Burning Man 2023: A first-timer’s guide to prepare for the playa

If you’ve ever been curious about why your friend went off for two weeks, danced in fur and a bikini in ecstasy with tens of thousands of other people under a giant burning effigy, and came back indoctrinated into the cult of Burning Man, then this may be the year for you to see what all the fuss is about, since tickets to the annual festival are shockingly easy to get.

Many who attend Burning Man for the first time become evangelists for the event and its values afterward, hoping to embody its 10 principles back home in regular life. Future spouses and lifelong friends are connected there; companies founded and funded; art and ideas transcend the desert and make it back home in the form of creative projects and nonprofit work.

The phrase “you should go at least once” is casually bandied about for those on the fence. If you're a first-timer looking to make the Burning Man dream come true, here’s what you need to know.

According to the Burning Man website, the only safe and legitimate way to buy resale tickets is through the event’s official resale website STEP, which stands for Secure Ticket Exchange Program. Tickets are on sale until Saturday. Any tickets bought at this point will only be available for pickup at will-call.

There are a number of Facebook groups, such as Burning Man 2023 Tickets and Burning Man Tickets and Vehicle Pass Exchange, that offer tickets at prices as low as $250. But be wary of potential scammers selling voided tickets in these groups and on platforms like StubHub or eBay.

You may also find extra tickets by asking to join a theme camp, groups of anywhere from a few to hundreds of people who registered for approval as an official group and enjoy special privileges like getting a predetermined placement in Black Rock City.

If you don’t know where to start, you can go through the list of registered theme camps here, get in touch with your local Burning Man Regional Network, contribute a service through Burning Man’s tool for online collaboration Spark, ask your Burner friends or post on Facebook groups like Burning Man Virgins & Veterans.

That’s how Abigail Rose Kennedy finally came around to going. After helping many friends over the past decade prepare for the Burn, she says she’s finally joining the festivities herself this year with her close friends at One-Eyed Monster Art Car Camp.

“I think that the most important thing is going with people that know what they’re doing and that you trust,” she said. “Because it is so extreme."

Usually, it takes several months to prepare for Burning Man.

Kennedy said she knew since February that she would go—six months before the actual event. Countless financial and logistical details need sorting out, because attending means building a whole camp from the ground up and then dismantling it at the end of the event.

But there’s still plenty of room for those who are compelled to experience the Burn last-minute. 

“I was looking for community; I was trying to build community, and it was not working out,” said Haytham Hakim, a “virgin Burner” who decided to go last-minute after some big life changes and a serendipitous ticket offer. 

Hakim had been living out of his van for several months before meeting people affiliated with a camp and volunteering to help build their art installation. 

“It just felt right,” he said, “and I want this change in my life.”

Everybody has their own story about getting to Burning Man, which began years ago as an impromptu gathering of friends at Baker Beach to burn an 8-foot-tall wooden statue made out of scrap lumber. 

Now, the experience usually involves a more elaborate process of building a theme camp that offers something to the event, be it a climbable art installation, a spa relaxation center or a DJ stage. This process often takes months of planning and work prior to the start date.

You can also elect to be one of 10,000 or so volunteers, although it is rare to get a free ticket in exchange. 

Many choose to go rogue, however, and do neither, instead opting to simply pitch a tent somewhere on the first-come, first-served open camping area.

Burning Man is all about balancing preparation and adaptability.

“You can plan for anything, but you’re still going to be thrown a curveball,” Kennedy said. “But that’s the exciting part. It’s good to be let out of your comfort zone but also go with the flow. There’s magic in going off the grid and experiencing something new for the first time.”

Kennedy emphasizes the importance of leaning on longtime Burner friends for advice and practical preparation. If you don’t have that, there are countless resources online for virgin Burners–including the official First Timer’s Guide and websites like Burner Guides.

Burning Man has notoriously harsh conditions, with temperatures that exceed 100 degrees by day and less than 60 at night.

Then there’s the other major factor: dust. The texture is an extremely fine powder, and campers bring white vinegar to wash it off. Snow goggles and N-95 masks are often used to fend off the dust storms that kick up frequently and without warning.

The gifting economy implemented in the temporary city also means you can’t just go buy any materials that you need.

“Once you’re out there, you’re out there,” Kennedy said. 

She says much of the preparation involves thinking about what medical supplies she could possibly need out in the desert and also paying extra attention to basic survival items, such as stocking up on Pedialyte for hydration and packing lots of easy-to-eat nonperishable foods.

Check out what The Standard’s editor Anna Tong brought last year. Or peruse many of the packing lists available, like this one available on the official Burning Man website.