Is Burning Man being cancelled this year?
According to organizers - not quite.
While it is known for its epic annual event in the Black Rock Desert of northwest Nevada, organizers state that Burning Man is about more than its trademark summer festival. They say that it is also a culture, and that there are over 100 Burning Man-affiliated events around the world.
In lieu of the in-person celebration this summer, Burning Man will host a virtual Black Rock City in the Multiverse. In this Multiverse, Black Rock City will be online, and everyone will be welcome to join in. Organizers note that they are still working out how tickets will work, but that they will share those details soon.
And while the organizers state that it puts them at a huge financial risk, they will offer refunds to anyone who purchased a ticket to the live event. With this in mind, they stress that anyone who can afford to donate the value of their ticket - or a portion of the value - would be hugely appreciated.
"We have faith that those with the means to do so will help us stay afloat during these challenging times," say organizers. "To that end, we’re going to ask that you consider gifting the value (or a portion of the value) of your purchased ticket back to Burning Man Project as a tax-deductible donation."
Organizers add that they hope to co-create a Black Rock City online with 100,000 participants to share common passions, explore fun, sustainable ways to live, and connect in these challenging times, and also to take care of one another.
"Since our earliest days on Baker Beach, we have always been, first and foremost, a community. And we’re a community familiar with being in a state of survival. There were many years when the Black Rock City event almost didn’t happen. We know how to face uncertainty and how to adapt to the changing world around us. We will tackle this challenge the same way humans across the globe are doing right now — by drawing strength and inspiration from one another. We are all Burning Man," reads a Burning Man post.
