This is a real downside of the festival. Just how financially burdensome it is filters and restricts the kinds of perspectives and culture that can enter. It's not just the ticket cost. It's the travel, the ability to leave work, family, and other obligations for so long, the typical costs of costumes and art projects and camp setup, the consumables... for fortunate attendees, these issues are trivial enough to perhaps not even notice. Most people are completely excluded by this.
The cult of positivity will want to justify and explain this away, but sometimes it's important to allow oneself to confront the negative things in life. Don't just blame the poor.
I highly recommend regional burns as a cheaper and more accessible alternative to Burning Man, which has been poisoned in many ways by its reputation as a club for the independently wealthy. A lot of people in attendance don't consider themselves that well off, but you really are if you can take that hit without consequences.
I think the regional burns really follow the intent and aspirations of Larry Harvey more closely than the big burn. But if you can afford it, definitely go to Burning Man and have a good time.
Can confirm how awesome regional burns can be. I've never been to the "big burn", mainly because the expense and distance would make it very difficult for me to attend and actually participate in any meaningful way.
I live on the east coast of the US (can't imagine how much harder this would be for someone who doesn't even live on the same continent) and while I could probably budget the money and time to attend, it would be prohibitively expensive to bring much in the way of a camp.
But I've attended probably 10 or so burns of varying sizes on the east coast and I truly love doing so. It's still an undertaking but I've been able to collaborate with friends (as well as make lots of new ones) to run theme camps. It's an awesome outlet for our creative and armchair engineering efforts and with so many people from different backgrounds, there's so much to learn and be inspired by.
Just seeing some of the great ideas people come up with has helped me to become more confident in trying out ideas that otherwise would have never gone past the brainstorm phase. It may sound a bit rude, but when I see the art projects and interactive games and installations or just fun things to do, I think "these are just other regular chumps like me...so why the hell can't I do something cool for once??"
I think of it sort of like playing an instrument or singing. At some point, there can be validation and motivation to be found in performing in front of an audience. It gets you to practice and refine. It makes you feel good to share with folks who appreciate your efforts. And at burns, I can chat with people who think our interactive lights are awesome or are thrilled that we brought our karaoke gear out into the woods, or are eternally grateful that we are frying up wings and fries for anyone in need of a hot snack at 1am.
Then you multiply this by hundreds of people who also create spaces to dance, lounge, eat, chat, interact, play, or gape in amazement at what you can build when you get a bunch of nerds and hippies and engineers and chefs and artists and musicians (and just random people who didn't even know they had a talent) into the same space.
It's like summer camp for grownups. It's tons of work and tons of fun and I can't think of much else I've done that begins to touch the positive takeaway I bring home after each one (even if it's just learning my limitations).
The cult of positivity will want to justify and explain this away, but sometimes it's important to allow oneself to confront the negative things in life. Don't just blame the poor.
I highly recommend regional burns as a cheaper and more accessible alternative to Burning Man, which has been poisoned in many ways by its reputation as a club for the independently wealthy. A lot of people in attendance don't consider themselves that well off, but you really are if you can take that hit without consequences.
I think the regional burns really follow the intent and aspirations of Larry Harvey more closely than the big burn. But if you can afford it, definitely go to Burning Man and have a good time.