The Ultimate Guide To Burning Man Tickets?

Burning Man, tickets sell out fast. In fact, pre-sale tickets are often sold out during the first half-hour it opens to the public.

If you want to go to Burning Man, then here’s our ultimate guide to Burning Man tickets to help you get started.

When did Burning Man start selling tickets?

The first Burning Man events (from 1986 to 1990) were held in Baker Beach, San Francisco. From 35 attendees made up of a group of friends, the event ballooned to about 500 by 1990. But due to the lack of permit, the Burning Man was moved to the Black Rock Desert in Reno, Nevada on that same year. The event was free, and it was attended by about 120 people.

The first tickets were sold in 1991 for $15 and attracted about 250 people. By 1992, ticket price increased to $25 and the participants numbered at around 600. The cost of the ticket steadily increased as the number of participants grew.

Pre-sale tickets were introduced in 1997 at $65 and $75 at the gate. A fee of $20 per day was also introduced for day visitors. By 1998, three types of tickets were sold- advance sale at $80, early sale at $65, and $100 at the gate. Date cutoffs were also introduced in 1999.

The Low-Income ticket program first became available in 2004 and was set at $145. But to be eligible, you have to send in a formal application as well as meet their requirements.

2011 saw the first ticket sell out in the Burning Man’s history. The high demand was partly due to the cap on participants set by BLM.

Other ticket levels were introduced in the succeeding years. The STEP program was introduced in 2012, the OMG sale in 2013, and the vehicle pass in 2014.

By 2019, the ticket prices have risen to $425 to $1,400, with Low-Income ticket at $210 and vehicle pass set at $100.

In 2020, 70,000 tickets were sold, with tickets ranging between $210 and $1,400.

Why are the Burning Man tickets priced differently?

The Burning Man offers differently priced tickets, and each has its own ticket dates. The ticket price may vary, but it doesn’t give the ticket holder special privileges, perks, or added benefits. The ticket is just a ticket that grants you entrance to the Burning Man.

The main reason for the price differences is to give people the chance to join and enjoy the event at the price level they’re most comfortable with. The high-priced tickets which are set at $1,400 will offset the low-priced ones which are set at $210.

What is the FO’MO Sale?

The FO'MO Sale is open to everyone, excluding those who purchased Directed Group Sale tickets. The ticket is priced higher than the Main Sale but, as mentioned earlier, it doesn’t give the ticket holder any extra privileges, perks, or benefits. It just gives people an added opportunity to secure their tickets.

How many FO’MO Sale tickets are available?

4,000 tickets (as of 2022)

How much does the FO’MO Sale ticket cost?

$1,400 (as of 2022)

How do you avail of the FO’MO sale?

You should first create your Burner Profile (if you don’t have one yet) and register for the ticket sale on the specified date of registration. Once done, you will receive an email that confirms your registration. It also contains a link to the sale, which will only become active during the day of the ticket sale itself.

Once the sale opens, you can now click on the link. You will then be redirected to a new page where you can wait in a virtual line to buy your tickets. If successful, you will be given a chance to purchase a limit of two tickets and one vehicle pass. If not, you'll receive a message saying all tickets have been sold out.

Because the tickets sell out fast in only a few minutes, you have to be “in line” before the sale actually opens.

What is the Directed Group Sale?

This type of ticket level is for theme camp members and art car/mutant vehicle producers. The approved groups can buy this type of ticket to ensure their members will have tickets to the Burn.

How many Directed Group tickets are available?

32,000 tickets (as of 2022)

How much does the Directed Group ticket cost?

$450 (as of 2022)

How do you avail of the Directed Group sale?

The Burning Man organization allocates a certain number of tickets to each approved group.

The group, in turn, gives the right to purchase tickets to its members. The group will then submit the list of their approved members to the organization, complete with their members’ Burner Profiles.

Before the sale, the approved members will receive an email to confirm their attendance. On the day of the sale itself, the approved members are given access to a unique link (via email or through their Burner Profile page) to purchase their tickets.

After 48 hours, the link becomes invalid.

What is the Main Sale?

This ticket is also open to everyone, but not for those who bought their tickets via the Directed Group Sale.

How many Main Sale tickets are available?

23,000 tickets (as of 2022)

How much does the Main Sale tickets cost?

$425 (as of 2022)

How do you avail of the Main Sale tickets?

Similar to the FO’MO Sale tickets.

What is the OMG Sale?

This is open to anyone who doesn’t have FO’MO, Directed Group Sale, or Main Sale tickets.

How many OMG Sale tickets are available?

3,000 tickets (as of 2022)

How much does the OMG Sale tickets cost?

$550 (as of 2022)

How do you avail of the Main Sale tickets?

Similar to the FO’MO Sale tickets.

What is the Low-Income Sale?

This ticket is open to anyone who is on a limited income and can’t afford any of the other tickets. This ticket though is not for those who have already bought their tickets in any sale.

Of note, the Low-Income ticket is by application only (one person per one application) and is nontransferable. Anyone can apply for the Low-Income Ticket, but not all those who applied are accepted.

How many Low-Income Sale tickets are available?

4,500 tickets (as of 2022)

How much does the Low-Income Sale tickets cost?

$210 (as of 2022)

How do you avail of the Low-Income Sale tickets?

Check the Burning Man’s official website for the dates of application and sale. But before you can register though, you must have a Burner Profile first.

When applying, you also need to upload three documents that prove your income status as well as expenses. These could be tax return, disability statement, unemployment statement, loan statement, mortgage statement, proof of debt, current W2, etc.

The review of applications usually takes four up to 12 weeks after submitting your application and documents, after which you’ll receive an email notifying you if it’s been approved or denied. If your application is approved, you’ll be given a link where you can buy your ticket as well as a link to purchase a vehicle pass.

What is the STEP Sale?

STEP or Secure Ticket Exchange Program is open to anyone. It is a safe and secure online venue or system where ticket holders can resell their tickets and other participants can purchase the resold tickets. Members can also purchase vehicle passes through the program.

How many STEP Sale tickets are available?

It depends on the number of tickets resold into the program.

How much does the STEP Sale tickets cost?

$425, $550, and $1,400 (all types of tickets, except Directed Group Sale and Low-Income Sale tickets).

How do you avail of the STEP Sale tickets?

You can register for STEP via your Burner Profile to either resell or buy tickets, the dates of which will be announced on the official Burning Man website. Burners who want to resell their tickets can submit them to the program. However, if the tickets’ delivery process has already begun, then these can no longer be resold back into the system.

For would-be buyers, you will receive an email as soon as the tickets are released into the system. It’s a first-come, first-serve basis, so you need to register as soon as registration becomes available. Once you receive an email offering you a ticket, you will be given 72 hours to buy it. Together with the ticket is also an offer to buy one vehicle pass. You can purchase the ticket via the link provided in the email. If you failed to do so after 72 hours, the link becomes invalid and the opportunity to buy the ticket will be given to the next person in line.

Final Thoughts

Burning Man tickets sell out fast, so if you are eager to attend the event, then check their official website from time to time for the schedules of the ticket sales as well as further announcements.