michiel says:

    This is bullshit, I see nowhere a justification for this outrageous price. It only creates more stress for getting the Burning Man tickets. Scalpers even get a decent reason to ask stupid prices, because the official prices are even higher. Truly disappointed by the lack of vision from BM here..

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  • Ryan says:

    OH MY GOD BURNING MAN IS SO STUPID I’M NOT GOING TO GO AND I’M GOING TO STAY HOME AND BE A LITTLE WHINY FUCKING BITCH ABOUT IT THE WHOLE TIME

    I’ve never actually been, but fuck you guys. I’m never going now!

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  • Fresh says:

    1.8m raised by preying on those frightened that they won’t get a ticket and catering to those corrupt enough to scalp them? Is there some kind of ethics panel in the BMan Org where they run decisions like this through the sniff test of the 10 principles? Clearly not.

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  • The time traveler says:

    I was fortunate enough to receive a low income ticket last year and have been holding on to 500 dollars thinking it would be enough currency for an early ticket but that’s not the case. I guess I’ll be waiting with my $500 when the tickets go on sale first come first serve. Although this way causes some people anxiety, I can see why BM decided to do it this way. Let’s just face it the demographics of this event (are/was in the past) 50% engineers,lawyers,psychologist,sociologist and such. We all deal with higher levels of stress and anxiety than most other professions, let’s just suck it up like we do in the default world and prepare to return home. P.E.A.C.E.

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  • Tink says:

    What if this is all just a big experiment analyzing human behavior when faced with stress? Perhaps our comments are being compiled and analyzed. The full study outcome will be published in 2018. Let’s just party in the desert!

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  • Katrina says:

    What’s wrong, if a person wants to spend 650 on a ticket for a present or for themselves. Nothing! Three percent goes to spreading the word, does this really upset you? Why? It’s obvious you are not spending the $650, but there are people out there who can afford it and want to help out whether spreading the word, a Christmas gift, or security, or for whatever reason. Possibly, the more holiday tickets sold, will help the organizers keep the price close to what it has been in the past so we can all enjoy it at a price which is pretty reasonable.
    I too, will wait and hope to get first tier, but who am I to complain about Holiday prices. It’s the Holiday folks, get out of the bah humbug mood and enjoy life a bit.
    It’s back to first come first serve. I think we should all be celebrate, give more power the people that are willing to spend the 650 to help keep the cost lower for us. If it wasn’t for this, that 1.8 million could have been part of the next ticket sale.
    Just saying……
    For now, there are alot of sad things happening in the world right now, including our own country. This is a time to be greatful for what we have, live each day to the fullest, dance like nobody is watching and make a difference in someones life. To whomever buys a ticket right now, thank you, thank you, thank you! For all of us waiting patiently to sign on in January to get first tier, you know it will be worth it, especially since it’s first come first serve. It always is!

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  • KG says:

    650$ per ticket? What is offered there that could justify this? I’ve never been, but I can say I’m not that damn desparte to party! I mean WTF? How arrogant can you be? Obviously a place for greedy fuckheads to take advantage of dumbasses that would pay such a ridiculous price. Now I know it’s definitely not for me! Have fun with all that cash greedy bitches! LOL!

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  • Peter says:

    So these are maybe $200 over a basic ticket? I suspect that they will be easier to get than the basic ticket from the perspectives I see posted and I doubt scalpers would invest 650 per, especially after last year where people know that tickets come up fairly priced eventually.
    It’ll be worth it for me and my crew to secure tickets early and avoid all the emotional trauma of last year. We will be able to prepare our schedules and such early.
    I’m not looking at it as a $650 price, it’s a $200 fee for an earlier tickets. It’s not like we aren’t going.

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  • JV says:

    If Xmas tickets cost as much as they historically have, there’d be a crush of people buying due to last year’s tickets (not actually) selling out, early tickets would be gone in a matter of minutes, and then there’d be a crush of people bitching about not getting early tickets. Also, pricing early tickets this high can partially subsidize the rest of the tickets so they don’t cost too much, as well as discouraging any scalping on the early ones.

    The 3% is not going towards marketing of the event, it’s going towards the Burning Man Project, which is a new organization that helps to spread the Burning Man ethos around the globe, to fund and facilitate charitable endeavors and educate individuals and groups on things like fundraising, grant writing, etc. Check out the website (http://www.burningmanproject.org/), it’s pretty interesting stuff.

    I’m actually not going this year, but from what I’ve read here, I’m confident that the BMORG has learned a lot from last year’s ticketing issues, starting with not bringing back the dreaded lottery.

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  • David says:

    If BORG is taking the recommendation of high tier tickets at the beginning and cheaper as they go, this is a good way to start things off. There are at least 3000 people who can afford to pay $650 and damn-near guarantee themselves a ride through the greeter station.

    Why would a scalper pay $650 if they know $240 tickets will be issued in 4-6 months?

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  • SWTORdrama says:

    Do you give out free blowjobs with that price?

    Remember when tickets were an affordable $100. You’re not running a hotel folks. I won’t be back, ever. Burning Man can go fuck itself.

