Photos by Andrew Jorgenson Photography
It’s crazy to think that less than a month ago I was working on lineup releases for two summer festivals. That feels like another lifetime at this point. Yet, somehow it’s still March.
As the list continues to grow for Corona Virus related event cancellations and delays, many more are shrouded in uncertainty. Last week the Burning Man Project organizers provided an update on how they are responding to the current situation. This included closing their offices, going virtual with certain community gatherings, and unfortunately canceling some regional events. A second announcement followed on March 30th, officially postponing the main registration and sale set to take place in the coming week. No future date has been rescheduled at this time.
While the announcement does not answer many questions, the message was still very transparent and as straightforward as possible. They address the logistics and manpower it takes to put on an event of this caliber, and how that is impacted when the timeline is cut short. They acknowledge a potential cancellation and the concern about how refunds would work – taking into consideration deposits, salaries, and their non-profit status. And they provide fairly detailed information on their finances, including a link to what exactly is built into the price of your ticket. While everyone is obviously eager for more information, not much else has been determined – only the repeated assurance that they are looking at all possible scenarios to get us through this together.
“This is a stark and, yet in some ways, touching reminder that Burning Man is not just a week in the desert. Burning Man is a year-round, global community made up of the most innovative thinkers, doers, dreamers, and makers. This new challenge requires us to work together to solve formidable problems. Burners are good at that.“
– The Burning Man Project
Hang in there, everyone.
Keep up to date on Burning Man related news by following their blog.