Stuart WoodThe organisers of Burning Man have announced a change of direction for the arts festival’s virtual 2020 edition.
The virtual festival will no longer take the form of one integrated digital hub, and will now be spread out across a number of community projects.
In a statement, Burning Man Project CEO Marien Goodell said the aim was to make 2020 “the most radically inclusive Burning Man yet”. She added: “We also want to honor the fact that many Burners are motivated to share their offerings with people beyond those who would have purchased a ticket.
“We also have to be realistic about what kind of experience we ourselves would be able to create, given the scale of other virtual offerings and Burning Man Project’s extreme financial constraints.”
Financial difficulties
Burning Man Project was forced to make a number of layoffs and salary cuts in late April, following the cancellation of Burning Man 2020 and disruption caused by Covid-19.
The group is a non-profit company which self-funds the main festival purely through ticket sales, while supporting a number of other charitable initiatives. It released a detailed breakdown of its finances in late April, in a post that asked for donations to help keep the Burning Man Project alive.
“The future of Black Rock City depends on generous and immediate action,” said Goodell.