- Jamal Abraham, 63, just attended Burning Man for the first time and spent about $7,000 to get there.
- The total cost included his rental car, flight, and entry fee as well as the camp he stayed in.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Jamal Abraham, 63, who lives in London and works in the hotel industry. He attended Burning Man for the first time.
If you were to ask me to describe Burning Man, I'd call the entire event magic. I was there for five days.
This year's event brought in about 72,000 attendees. The organizers broke us up into camps. Some of the camps contained 30 to 40 people, but others, like mine, had 120 people. I made friends with people from all over the world.
It was my first time attending Burning Man — and it won't be my last.
What I paid to attend Burning Man
I paid roughly $7,000 for everything. This included the car I rented, my flight, and the camp itself. Some participants were able to get their camps for cheaper, depending on what was included, and some cost more. Most Burning Man campers paid roughly between $4,000 to $10,000 to cover their costs.
Some people complain about the price, and I will say, it is expensive. There's an entry fee and a car pass fee, too. But you have to understand that the event is expensive to run — it costs a lot of money to run water and electricity and to facilitate the RVs and the tents.
Before attending, I also thought it sounded like a lot of money. But when I got there, I realized how much the camp accommodates and I understood it a bit more. Now I think the price is fair for what you get when you go.
There is a lot that's happening. There's art, a chef, a DJ, biking, and of course the burning of the man.
You go there expecting to have fun, but you also know it won't be easy. No one expected seven to eight full hours of rain. That was a surprise.
On the fourth day of the event, it rained for hours
It brought on some challenges, but we just dealt with it.
For example, the event then moved the DJ to where it was more dry and we simply carried on. It was fine. Everybody was happy.
Since we weren't sure how long the rain would last, we tried to keep checking on each other. We made sure everyone had enough food, and we shared food when people didn't.
Everybody was helping everybody. When you enter an event like Burning Man, you enter a community.
Due to the rain, the burning of the man got delayed. It was supposed to happen on a Saturday, but it ended up happening on a Tuesday. A lot of people stayed to see it.
The mud did leave you feeling stuck, and it was hard to move through. If you put on the right clothes, goggles, and a cover for your mouth and nose, you could make your way through it.
Burning Man was an amazing experience
I loved it, the good and the bad. Even if it rains again next year, I'll be there. I plan to stay in touch with the people I camped with; they're now my friends.
Traveling is my passion; I'm a very sociable guy. I have friends all over the world and I enjoy traveling and meeting people.
Burning Man is one of the best things I've ever done. It's a beautiful sense of community.