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  • seven says:

    Apparently burning man is going to only be for corporate executives now. Have fun with that, you officially way went over my price range for a place I have to drive 3 days to get to & that I also have to bring everything I need to survive for a week in the desert. Last time I went It was as expensive as a trip to Europe in a nice hotel.

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  • Sushi says:

    This is the BEST thing that has happened since the ticket-pocolapse! All the whiners STAY HOME! BM has been a “Private Party” since you needed a ticket to get in. I view this as a test of an individuals resourcefullness, just like many of the other challenges of Burningman. Poor, starving artists will be creative enough to pull together something or be good enough (and noticed) for a benefactor to gift them an early ticket. Engineers, docs, eccentric rich people, won’t mind that much to pay a premium price, and scalpers will be somewhat daunted knowing rational people with patience will have BETTER options… BTW, what scalpers? I have always been able to get a ticket at the (BMOG suggested) price that they paid for it. YAY First come, first served!
    PLUS THEY SAID IN THE ABOVE ARTICLE MOST TICKETS WILL BE CHEAPER! If you can’t afford the early expensive ticket, DON’T BITCH ABOUT NOT BEING ABLE TO AFORD ONE! It’s like complaining that you couldn’t buy the first model color TV that came out! GEEZZZ people! NO ONE is fucking ENTITLED to go to Burningman anyways! There, now I feel better that I’ve ranted about the ranters!

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  • Soupy Campbell says:

    I Missed last year , but year before flew from Dubai 18 hrs with my savings , hired AB RV FROM LOS ANGELES and drove there and had the most memorable time of my life . Saving for 2013 and travelling from freezing Belfast… :-)

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  • Lt Juggs says:

    $650 tickets and you are only donating 3% to charity.. what a joke

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  • MouseCop says:

    Thanks for what you’re doing, BM.org.

    This looks like a reasonable approach this year. I hope all 3000 tiks sell, more funds for a great event!

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  • khuez says:

    wow there sure is a lot of bitching a moaning going on over something that really has no bearing on the ones complaining. I don’t really have a problem with letting 3000 people spend $650 on a super early ticket; they get a ticket and the BORG has additional funds to pour into the event. it’s pretty asinine to assume that this is some elaborate ploy to line their pockets.

    tl;dr shutup and wait for the regular priced tickets if this bothers you.

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  • mark says:

    BM.org …. you are fucken scalpers !!!

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  • Dante says:

    This is up from $450 last year. I try to be understanding, but my options are a nearly 50% price hike in a single year or dealing with that lottery nonsense?!?

    Perhaps this is the year I skip and go home for my vacation instead…

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  • Shaking head, says:

    When you charge significantly more for something than what it costs you, it is commodification. But you just have to look beyond this.

    Just wait for the main sale and pay them what it costs them. And don’t buy bloody coffee and ice on the playa either…

    Burning Man Org is not Burning Man, it doesn’t change what you’re going there for.

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  • Urban says:

    I just can’t imagine where you can experience all that is Burning for 7 days for either less than $100 per day or less than 60-70 per day. I still think it is a bargain considering the impact on your life. If you don’t need the impact, maybe you should stay home. Just sayin’

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  • Dean says:

    Why “donate” 3% to promote Burning Man? THERE IS ALREADY NOT ENOUGH TICKETS FOR EVERYONE WHO WANTS TO GO AS IT IS!
    Use that money to get higher capacity permits or pay for more portable latrines, art installations, or clean up after the burn.
    I always felt one of the main themes of burning man was total inclusion of anyone who wanted to go, but apparently now it only includes the wealthy who can afford to drop this outrageous amount to secure a ticket early. Everyone else get to fight for one when half as many tickets as are needed come out at regular price.

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  • Your conscious says:

    This is crazy ,,, more people should lower tickets not raise them. Shame on the mismanagement and profiteering.

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  • louisacrystal says:

    My 2013 burn will cost me a total of $7000 for two people. the tickets are not the most expensive thing on the list. I haven’t been home in 10 years but even back then it cost me $5000 I’m just a waitress and I’ve had to come up with new ways of making money for Burning Man. The lessons I learned have been invaluable and made me extremely resourceful. 10 years ago I had unlimited income . Today my dollar is more valuable to me so when I decided that I was going to go back home it looked impossible but I’m pretty damn damn proud of myself I’m halfway there and there is still over 200 days left. If I can do it you can do it I have faith in you.

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  • say whaaa?? says:

    At $650/ticket, Burning Man has gotta be blowin’ smoke out of some orrifice! I’ll just watch reruns of the “Malcolm in the Middle” episode when they attended Burning Man…
    time to organize a new, less pricey event???

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  • Patti mccann says:

    Bunch of shot

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  • Playa Hater says:

    $650??? Holy shit. WTF?

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  • blah says:

    Blah blahblah blahhh, blah blub blub blah bulbblah, blah blah??:?

    Report comment

  • susanwoopwoop says:

    there’s really nothing quite as sweet as a bunch of butthurt burners.

    let me drink your tears!

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  • Greg XPresley says:

    So I check my playa-mail inbox.

