Burning Man is transitioning – change is afoot. Last year, for the first time ever, the 50,000 allocated tickets sold out. The results last year were desperate would-be burners who had always waited til just before the event to plonk down so much cash, and a new scalping of tickets.
The effects on the ticket availability for 2012 has been even more dramatic. The Borg, in an effort to deal with the anticipated problems, changed the purchase process to a multi-staged lottery. However, in the end, the main ticket lottery had three times as many registrants as there were tickets available. This has had a shocking impact – 40% of those awarded tickets are first timers, and some two-thirds of the other registrants, including many who power the theme camps and playa art, were left without tickets.
Accordingly, the Borg had to change the original plans for an open sale of the remaining 10,000 tickets in favor of directed distribution to groups with a proven history of significant contribution to the event. Without this change, clearly the core qualities of Burning Man 2012 would have been seriously compromised.
Marian Goodell’s blog post Rebuilding Black Rock City
In mid June, the BLM finally issued a permit for Burning Man 2012 allowing an increase to a population of 60,900.
Superheated July days have arrived, physical tickets are trickling in, the countdown is telescoping, well down into double digits now. Yes kids, it will be time almost before you know it.
