Questions

Before you ask

Most of what follows is settled. Some of it is not, and where that is true we say so rather than guess.

The final word on how anything actually works on site will live in the Survival Guide, published before the gates open. Read it. This page is for deciding whether to come.

What this is

Do I need to have been to a Burn before?

No. Whether you are a seasoned Burner or discovering this culture for the first time, you are equally welcome. Read the Principles, arrive self-reliant, and ask people things.

Is this a festival?

No, and the difference matters more than it sounds. There is no audience, no line-up, no vendors, no VIP area and no programme made for you. The camps, the art, the music, the workshops and the food are all brought by the people who turn up. If everyone came expecting to be entertained, there would be nothing there at all.

Is there a line-up or a main stage?

Neither. What happens is whatever participants and theme camps build. If you want to play, perform, teach or host something, that is not a favour we grant you — it is the whole idea. Bring it.

Where and when?

19–24 January 2027, in Khanom on Thailand’s Gulf coast. The Getting there page has airports, ferries and rough travel times. The exact site address goes out with your ticket.

How many people will be there?

We are planning for somewhere between 1,000 and 1,500. This is our first full-length Burn after two one-day gatherings, so treat that as a plan rather than a promise.

What language is this in?

English is the shared language for event information and anything operational. You will hear a great many others around you, Thai first among them.

Tickets and getting in

What will it cost, and when do tickets go on sale?

Not announced yet. When it is settled it will appear on the Tickets page and in the community channels at the same time. Sawasdee Burn is non-profit: ticket money pays for the thing itself, not for anybody’s margin.

Is the registration form a ticket?

No, and it does not reserve you one. It tells us who is coming, what people want to build, and how many hands we will have before day one. Tickets are a separate process, announced separately.

Can I come just to look around for a day?

There is no audience here, so there is nothing to look at that you didn’t help make. That is not a policy so much as what the place is. In practical terms: no day passes. You can arrive late or leave early, but the ticket is for the whole thing.

Can I arrive late, leave early, or come and go?

Yes to all three, within the gate hours we publish nearer the time. Keep your wristband on you. Do not turn up when the gate is shut — there will be nobody to let you in and nowhere to wait.

Can I buy a ticket at the gate?

No. Tickets are sold in advance only, and the name on the ticket needs to match your photo ID. Turning up hopeful will not work.

Can I transfer my ticket, or get a refund?

The rules for refunds, transfers and name changes will be published with the ticket information, before anything goes on sale. When they are, buy and transfer only through the official system. Anyone selling tickets in a group chat or a marketplace is either mistaken or robbing you.

Are there VIP tickets?

No. No VIPs, no artist area, no organiser enclosure, no guest list. The people who built the thing sleep in the same dust as everyone else.

Can I arrive early to help build?

Only with early access agreed in advance, and only for assigned build, art, camp or crew work. Build days are working days with heavy things moving around. If nobody has confirmed it with you in writing, please do not come early.

Can children come?

Yes. A child needs to be registered and needs a parent or legal guardian with them, who stays responsible for them the whole time. There is no childcare. Age bands and children’s ticket prices come with the ticket information.

Can I bring my dog?

No. No pets on site — it is too hot, too loud and too far from a vet. If you rely on a legally recognised assistance animal, contact us before you book anything and we will work out what is possible.

Camping and looking after yourself

Do I need to bring a tent?

Yes. Everyone camps, and your shelter is your own problem to solve. Tent, something to sleep on, and shade — shade especially. A tent in the tropical sun with nothing over it becomes an oven by nine in the morning.

Do I have to join a theme camp?

No. Join one, start one, or pitch in the free camping area. “Free camp” means camping that isn’t placed with a theme camp. It does not mean free entry.

Can I sleep in a campervan or my car?

Not settled yet. Vehicles, rooftop tents and sleeping in a parked car all depend on the site layout we are still working out. Do not book a campervan on the assumption that it will be fine.

What should I bring?

Enough to look after yourself for six days without shops. Shelter and shade, sleeping gear, food, water, a reusable cup and plate, sun protection, rain protection, insect repellent, your own medication, a small first-aid kit, a torch and spare batteries, rubbish bags, earplugs, and shoes you can work in. A full list comes with the Survival Guide.

Pack for a tropical coast: fierce sun, sudden rain, and everything slightly damp by morning.

Will there be food?