    Waddya know, here’s one from the Jackrabbit. Hm, ‘Tickets: Holiday Sale’. Wonder what that’s all about?

    So I start reading all about BMORG’s latest ticket policies.

    ‘No lottery’. Oh, good, the BMORG came to their senses.

    ‘Pre-registration’. Well, ok. Weeds out the scalpers, I suppose…

    ‘Holiday sale’. Well that seems….HOLY !!!?!@#% WHAT THE !?!@#% DO YOU MEAN, $650 A TICKET??!#%#@

    DO YOU EVEN UNDERSTAND WHAT ‘SALE’ MEANS?!@$ HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FRIGGIN’ MINDS?!@%#? $650?!%#@ FOR ONE STINKING TICKET??

    OK, deep breath. Deeeeep breath. It’s not even dawn yet. I tell myself, ‘don’t let ’em get to you. It’s just BMORG being BMORG. Old news, right? Nothin’ to get worked up about. You can do this. Maybe it’s a typo.’

    So I keep reading.

    Oh, I get it, they’re gonna donate 3% of that $650 to charity. Gee, that’s sounds….wait, twenty bucks??? So for every ticket, BMORG’s gonna toss a $20 bone to World Culture, and keep…. SIX HUNDRED AND THIRTY DOLLARS FOR THEMSELVES?!?

    Ah. I see.

    And it’s a ‘Holiday’ sale.

    So if someone *does* cough up the price of, say, a new iPad+accessories, because they really, really want to give the Special Artist in their life the ultimate holiday gift, a gift that will bring joy to her soul, brighten his entire year, and inspire the most awesome Art, to put under their Holiday tree, they’ll receive….

    …a confirmation email.

    Oh, *that’ll* make for squeals of joy on Xmas morning..

    BOYCOTT THE BMORG HOLIDAY TICKET SALE!!!

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  • Erik Ruggaard says:

    Merry Christmas, here’s a 700 dollar ticket you can buy from us!

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  • foo says:

    Holiday gifting? That’s some serious rich people’s gifting you’ve got planned. The BM organization each year surprises me by their low-iq decisions.

    They make ticketmaster look good. Which is an accomplishment! What a great way to ruin the event and turn it into an corporate-event where companies like oracle and the rest of Silicon Valley can send their people for some networking at tedxBM.

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  • Ivo says:

    I like the idea with those quite expensive tickets.
    I wont use it but i understand.
    Thanks for all your ideas.

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  • Ivo says:

    …indeed 3% is not so heavy.

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  • slosh says:

    Seems like they are getting us ready for some $500 tickets for the main sale! I can’t wait. I better start sucking that dick now.

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  • JoshyB says:

    Woe there peeps chill on the negativity…

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  • damian phoenix says:

    Hopefully the money will go towards some cool art as there is every year at burningman awesome mind blowing art you wouldnt see anywhere else .
    I hope all the people complaining stay at home . they might as well , I agree that th epeople who really want to go will get there.
    I love burningman and I always somehow manage to endup on the playa wether Iam broke or not. Obviously people who can shell out $650 on a ticket have that kind of money , I know Its fun to burn money at times but Its going to a good caus as long as it supports this Phenomenom that we are all a part of and We all should be gratefull for. IMAGINE LIFE WITHOUT BURNINGMAN ? No thank you.
    LOve and Evolve
    Damian Phoenix

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  • jules says:

    $650 so i can pretend to be a merry anarchist for a week? that’s $100 a day to play make-believe. i can play make-believe at home for a lot less.

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  • Jewel says:

    I just worked 24 hours of Overtime this month at work. I make pretty good money. I was hoping that the jump from 2011 at $280 a ticket to $420 a ticket in 2012 is now $650? After taxes, my overtime isn’t going to cover it. I guess they took a lesson from Corporate America on how to screw the public. I was willing to pay $500 for a ticket because it’s worth it, but if I want to be fucked, I rather have my husband do it…at least I’ll get foreplay.

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  • Charlie Potts says:

    It’s still cheap for a unique event. I’d pay for someone’s ticket if I could find someone to go with.

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  • long time burner says... says:

    i don’t like the idea that the well-to-do are being given an opportunity for tickets that’s not an option for many of us. all the tickets put up for sale should be put in the same basket and everyone should have to jump through the same hoops, imho.

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  • Chris Firespinner says:

    rant RANT RANT! Troll. Empty threat of not attending. Empty threat of friends with art cart / camp not attending. TROLL TROLL. Harvey Sucks. RANT RANT… rant…. rant… troll…..

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  • Matt says:

    *whine whine whine whine*

    You guys are hilarious. This is an event for privileged, largely Caucasian, first-worlders who can afford to travel to a festival in the desert. Stop acting like your rights are being violated. When you don’t have access to clean water, you can bitch. Until then, anyone complaining needs to hold up a mirror and look into it.

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  • Brent says:

    My age: 22
    Years gone: 4
    My reason: fulfillment and freedom.

    Price:650 for an EARLY ticket.

