How to Do Burning Man

What it is

For a week, tens of thousands build Black Rock City on a Nevada dry lakebed — huge art installations, mutant vehicles, no money changing hands, and the burning of the Man at the end. It's a participatory experiment in self-reliance, not a spectator festival.

How to get started

1. Understand what it is: you bring everything (water, food, shelter), nothing is for sale on the playa, and you're expected to participate, not watch.
2. Get a ticket through the official staged sales, which open months ahead and sell out — plus the separate vehicle pass.
3. Plan logistics early: join or form a camp, sort your desert gear, and route the drive from Reno.

Tickets & where to buy

Tickets are sold only through the official Burning Man site in staged rounds (a pre-sale, a main registration-based sale, and lower-cost tiers), and a vehicle pass is required on top. Demand far exceeds supply; the official Secure Ticket Exchange Program (STEP) is the only safe resale. Never buy from unofficial resellers.

Where to stay

There are no hotels — you camp on the playa and must bring all your own water, food and shelter. Reno, about two hours away, is where most people stage and resupply.

First-timer tips

Radical self-reliance is the rule: bring far more water than you think, dust-proof everything, learn the Ten Principles, and join an established camp for your first year.

Watch out

Extreme daytime heat, cold nights, and whiteout dust storms. There's no cell service, no vendors and no ATMs on the playa — come fully prepared or don't come.