Burning Man has taken some big hits during this global pandemic. In 2020, It lost almost 90% percent of the $43 Million dollar revenue it racked up in 2019. And with the event cancelled again in 2021, the non-profit is struggling to stay afloat.
To help with this, the Burning Man Project partnered with Sotheby’s to auction off art, sculptures, NFTs, mutant vehicles, and other desert ephemera. The auction, ‘Boundless Space: The Possibilities of Burning Man’, will being on October 8th. Prices for certain items have already cleared the $10 Thousand dollar mark.
Burning Man Board Member ‘Fab Five Freddy’ ideated this auction in partnership with Sotheby’s CEO Charles F. Stewart, who agreed to help out by waving some of the fees it usually charges. Additionally, several artists from inside and outside the Burner community have donated or partially donated works to help save the floundering festival.
Burning Man CEO, Marian Goodell stressed the importance of the impending January, 2022 ticket sales:
“We’re going to have to start selling tickets otherwise we don’t have enough money. We have money to get to the end of year barely. The auction is going to be important.”
Burning Man has other methods of income, and there is clearly a market for this in the world. 10,000 people showed up at the famous playa this year for an unofficial Burning Man. And there is a Musical based on the event coming out soon.
Here’s hoping the festival survives the pandemic.