Burning Man tickets haven't sold out for the first time since 2011. Here's why.
Burning Man's allure appears to be fading with festival goers, as tickets are still available ahead of its August 25 kickoff. It's the first time since 2011 that the event hasn't sold out long before its opening day.
Bad weather at the desert event during the past two years appears to be slowing Burning Man ticket sales for this year's festival, which runs from Aug. 25 to Sept. 2.
After Burning Man attendees endured extreme heat in 2022, followed by heavy rain and muddy conditions in 2023, many would-be "Burners," as festival attendees are called, are staying home this year. Economic factors could be at play too, given that tickets for the Black Rock City, Nevada, event sell for $575 a pop, and some consumers may be cutting back on spending after years of elevated inflation.
Tickets are still available directly through the organizer for the typically sold-out event, plus they're hitting resale sites at roughly half their price. The Burning Man Project, the non-profit that runs the festival, is hosting an "OMG Ticket Sale" on its website, selling last-minute entries even for guests who didn't pre-register, which is a usual requirement to attend.
This year, Burning Man is selling 3,000 tickets for $575 each, plus 1,500 vehicle passes for $150. Those who decide they want to attend last minute can also scour resale sites such as StubHub for even cheaper entry.
One resale listing advertises a pair of general admission tickets for $268 each, while another lists two tickets for $279 each.
Last-minute Burning Man ticket sales
Founded in 1986 in San Francisco, Burning Man moved to the desert in 1990. In recent years, the event has typically drawn around 80,000 people, according to the organization. It has sold out each year since 2011, according to The Guardian.
Burning Man chief executive Marian Goodell this week told the New York Times that organizers decide how many tickets to sell each year, and that "when the demand is lower, we simply turn the faucet back on."
"By opening the OMG Sale to everyone, including those who did not register, and selling tickets for instant gratification at outlets in San Francisco and Reno, we are creating the opportunity for this to 'be the year' people interested in creativity, innovation, and culture make it to Black Rock City," Burning Man associate director of communications Dominique Debucquoy-Dodley said in a statement to CBS MoneyWatch.
He added that the decision to hold a last-minute ticket sale also reflects "recent trends around the world that show last minute ticket buying, and continuing to sell tickets until the maximum Black Rock City population count is reached, encourages immediacy and makes it easy for more people to immerse themselves at the heart of the global Burning Man cultural movement."
Goodell added in a statement that the sale "is an exciting opportunity to connect more people interested in Burning Man and the arts and culture."
What happened last year?
Last year's extreme weather conditions could be turning people off from attending this year. In 2023, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office closed the main road to the festival's entrance, leaving attendees stranded at the site for days. They were instructed to conserve resources while they waited for road conditions to improve.
And in 2022, temperatures rose to above 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the course of the festival.
Music festivals Coachella and Lollapalooza have similarly struggled with ticket sales this year, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times, suggesting that economic considerations could be at play.
Ticket prices make up just part of the cost of attending Burning Man. After factoring in flights, vehicle passes, costumes and other supplies, attendees say they spend thousands to partake in the revelry.
In recent years, Burning Man has attracted a greater share of high-income earners, with 35% of attendees earning between $100,000 to $299,999 in 2023, up from 21% in 2015, demographic data shows. Meanwhile, there's been a sharp decrease in those who earn less than $50,000 a year attending, according to the same data.
But there are signs even wealthier Americans are starting to curb their spending, which could be contributing to weaker-than-usual Burning Man ticket sales this year. A survey published in June from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia found one-third of people earning over $150,000 said they were worried about making ends meet over the next six months.
Lower kimono sales
Businesses that cater to Burning Man celebrants also say they're feeling the pinch. David Carr, owner of San Francisco apparel store Kimono Dave, said the shop typically makes between 25% to 40% of all its sales during the week leading up to Burning Man.
This year, though, that might not be the case.
"It's taken a lot longer for people to start shopping than we are used to seeing," Carr told CBS MoneyWatch.
He's encouraged, though, by a recent near-record sales day that he believes is related to this year's cooler forecast. Carr sews every piece he sells himself, including many coats.
"The weather is trending to be much colder than it's been the past few years, so that could be why I had such a huge sales day yesterday," he said.
Carr, 34, has himself attending Burning Man for the past 14 years, and wouldn't dare miss an event. He suspects that the last two years' bad weather as well as the economy have contributed to lackluster ticket sales this year. He said he believes it could be good news for stalwarts like himself. "It has really weeded out a lot of the fair weather 'Burners,'" he said.