Burning Man is leaning into a less-is-more ethos this year.
The official 2025 guide urges participants to eschew “competitive camping” and “the pressure to outdo” at the weeklong art-and-culture gathering in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert.
The dialing-back is part of the organizers’ ongoing response to the event’s social-media-fueled pre-pandemic boom. Around the time participation peaked, with 78,850 participants in 2019, there was a concerted push to bring Burning Man back to core principles including the no-spectators edict.
Last year, for the first time since 2011, the event didn’t sell all its tickets.
This year’s theme is “Tomorrow Today,” described as a hopeful World’s Fair vibe of sharing and innovation. Gates will open at 12:01 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 24; the event ends at 6 p.m. on Labor Day, Sept. 1.
Nuts-and-bolts news from the playa
Weather. The last two years were dismal on this front: 2023 had heavy rains that turned the site into a mudpit, and 2024 saw a severe dust storm. This year, the forecast so far is mild by Black Rock City standards. Highs are expected to be in the 90s, with little chance of rain or winds above 15 mph.
Tickets. Tickets are still available. The box office in Black Rock City will be open until noon on Aug. 30; the official ticket resale platform runs through Friday, Aug. 22. Pricing is tiered, with a “pay-your-way” price point of $750.
Getting there. New this year is the Wadsworth bypass, which lets drivers get from Interstate 80 to Highway 447 without going through the community of Wadsworth. Look for the signs near the I-80 Smokeshop.
Updates. Information streams went live on Thursday, Aug. 21:
brcdashboard.burningman.org
Burning Man Information Radio at 94.5 FM and bmir.org
@bmantraffic at X