Why, how Burning Man has surpassed cult status

Well, to be honest with you, there is a lot more to this event than just a bunch of people partying in the desert. As I learned in the documentary, they have something like a $7 million budget (in 2003 anyways) and that money is all gone by the time they are done cleaning up every scrap of garbage from the desert floor and starting to plan the next years event.

It might be expensive, but seeing as how it's hit it's capacity of 65k people this year, apparently those who went didn't think it was too much to pay for a totally unique experience that honestly wouldn't be possible without a lot of money to pay for the whole thing. If you think it's too much, then don't go. The high price tag probably helps keep out a lot of people who don't belong there anyways. Large free events have a way of attracting all sorts of trash...

If you want a big event that blows your mind for $30, find yourself a massive and drop some acid...

I have .

Have you been there ?

if it was a free gathering, it would be an unoranized, chaotic event overrun by douchebags. Plus, you have to understand..it costs what it does because of what it costs to put on such an event. Security, portable toilets, medical service, rangers, firemen, this is what all that ticket money goes to. Larry Harvey and Co. are NOT making a huge profit off BM, yet they work their asses off all year in the planning. An event as unique as errecting an entire city, commerce free, for a week is no cheap undertaking, unfortunately. But put it in perspective - what you spend to go to Burning Man, you spend on ANY average vacation - except you get a whole lot more out of it :)

Go to the rainbow festival , which is free ... if you do you will notice SOME people come to TAKE . The ticket price screens a lot of them OUT . Burning man is a better experience because of it .

It is sold out with 65 thousand tickets. My brother is there and several of my neighbors. I would love to attend myself.

LOL.. the documentary that I just finished was done at the 2003 event and quoted 30k people and at the end one lady was saying that they weren't going to be able to handle 50k, now you say they're sold out at 65k... damn! Also apparently tickets were $250 in 2003, wonder what they are now?

My sister was all bummed out because her friend had bought her a ticket but was unable too contact her. $250 is steep for camping in the desert.

Would be funny is NetFlix sent several little blotter hits of LSD along with the DVD in the mail when you get that movie delivered. They're like "It was stipulated that these be sent with all copies of the movie. It's the only movie like that in our library."

Actually it was streaming online and not really something I would want to watch tripping (if I still did stuff like that).

One could consider it a meditation on impermanence .

It is THE best experience . I miss it SO much . It gives me proof that humanity is worth saving . The height of the ticket price weeds out the dredges .

Agreed. and +^d !