If you arrive before 12:01 am Sunday, August 30, DO NOT park on the side of the road waiting for the Gate to open. Your best option is to proceed down Gate Road where you will be directed to the Opening Night Staging Lot. This will give you an opportunity to rest, stretch your legs, grab any tickets waiting at Will Call, ponder the vagaries of life, and meet your neighbors. You will not be penalized for arriving early. (You also don’t get in any earlier).

If you are in the Opening Night Staging Lot, stay sober — you will need to drive again before you arrive in Black Rock City. Law enforcement patrols Gate Road and they enforce the same traffic laws as they do on the paved streets.

The speed limit on Gate Road is 10 mph. Speeding can cause downstream effects for you and others such as: traffic stops, citations, deep ruts in the playa, and excess dust on the road, which blows directly into the city.

Use all open lanes! Please spread out to help preserve the playa surface.  

All lanes have the ability to go to Box Office or go directly to the Gate. While approaching the Gate area, do not change lanes unless instructed to do so by Gate staff or indicated by signage. 

Driving on wet playa (sticking to tires) causes major damage to the lanes. DON’T DO IT! However, driving on damp playa (not sticking to tires) helps compact the surface and preserves the lanes.

Tune in to BMIR at 94.5 FM or GARS 95.1 FM for current travel times and other event info.

Ok, You Made it to the Gate… Now What?

Be prepared. Make sure you have everything you need to get into BRC — especially ticket and vehicle pass — accessible and ready. Take a printed version of the Get Your Stuff Together Guide.

All vehicles, except motorcycles, require a Vehicle Pass. These need to be purchased in advance and displayed on your windshield before you arrive at the Gate. Go to the Ticketing website for more information. 

Stay in your vehicle. If anyone in your vehicle needs to go to the Box Office to pick up a ticket, your entire vehicle, including everyone traveling with you, will be directed to the Box Office. Once everyone in your vehicle has a ticket, you may all proceed through the Gate, together.

For everyone’s safety, please do not drive faster than 5 mph at the Gate.

Gate staff are required to search every vehicle entering the city for prohibited, harmful, or illegal items. You and everyone in your vehicle may be denied entry if you bring any of the following:

  • Stowaways
  • Animals
  • Explosives, aerial flares, rockets, or fireworks
  • Firearms or weapons of any kind, including BB guns, air rifles, and paintball guns
  • Hand-held or unregistered lasers 
  • Items that cause MOOP — wood chips, loose feathers, tubs of confetti, etc.
  • Anything that will break up and/or blow away in the wind
  • Unregistered Mutant Vehicles
  • Unregistered drones (if you’re not sure if your drone is registered, then it isn’t registered — leave your drone at home!)
  • Plants, living or dead
  • ATVs and scooters
  • Motorcycles that are not a participant’s transportation to BRC

Please be patient with hardworking Gate and Box Office staff; they are volunteers, and Burners just like you. If the weather gets bad, they may have to hold traffic periodically or even close the Gate until it’s safe to drive again. Keep in mind, the conditions in the city may be different from what you experience at the Gate. Be prepared with at least 24 hours of food, water, patience, and any other supplies to care for you and those in your vehicle. Don’t forget to reserve what you will need for your return trip!

You may be able to avoid Gate Road delays by checking the BRC Dashboard for updated weather information prior to leaving your home, and along the way!
After Gate, the lovely Greeters will be thrilled to welcome you to BRC. They will give each person in your vehicle a printed city map, WhatWhereWhen, and other information, including where to dispose of your trash and gray water post-event. If you’re the first vehicle arriving for a placed camp that needs to meet with Placement during Build Week, you should ask Greeters to call for your Placer at Greeters Station. If you arrive overnight while Greeters and Placement are closed, fill out the overnight arrival form at the Greeter Stations. Go to your approximate location and don’t set up any more than just for that night. First thing in the morning, look for your Placer. You can also stop by Placement Office (Esplanade & 5:45) after 8 am to make sure you’re in the queue.

Complete arrival information can be found on burningman.org. Watch this video to learn everything about the Gate in a concise, entertaining, shareable format. Still have questions? Check out the FAQ. And if you and your friends want to volunteer for Gate and assist your community into the best place on Earth, learn about Volunteering with Gate.

In & Out Fee

Traffic in and out of BRC is strongly discouraged. It has impacts on traffic, staff, as well as our sustainability goals and the playa itself. (It also adds to Gate travel time!) Practice being radically self-reliant by bringing everything you need for the entirety of your time in the desert. Participants who leave and return are required to pay a fee. Follow the signs. Stay close to the flagline. This will help preserve the playa conditions.