Where to get Tickets for Burning Man

So you are trying to get tickets to Burning Man Festival, and you can't find them or they are sold out? Here are the best ways to get yourself a ticket, and a few tricks for the low budget burner. Be sure you are not looking for tickets to a party or a regional burn, as they have different policies than the in the tips given below.

photo by TNM

CAUTION!!! Be very wary of buying tickets from facebook pages, online ticket vendors or other such scalping sites. You can tell because they are not the official tickets.burningman.org page. These sites charge double if not triple the price of the ticket, and often the tickets will not be valid. The tips below are safer bets. The rule of thumb is go out from your circle of trust. Stranger Danger when it comes to tickets...

Burningman.org

tickets.burningman.org is the first place people goto buy tickets for Burning Man Festival. If you are thinking last minute, there is a 100% chance it will be SOLD OUT. Have no fear, remember, The Playa Will Provide, as long as you are willing to make the journey. For a list of all the dates of the sales check the official sales calendar here.

General Ticket Info

All sales require a Burner Profile. Sign up or log in here to update it. Registering for sales gives you the opportunity to purchases tickets and vehicle passes but it does not mean you will be able to. Once s $425 ticket is purchased during a sale, it rules you out from purchasing more $425 tickets in later sales. One order per person per credit card, therefore you cannot use the same credit card for multiple orders. The name on the credit card used to buy the tickets will be the name on the ticket order. Only MasterCard and Visa are accepted. All sales are final, absolutely no refunds. All tickets purchased are transferrable and qualify for the name to be changed. Tickets and vehicle passes will be canceled if resold above face value.

Vehicle Pass

If you will be driving into Black Rock City you will need a vehicle pass and it must be displayed on your windshield. The only exemptions are motorcycles and towed vehicles. Vehicles will not be allowed in Black Rock City after you arrive, you will have to park at your camp. Vehicle passes are available for purchase during ticket sales. Pre-Sale is the only sale where you can purchase a maximum of 4 vehicle passes per order, in the rest of the sale the maximum is 1 per order. In total, 27,000 vehicle passes will be available for purchase for $80 each plus fees and taxes. For more information on Vehichle Rules and driving at burning man check this article.

PRE-SALE #IMUSTHAVESALE 

General ticket sales through Burning Man start at the end of January with Pre-Sale Registration. These are the most expensive tickets you can buy for the people that MUST HAVE THEM and MONEY IS NOT OBJECT. After you register, you get access to purchase a ticket once the sales go online. It does not always guarantee you one of the 5,000 pre-sale tickets.

LOW INCOME AND GROUP SALES

Low Income and Group Sales Registration open in February. If you make under a certain amount of money and can show your tax return, Burning Man has 4,000 low income tickets available. The price is very reasonable, making it easier for us artists to par take in the burn. If you are a part of a theme camp or are forming a group to do something and want to make sure you can all go, register with the Group Sales Form. To make sure camps have the people they need they set aside 30,000 of these group tickets. The price is the same as the Main Sale price, but there is a better chance of getting your ticket through your camp. You must setup a Burner Profile page before using the Group Sale form. 

MAIN SALE

In March the registration and sale of the general tickets begins. There are around 26,000 tickets open in the first main sale. You must register before the sale begins, or you will not be able to purchase a ticket. The prices are the average price that people pay for a ticket, and if you are buying online through ebay, you should not pay much more than that.

SIGN UP FOR STEP : SECURE TICKET EXCHANGE PROGRAM

Burningman has an official program setup for people to buy tickets from those folks that for one reason or another, have an extra ticket. Maybe they bought too many, maybe they decided not to go, whatever, they have an extra ticket. The STEP program is a verified program from Burning Man Org and in my experience has always been very fair and worked out. You are not going to pay more for the ticket than the original purchase price. Registration for STEP is open from April to July. If you missed out, there are still options.

More Ticket Options

photo by Sjoot.me

CAMPS ARE FAMILIES TOO

If you are part of a camp, or are thinking of joining one, ask your campmates or your camp captains if there are any extra tickets. Often camp members buy extra tickets just in case a fellow member didn't get one, or they couldn't come last minute, etc. Camps are close in the circle of trust. Asking friends on facebook, snapchat or instagram works good too for finding a leftover ticket last minute that someone can't go. Of course you have to have some burner friends. But who knows, you may have more than you think...

EBAY, FACEBOOK, STUB HUB ETC.

Of course there are folks that sell that ticket on ebay, facebook marketplace, instagram and all those other networks. Be WARNED! Quite a few are scams, or voided tickets. Burning Man Org has a FAQ about ebay and other sites. They even have a list that you can check if the ticket number has been voided yet or not.

Too keep scalping down, burningmanorg is routinely getting tips about overpriced tickets being sold online. If they find one, it could wind up on the void ticket list. Make sure to check the list before you buy.  

"If they are not willing to post a pic of the tickets along with tits, dude or dudette don't matter, it's a scam." Advice from Captain Foreskin.

CHECK TICKET BEGGING FACEBOOK GROUPS

Burners have a dark side to them. That's what makes it easier for us to stand the harsh desert dust. As entertainment there are facebook groups that have formed for those that want to beg for a ticket. Depending on how good your post is, you may just wind up with a free ticket. Or maybe just a a condom used by a snake sent in the mail instead. Make sure you have some thick skin before giving it a go.

THE FALLEN ANGEL TICKET (MYTH)

If you are a skydiver, and can arrange for your gear to go with a campmate. Take the Fallen Angel Ticket. People have talked about this ticket, but it's more of a myth. Basically you skydive right into the middle of Burning Man. This has to be one of the most bad-ass ways to arrive at the burn, and really sets up the rest of the trip. [update] This is not a FREE way to get in anymore. Back when burning man didn't sell tickets, this was possibly viable. Nowadays, that tickets are sold out every year, it will be impossible to find a pilot who will fly you as he could loose his pilot's license for helping trespassing. But if you are an avid skydiver, and would want to go for a skydive, you should drop by the Burning Sky Camp.

LAST STOP GERLACH

If nothing else worked, or YOU FORGOT TO BRING YOUR TICKET, DOH! Your last chance is to just goto Gerlach and hold up a sign, looking for tickets! Please help! I met quite a few folks that got in for free this way, as a gift from fellow burners. Of course there is a risk, but it's better than smuggling your way through the porta potties.

If you are willing to make the journey, the playa will provide.

photo by The Gong Experience

In the end, if you are persistent you will get a ticket. As once whispered on the playa," If you are willing to make the journey, the playa will provide."

Do you have any tips on tickets that we didn't hit? Make sure to let us know in the comments, or tell us on facebook.