Entry cost for Burning Man has shot up from $390 in 2015 to $550 this year
Fewer youngsters are attending Burning Man, which kicked off in Nevada’s Black Rock Desert earlier this week.
Just 10% of attendees last year were in their 20s, according to the annual Black Rock City census survey.
The drop is steep from over 30% in 2015 and has accelerated following the festival’s post-pandemic return in 2022.
The 2025 survey found that over 25% of burners felt ticket costs were too high. The price of a ticket has risen from $390 in 2015 to $550 this year. A vehicle pass adds another $165, and attendees must bring their own food, water, and gear.
For a solo driver, attending the counterculture festival can easily cost over $1,000.
Alongside rising costs, the festival is also facing criticism for the attendance of billionaires and tech CEOs in recent years, with co-founder John Law recently stating that the event has “lost its anarchist soul.”