Burning Man drew its lowest share of attendees in their 20s on record in 2025, at 10%, according to the festival’s annual census. In 2015, that age group made up 29.6% of the crowd.
The decline comes as main admission prices have risen from $390 in 2015 to $550 in 2025, with a vehicle pass adding $165. For a solo driver, the minimum cost now exceeds $700 before food, water, and gear.
Age data from the census
The Black Rock City Census has tracked attendee demographics since 2013. In 2025, attendees in their 20s made up a smaller share than those in their 50s.
Attendees in their 30s have remained at roughly 38.7% for a decade. Census researchers noted in 2019 that under-30 attendance had already fallen from 34.2% in 2013 to 20.0%, while the 60-plus group nearly doubled in that period.
Cost and nonprofit finances
In the 2025 census, more than a quarter of respondents identified cost as their single largest obstacle to attending. Other cited barriers included:
- 16% could not get time off work or school
- Over 10% pointed to the logistics of surviving a week in the desert, including hauling water, food, and shelter
Burning Man Project reported a $265 loss on every main ticket sold in 2024, part of a $10.7 million net loss. Tickets did not sell out for the first time in 13 years, and the organization spent months fundraising publicly to remain solvent.
Higher prices were intended to close that budget gap, but they have also made the event less accessible to the age group that is already declining.
Young audiences still spend on festivals
Gen Z has not stopped spending on live events. Nearly half of Gen Z consumers say they skip events because of high prices, according to an industry survey, but many still attend concerts and festivals elsewhere.
Breakaway, a touring dance-music festival aimed at college-age audiences, sells day tickets starting around $40 and drew more than 300,000 attendees in 2025. Breakaway’s attendance indicates that younger audiences are still attending festivals, but are choosing lower-cost options.
Burning Man attendance peaked at 78,850 people in 2019 and has not matched that number since.