    Done deal. And FYI one does not need to be rich to afford this ticket. If you wanted to go you would set your simple priorities straight and save money to go. Furthermore, if the price of tickets has inflated over the last three years, why would this year be any different? So far, the trolls who are bitching about the asinine prices are the same trolls that never go every year, so why bother. BM is a private event anyways, hence a ticket fare. Lets keep the whining bigots out, they only seem to trash the place anyways.

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  • jules says:

    @brent
    does $650 buy fulfillment and freedom?

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  • theguyinabluebus says:

    Are you kidding me $650. that is ridiculous. its in the desert!!

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  • Issimo says:

    Mornin’ Burners!!

    Damn! $650 for the pre-sale!? Merry Christmas to somebody, not me.

    Bottom line: 3,000 people are gonna get to go! YAY! The ball is rolling!

    For those who think they are buying something tangible when a person buys a BM ticket: You don’t get it.

    For those of you who think that $650 leaves too many people out of the picture: You don’t get it.

    For those who think BM is for a bunch of elitist snobs who go just to say they have gone: You don’t get it.

    You won’t get it until you go. No. Really. You won’t. You might not even get it after you’ve gone for a year… or two… or…

    So. Quiet down, relax, get your dredit card in order, hunker down and wait for January 4th. Then: get in the cyber line, fill in the form, wait for the response, charge the card, start packing and get ready to burn. Is is that easy!

    So, whiners: unless you are going to bring a playa-sized art installation made of solid ANGST just forget about BM, sparkle pony-up and go to Coachella instead where you can get something you can wrap your head around for your money, like a great high, or a corporate brainwashing, the right to say that it was absolutely better last year (even if you didn’t go last year) and- forget it. You won’t get that either. .

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  • Rev. P-love says:

    The price is steep but this is a pre-sale. Folks will still be able to buy tickets at normal prices later on. The only thing that bothers me is the 3%, nowhere near what I would have liked to see donated considering the price is about $200 more than normal. 20% (at least) should be used to help out artists, low-income Burners or just playa improvement, not 3%.

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  • Phoenixofbrc says:

    What was this rumor that BM was moving to Kansas?! Personally, I support this idea. If the permits are getting ridiculous in perishing county (whatever the name is) we could bring this out to western Kansas where it’s super flat and I’m sure you could buy land out there big enough for the event at a really good price!
    This region (western kansas) used to be such great farmland but With climate change, lack of precipitation, and a heavily declining aquifer, these old time farmers are being faced with some serious challenges and they do not have the money to migrate to a more ideal climate to continue to provide the world with food… Just a thought about gaining some security with regards to the ever escalating permitting issues instead of dealing with the bullshit that we have with perishing county for so long.
    This could be an opportunity to help others and create a more stable future for BM… Just a thought….

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  • Danny says:

    It’s not meant to be fair, it’s meant to make as much money as possible out of a selected few who can afford this ridiculous amount.

    Burners like me who do a great deal regionally and at the playa but can’t pay $650 for a ticket will have to wait in the dark and hope that general sales wont be a nightmare again.

    So much for radical inclusion.

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  • jules says:

    >it’s meant to make as much money as possible out of a selected few who can afford this ridiculous amount.

    but wut about the spirituality i was promised to be a part of?

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  • Crissa says:

    3%? So… $18? That’s a terrible number. At most you’re saying you’re giving $54,000 which sounds like alot but really doesn’t go very far in a very large world.

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  • john says:

    Matt what’s the point of being Caucasian? Caucasian != rich, are you a self-hating white?

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  • jan says:

    The community experience so fondly trumpeted as the living skin of the Burning Man is pocked, scarred, and so lacerated that it is no longer the durable integument needed to sustain the Burning Man’s viscera.

    Last year’s community was such a stark and realistic representation of modern civilization that it reminded me of my own downtown Oakland.

    Burning Man, the man who murdered both his parents… pleaded for mercy on the grounds that he was an orphan.

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  • Doug says:

    Never expected this :(

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  • Slagg says:

    There will be no normal priced tickets this year. They are increasing all tickets, so be prepared.

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  • Machete says:

    This is nature (human) taking its course, which is to be expected. I don’t mean it’s corrupt (but $1.8m is a ton of loot!), but I remember in 1985? someone in Santa Cruz invited me to this party in the Nevada desert called Burning Man. I think a few hundred people showed up. I never went. It’s almost 30 years later – of course it’s huge, logistically insane, governmentally a nightmare, and I’m surprised they pulled it off for this long. Like every other cool thing that ever happens, eventually it gets too big for it’s britches and looses its identity. But if there’s some rich hippies that want to spend $650 that’s completely fine. It’s called freedom. If it’s too expensive all I have to say that from Colorado to California you can get gigantic tracts of desert land for around $400 an acre. 1000 Burners with $400 can buy all the land they need to go nuts on. Call ’em Burning Babies and have them scattered everywhere you can buy cheap land. Problem solved!

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  • buddhachica says:

    Wow. I always buy the most expensive ticket I can afford… trying to adhere to the spirit of it and all that. But that’s out of my range. I’m really disappointed.