Not for sale, and not reliably. Camps and neighbours gift food, generously and often — but a gift is not a catering service and it runs out. Bring what you and anyone in your care need for the whole event. If you are gifting food, say plainly what is in it; somebody in the queue has an allergy.

What about drinking water?

Six days in the tropics is a lot of water — four litres a day each is a sensible baseline, and that is more than most people can reasonably carry off a ferry. We are sorting out how water works on site and will confirm it before tickets go on sale, because it changes what you need to pack. Until then, plan on being responsible for your own supply and do not assume a tap.

Toilets and showers?

Both provided. Keep them decent for the person after you. Only human waste and paper goes down them — no wipes, no sanitary products, no nappies, no food, no rubbish. Blocking a toilet at a Burn makes you briefly famous.

Can I bring a generator?

No personal generators. Power goes to approved art and theme camps only. Assume you cannot charge your phone, and bring a battery pack if that matters to you.

Will there be signal or Wi-Fi?

Plan on being offline. There is no public Wi-Fi, mobile coverage on site is not something we can promise, and the point of the week is somewhat undermined by a signal bar. Download your ticket, your directions and anything you actually need before you travel.

What happens to my rubbish?

It leaves with you. All of it — food waste, cigarette ends, broken gear, decorations, the gifts you were given. Nothing is left at the site, at the venue, or in Khanom for someone else to deal with. Before you go, walk your whole patch and pick up every last bit of MOOP, matter out of place.

How waste water from cooking, washing and showers is handled is still being worked out, and will be in the Survival Guide.

Can I cook, or light a fire?

Cooking rules, fuel storage, and anything involving open flame — stoves, barbecues, candles, fire performance, flame effects, burnable art — are still being settled with the venue. Until they are published, assume nothing burns without written approval. Fireworks and sky lanterns are out, permanently; this is a coastline in dry season.

Taking part

How do I participate?

Almost anything counts. Build a camp or join one, make art, take a shift, teach something you know, host a workshop, play, cook for your neighbours, help put it up or take it down. Scale is not the point. Turning up ready to do something rather than watch something is the point.

I have an idea for an art piece or a camp. Who do I tell?

Us. Put it in the registration form — you don’t need to be an experienced artist, and no idea is too small to bring. If we open dedicated art and camp applications later, we will say so here and in the community channels.

Can I volunteer?

Yes, and we need you to. A Burn of this size runs on people taking shifts before, during and after. Say what you can offer in the registration form. Shift sign-ups open closer to the event.

Can I buy or sell anything on site?

No. No vendors, no services for money, no promoting your brand, and no bartering either. Bring what you need. If we ever have to sell one essential thing — ice is the usual candidate — we will announce it well in advance rather than spring it on you.

What is the difference between gifting and bartering?

A gift is given freely, with nothing expected back — not payment, not a trade, not a favour, not attention. A barter is a transaction wearing a nicer shirt. And you are never obliged to accept a gift.

Each other

What does consent mean here?

Freely given, informed, specific, clear, and revocable at any moment. Ask before you touch someone, join something intimate, step into their space, hand them a substance, or point a camera. Silence is not consent. Hesitation is not consent. Drunk is not consent. Yes last night is not consent now. The Consent page has the whole of it.

Can I take photos?

Ask first, every time, and ask again before you post it. Coming to a Burn is not consent to appear on the internet. Never photograph children without their parent. If someone asks you to stop or to delete it, stop and delete it, without a discussion about your artistic intent.

Professional shoots, commercial work, big rigs and drones need approval in advance. Drones over a crowd are a hard no without it.

What do I do if I feel unsafe, or see someone who needs help?

Go to the Safer Zone, or find a Nomad, someone from Welfare, or any of the crew. They are there to listen and help you work out what you need, not to judge you or get you in trouble. For anything medical or immediately dangerous, get the emergency team. More on the Safer Zone.

Will there be quiet camping, or sound limits?

Sound zones, quiet hours and how far speakers can be pointed at sleeping people are still being mapped out, and will be in the Survival Guide. Bring earplugs regardless. Somebody’s idea of a good time starts at 4am.

Safety, law and access

Will there be medical care?

There will be medical and welfare cover on site; what exactly, and where the nearest hospital sits, is being arranged now and will be published in full before the event. None of it replaces looking after yourself: bring your own medication, a first-aid kit, and travel insurance that actually covers you in Thailand. