Burning Man plagued by ticket drama
By Ed Fletcher, Sacramento Bee
Organizers of the iconic counterculture event Burning Man are scrambling to solve a crisis that some fear threatens the very fabric of the event.
The problem has left perhaps 75 percent of the longtime participants who traditionally provide the creative spark for displays and activities without a ticket. The event is held annually at a remote site in the Black Rock Desert of northern Nevada.
The crisis resulted from attempts to solve issues from last year, when, in addition to the normal problem of computer servers crashing as thousands of people rush to buy tickets online, the event sold out for the first time.
With the event increasingly becoming a bucket-list activity, organizer Black Rock City LLC set out to create a more egalitarian method for distributing tickets and thwarting scalpers.
Black Rock’s solution was to distribute 40,000 of the 58,000 tickets through a lottery. Applicants had two weeks to apply for up to two tickets. Demand far outpaced supply.
The result: “A full-on fiasco,” said Steve Jones, author of “The Tribes of Burning Man.”
The new system made it easier for folks not willing or able to sit at a computer for hours. But many say that same convenience also made it easy pickings for scalpers.
Yo Burner’s I would recomend that you come to the Rib Cookoff instead.
500,000 folks attend and its free
Sell tickets with names on them, and sell a $20 processing insurance/fee to sell them back to Burning Man LLC if you can not make it, then they can destroy that ticket, and issue a new ticket to somebody else. You can buy 2, but need to give the names to be placed on the tickets.
Add as much bureaucracy as possible to an event that celebrates freedom…
We should eliminate the gubmint b’crats and let the free market Roll on the Playa!! The irreparable damage done by unlimited access will surely be covered by Profits from entrepenuers. We should all have the Freedom to destroy things and poison the environment for money.
Clearly you don’t understand the meaning of the term “free market”, Smedley.
When using “public lands” for an event, that land must be left in as good or better condition than it was before the event. It’s part of the LEGAL CONTRACT, which is an essential part of a free market economy. Go take some classes in real economics.
For some reason, Smedley, it’s only piggish Occupy groups who are allowed to trash public property without paying for it. But they’re Lefties so it’s okay.
“when using “public lands” for an event, that land must be left in as good or better condition than it was before the event.” Just name me one person or business who is going to sign that LEGAL CONTRACT and be responsible for restoring the area. That’s delusional. I understand exactly what free marketeer greedheads are and I despise the damage they do to our society.
Smedley, ANYONE who uses Public Lands for a major event signs a use contract. You can’t really be that ignorant.
I don’t fathom myself as ignorant.But I’m sure your bbf PubworksTVJoestirumupTahoeneedssmallbusiness et al thinks I am.
Remember that time dogwoman told everyone occupy SLT was going to occupy Raleys, when actually the sentence just said they were meeting there? That was quite a chuckle.
Anyway. Burning Man takes better care of the BLM land than any other corporation (mining in particular).
Gosh Robot, I made a mistake once? Bet that never happened to you. Ever.
But how about sticking to the topic instead of trying to belittle someone with months old news?
This is about Burning Man, and as you said, they do take good care of the Playa, because it’s in the contract that they must. Maybe YOU can educate Smedley since you know everything.