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  • alaska glacier says:

    Looks like no tickets under my tree for my sweetie n me. I thought you were high at last years Holiday Sale price, but I see you have spliffed up your bong water this year…this just put a downer on my whole day. Lets see what happens on the rest of the ticket sales in January……

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  • angela says:

    When I received the JackRabbit, the first thing I did was forward the ticket information to all my burner friends and wannabe burner friends. We were so excited that ticket sales were moving forward and that 3000 people who have the funds were able to secure their tickets early. We have not stopped talking about burning man since the 8th, planning our trip, our camp, our art car, and costumes. We are so excited to go again this year, we will save and pinch wherever we need to make sure that it’s another great burn!! Oh and thank you for pre-registration and first-come first-serve tickets!

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  • PopTart says:

    Would you please add a Ticket Counter when the general public sale occurs? Check out the Shambala Festival’s ticket counter as an example. http://www.shambhalamusicfestival.com/2013-tickets-2/

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  • kurosh says:

    Yeh, I love it, 650 is a good price to keep that 47% out of this event, I guess I will be camping with Mitt and his buddies the BM organizers, they know how to start a fun event and then fuck it up!

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  • openmike says:

    Hey you overreacting fucks if you don’t want a ticket for 9 million bucks DONT FUCKING BUY ONE! Let all the rich fucks pay those prices, I see alot of big expensive shit out there! How bout all those flyers out there, If you can afford a plane then you can afford big buck tickets! Apply for tickets and show your assets and income, I know people that own 2 houses and still get low income tickets, And for you LLC assholes fuck your marketing scam, the best advertising is word of mouth and i spread ALOT of advertising for you so how bout paying my ass for marketing? OPEN the books MR LLC, stop being too cool to care!

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  • Tanja says:

    I missed out last year :-( had everything planned……
    when flying half way across the world to be part of BM, the additional cost is well worth it and with the donation towards the project I think it is good.
    it also provides assistance towards lower cost tickets.
    I am happy to pay the price to participate – I am grateful that i can financially afford to go and now able to plan my trip.
    BM is for everyone regardless of financial capability. ( why should people not pay a bit more if they can? this leaves tickets at a less price for the ones that can’t) you give what you can…….and share what you have

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  • Dr Bungee says:

    Tanja, nice post. Give what you can is what it’s all about.

    I’ve been going to BM every year since 1996. Living in Reno has it’s rewards. People say, öh you’re so lucky you live so close.”. My reply is “But I bring a lot of shit with me”.

    Having a fun interactive camp allows me to meet lots of wonderful people like you. It’s a large investment in time, money, and human energy, and sometimes I wonder if it’s worth it, but hearing the laughter from people I had never met before, and knowing our efforts made that happen, makes me keep ön doing it.

    Never had a problem getting a ticket till last year. My campmates were freaking out, what are we going to do? Don’t worry, The Playa Provides. Between Low Income, and allocated tickets, we kept the camp going for another year, much to the delight of many new friends.

    This year, who knows? Maybe skiing in New Zealand in July means for a scaled down camp.Tickets will be there if the energy is right. If we go, we’ll share what we have.

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  • Emmo says:

    I’m not rich, but I am happy to have gotten my ticket in the Holiday sale today; this will be my fifth burn. Last year I lost the lottery, and by the time the tickets became available in the aftermarket, it was too late for me to go. Each year I spend thousands to bring my art and myself, so paying an extra 20% is worth it for me to not have to be stressed, to be bale to commit to my project, and to have the ability to sell it on my own if something comes up.

    Most of the complainers apparently don’t know how to read. Don’t worry, Burning Man was better next year!

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  • standbunny says:

    you all know you can do all of this without burning man, don’t you?

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  • john says:

    i cannot go in 2013 because I need to save for a 2014 1000$ ticket

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  • Techno says:

    Burning man is lame…. Go to W.M.C in Miami and have more fun for way cheaper..

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  • BrotherMichael says:

    $1,300 dollars for my partner and I to get two holiday tickets?
    IS AIR FARE AND HOTEL INCLUDED???

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  • Bryan says:

    I’m quite happy to see all the people not wanting to go to the Big show due to the $650. I agree that is a bit steep for a party. But this is Burning Man..it is not a party. Thing is the playa is filled with awesome parties….everywhere, all of them free. I have been going for 12 years now and sure the tickets have gone up but the ticket price has always been the least of the cash I have put out to go. Plane tickets, truck rental, hotels…whatever, its in the thousands! I’m not rich, I make sacrifices all year for one week of life in the desert. Are these negative comments coming from people that drive 10 hours with all their stuff? For what I spend to get there I could spend three months of vacation in Argentina! What a dream it would be to be able to spend just $650!! Thank you Burning Man for giving me so many experiences that are without a doubt priceless…charge whatever you want..I’ll be there!!!!

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  • sageburner says:

    With the huge rediculous spike in Holliday ticket prices, we better not be seeing the same thing with regular ticket prices this year. They’ve already practically DOUBLED in price sense my first burn in 2006.

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  • Kyle Meinhardt says:

    Why not just sell 6000 at $350?

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  • Ghost says:

    Happy Holidays!
    Ummmm, how many tickets did the BORG sell?
    Just curious.

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  • K says:

    greed is an infectious disease.

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  • JAN says:

    IF YOU FUCKIN STUPID PEOPLE BUY THE TICKETS AT THIS $650 PRICE THEY WILL CONTINUE TO RAISE THE PRICE. BOYCOTT THE DAMN THING, WTF!!! THIS WAS GONNA BE MY FIRST TIME GOING, BUT NOT AT THAT PRICE. I’LL STAY MY ASS AT HOME. YA’LL CAN GO TO HELL WITH DOUBLING THE PRICE TO BE IN BUTT FUCK EYGPT WITH NOTHING, REALL???.

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  • Emmett says:

    Well, well, well – all of you “burners” who think that BM is only for a small group of people (yourselves) are wrong. Dont go- do me a favor. Such anger and mean spirited negativity … Not a personality I had hoped to meet anyway.

    What if I’m an “executive” or can spend the money? Why are you afraid of that? I promise I won’t gentrify anymore than you did your first time. I’m an artist, a creative thinker, interesting and wonderful….damn it I used to live in Reno!

    I have always wanted to go to BM. I have never had the freedom or extra money (yes, it takes money to go) until recently. I don’t live in the west, so getting there is not as convenient as you assume. I have to plan work, travel, hotels, transport, supplies and equipment when I get there.

    I tried over and over again to get 2012 tickets. I failed. I gave up and I got angry that BM was trying to block new people from buying tickets. I could have gone…but I couldn’t make last minute plans like so many Burners who live in CA or NV or have a super flex lifestyle.

    I am very happy to say that I have 2 tickets from the holiday sale. I needed that anchor to make everything around it happen. Yes, it sucks that I didn’t go to BM years ago when it was cheap and cool. Yes, it sucks that I spent $1300 on two tickets. But no – I am not rich… I just want to go and made a financial commitment to make sure I can.

    …..and I can’t believe I feel compelled to say this to a Burner crowd: Not everyone is the same. You should accept others that are different than you! I don’t live in the west, I have a job, I have complications that require several months lead time to plan. I’m not a bad person for buying these tickets. BM knows that there are people who will want them…not 60,000 – but maybe 3,000. Frankly, I am happy for the foresight.

    What am I supposed to do wait for weeks and months and hope that I get a ticket before flights are sold out or cost $800? Travel and equipment options this year are expected to be booked by mid-February. Thats less than 60 days away!

    Do I wait and compete with Burners who have done this over and over – and possibly not get tickets? Do I pay a scalper and risk being ripped off?

    Lighten up and remember that there are worse things than having to pay more for a break from reality like BM. Do the math, you probably spent more than $650 this year on something stupid (overdraft fees, Starbucks, porn, cable, Walmart, cigarettes etc.).

    Do us all a favor and show some understanding!

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  • Urban says:

    @Emmett
    I appreciate what you are saying and know it is tought to coordinate. If I can help in a little way, let me know.
    Good Luck and see you on the Playa.

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  • Urban says:

    tought = tough. It is early here!

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  • Time to burn burning man says:

    Time to burn burning man once and for all. Let’s see what the community can pull together that won’t garner such a paywall

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  • Time to burn burning man says:

    This is to say, either support burning man and find a new solution to it’s current woes or begin to build something new.

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  • Joey says:

    Check it out–I’m sure throwing an event like this is SO multiangled and complicated, especially of this caliber, there are all kinds of things to take into consideration, including the people that Burning Man folks know WANT tickets before they go on sale, especially for holiday gifts. Don’t freak out now….

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  • angel says:

    Well, i do believe these ticket prices are literally outrageous, but I also feel that the time at Burning Man is the most harmonic, peaceful, out of this world experience that one can ever have the privedge of experiencing that it is worth any price. To miss out on such an event would be a sad and horrible thing, I thnk everyone should go to Burning Man, Maybe if we all had an open mind to suck Love, the world just might be a better place. love, and happiness, ANGEL.

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  • RaSm says:

    $650? Wow? Why so hi? CRAZY

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  • Foxy says:

    I have the BEST orgasms when I’m stoned.

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  • Reverend Otterpop says:

    I actually love the idea of having a small batch of high-priced tickets first, followed by the lower first come, first serve tickets. People who want to shell out the extra dough early can make the choice. I’m happy it’s only 3000 tickets.

    I’ve been 8 years, but missed out last year in the ticketing fiasco. I will be waiting for the main sale.

    I have been lucky to get free tickets when I needed them. I’ve also paid more when I could. I genuinely enjoy Burning Man and the release it gives me. I’m the kind of person who needs to be forced to relax because I’m always thinking too much. Going to Burning Man, meeting new people, watching beautiful desert sunrises with new friends and a bottle of champagne – all worth it to me.

    I enjoy building contraptions, contributing to the community, and just being back “home.” I will be happy to pay in the next round and with any luck I will see you on the playa for more first time experiences.

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  • coz says:

    BM ticket complainers”Love and only Love can make it real,Hate is everything you thinkit is”WAKE UP

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  • Aeron says:

    Good to see unlike other privatized interests you only wish to donate 3% of your over priced commodified profiting toward your cultural globalization efforts, so that Burning Man Llc. will one day dominate the world. I get it public sponsorship and financial gain on the grounds of Black Rock City for the competition is bad for business. You guys seem to want to be with worst i.e.: Monsanto,Halliburton,Blackwater, Bilderberg

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  • Ryan says:

    Cant wait, me and my friends have had many life changing experiences, but this one i’m sure will be at the top. Im ready to experience the people, music, and craziness it all brings.

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  • OIDEM says:

    It sounds like a government tactic to create fear and make everyone buy a bunch of duct tape, I mean ticket entries. When I lived in LA it was a big challenge to make it to BM. Now that I live in Europe, this will make virtually impossible to ever go again. Where are those 10 principles?

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  • BD says:

    Burners like to complain. End of story.

    As much as I dislike the idea I will be applying for low income tickets. 2012 was a tough one for me and paired with traveling across country and staying for set-up/tear down the extra $200+ for a ticket will be a lil bit of a hindrance for me.

    Good luck in the main sale everyone!

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  • Paul Dominic says:

    Looking forward to hearing about main sale on Friday. I wanna go HOME. Did all 3,000 tickets get sold in Holiday Sale?

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  • CreamyGenes says:

    It doesent seem so much that they have decided to set impossible limits for scalpers, but rather make it more exclusive of an event.

    Granted not everyone should go to BM, and not everyone does. BM is a place you choose to go.

    But to be honest, part of ticket sales going towards “getting the word out” What words exactly need to be given? Your on tehinterwebs, Youtube channels are created in its honor. I MEAN CMON! If you dont know you should find out one day through your own actions, not by a flyer or a TV advert or some trashy ad in High Times…. c’mon who is going to market BurningMan from you and not want a piece of the action?

    That’s how I know this not-for profit is a joke….. Notice the words people NOT FOR PROFIT, BUT IF WE MAKE SOME HELL YEAH! I think its a huge difference from non-profit. All they have to do is give the money to someone or something IE a corporation that is not involved.

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  • guys, PLEASE do some research before shooting off. This is the same problem that most people have, they don’t understand how and where to focus their instinctive emotional response. As people posting here should know, there is an on-going lawsuit. BM is suing the government of Pershing County. Why? Because they are asking for MASSIVELY INCREASED FEES for permits to hold the event. We’re talking $600,000 increase. Don’t take my word for it. Read about it. Google it. Burning Man (Black Rock City LLC) vs Pershing County. It’s an ongoing thing. Here’s some text “Burning Man has paid Pershing County to cover costs for law enforcement connected to the event, which has been held in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert since 1991.

    In 2006, Burning Man entered into an agreement with the Pershing County Sheriff’s Office to cover expenses. In 2006, the expenses were $66,000 and have increased over the years to reach $170,000 for the 2011 event. Under the first year of the new festival ordinance, the county could charge $600,000 to $800,000 in 2013, according to the original lawsuit.

    Burning Man organizers have said those costs — above the roughly $1.5 million for the federal permit — could lead to the event being held elsewhere.

    Also in the original lawsuit was a claim that the new festival ordinance limited the First Amendment rights of organizers. The new paperwork says the county is not trying to limit any type of activity or speech with its festival ordinance.”

    Read more at the San Francisco Examiner: http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2012/10/burning-man-faces-new-legal-onslaught#ixzz2Gw50H6DX

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  • Sam says:

    you guys can fuck right off. i’d be coming from NYC. i really wanted to go but oh well. if thats your holiday “sale” price, then whats your reg ticket price going to be? my balls? lower dat shit.

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  • Sunny Daze says:

    I love this idea. Giving people the choice of paying this very large sum (to me) for a ticket, allows those who can afford it to get a ticket and not cry so hard like they did last year. I also foresee this will allow me and those with several hundred, not thousands, of dollars to obtain a ticket later at a lower price. Kudos Bmorg! Great thinking. P.S. I’ve been to the event, I love the event, and I love all the work you do to make the event happen. It has absolutely changed my outlook on life for the better. THANK YOU!!!!

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  • Joel says:

    There are really, really wealthy people out there on the playa every year. These are the people who bring RVs for their servants to sleep in.

    I can’t see anything wrong with the BMorg charging an outrageous price for the very first tickets. These uber-haves will get to the event whether they have expensive tickets from BMorg or expensive tickets from scalpers.

    And I’m hoping the 3% goes to help out regional burns so that more and more of us will start to feel more at home at home.

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  • JAYONDRUMS says:

    I have never been before and its gonna cost me more to get to USA, and even more to get to and from BM and probably even more in food, drink, protective clothing etc – $650 seems reasonable to me for what is the best gathering of people on the planet bar none! x Positive Vibrations heading your way x

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  • Archon says:

    I have a Holiday ticket – Happy happy happy…

    :-)

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  • Placebo says:

    It is Jan. 4.

    How do we get BMan 2013 tickets? Pre-register for them? Whatever?

    I must be missing something.

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  • Isis Alize says:

    I know $650 sounds like a lot of money, but we have all year long to plan for it. They’ve been releasing tickets for sale in Jan for how many years now?

    I just wanted to point out the cost of other similar events that aren’t NEARLY as great

    Cochella – GA $370 or VIP $900+ & that’s just for ONE weekend (3days) if you wanted to go both weekends double that cost PLUS cost for hotel during the weekdays, between each weekend event. Oh & dont forget the EXTRA charge for camping & parking somewhere between $30-$100

    Lightning in a bottle – $215 (pre sale) , $240 (at door) plus vehicle/RV pass $85-$180 for a THREE day event

    EDC – GA $289 or VIP $500 & remember this is yet again a THREE day event.

    So does the pre-sale price still sound all that bad???? Hell I feel like its a steal if I manage to get on of the varying prices for BM tickets under GENERAL sale.

    I cant afford the $650 price either & plan on taking my chances with the 1st come 1st serve, but I’m not complaining about it. That’s life. Think of it as VIP pricing, there’s VIP pricing for everything else in this world! I mean jeez they’re still offering discounted tickets for the poor as well. None of those other venues do that, nor pretty much anything else out there.

    Plus did it ever occur to you that if they do well selling those higher priced tickets that it might be so they can offer MORE tickets at lower prices???? Come on guys you know that the event directors aren’t greedy fucks. Trust them they know what they are doing.

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  • Isis Alize says:

    ooops i would like to correct something in my previous post

    Coachella is actually $350 or $400 w/shuttle pass

    The one I listed above as Coachella was actually Ultra Music Festival in Miami

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  • Black Rocker says:

    This is great news I’ll buy 6 tickets. Now all the low lifes and baseball cap types will not be able to attend as much and the elitist’s,rich and the famous can break out the good china and party like the rock stars that we are!!
    BMORG can make ton’s more $$ and keep paying DPW staff low or no wages for slave labor and cheese sandwiche’s for lunch.
    Now BMORG just needs to keep all the unsightly DPW trailer trash types out of sight just keep them in Gerlach with all the other white trailer trash untill the event is over please

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  • Voice of reason says:

    The price seems like an oxymoron to what this event is. Hippie capitalism if you will. They all end up this way…giving in to the Man!

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  • Voice of reason says:

    AND…the argument that we pay high prices at Coachella, etc too is not a good argument considering those are music festivals that book big name bands and DJ’s. BM is a different beast that doesn’t seem to warrant the cost of admission. It’s not even a music festival in that sense (yes I realize there is music). Seems like a shit load of fun but not at that price.

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  • Jamie says:

    3% is so little. why in the world does BM need “marketing”? that is a doomed idea. 2012 was SO different from 2010 cuz too many newbies came and contributed nothing. chill out, fellows, there should be zero marketing.

    also, love to you all.

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  • Rico suave says:

    How bout cheaper tickets..more people can come and the greed that runs this country can be maintained just a little more at what this carefree festival should stand for

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  • aya says:

    I just want Burningman to be more transparent about where all the money goes. Most burners I know do not have the type of money that the tickets are beginning to cost. I began going over a decade ago and the cost was not like this…so please can the organization just simply justify why the hike in the cost. I love Burningman, it is a unique event full of creativity and freedom…I have lived all over the world and it is unlike anything I have ever done…but really this high costs of the tickets makes me feel…sad…simply put sad and a bit confused when I think about the …or what I thought the purpose of the event was…radical inclusion. I appreciate that Bman hasn’t sold out to advertisers but in ’96 the tickets were around $35 I think, and for the cost of the event to go up so dramatically seems as if it is trying to make up for not selling up…which is kinda the same thing to selling out…so please let me be wrong and justify the hike in the cost…is it salaries?? Has the cost of port-o-potties gone up to justify the ticket price??? I’m a volunteer and work over 20 hrs there and get a discounted ticket…is it the cost of paying a volunteer a discounted ticket?? What is it???

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  • Paul says:

    Ok, a csb before I get to the point…

    I’ve always kind of know about burning man (some big group of hippies and a week long rave in Nevada…) but never really really considered going. I’m not particularly artsy, I can’t stand the smell of patchouli, etc…. But the other day I was working on this project at work that required looking over some aerials of Everglades national park of all places, and I transposed numbers accidentally in both the lat and the long and ended up looking at the desert of Nevada populated in a geometric shape which upon closer inspection was 50000 people. That’s when I decided I was going to burning man, 2013…
    Now, about the ticket prices. Grow up. You’re an artist, not an unrealistic out of touch idiot who can’t figure out that a permit and actual due dillagance planning for 50,000 people in the middle of the desert takes money. Less than 7 percent of the tickets to be sold were sold at this price, and really, if you can’t swing 300 extra for security, if its really that important to you, you probably haven’t made good enough life choices to be trusted to take care of yourself in the desert for a week and will end up being a drag on others. People might not say it, but they will resent the fact that their goodwill is not being allocated towards those on hard times, but on those who willfully leach on other people.

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  • shane3 says:

    If I could afford this, I would pay this. Because….it’s not very many tickets and let this self imposed “tax” benefit us all. I’ve always enjoyed myself.

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  • Dr knot says:

    these ticket prices are ridiculous and for what.? to watch a bunch of hippies? nope going to Oshkosh air show at least you get to see something exciting for a lot less.

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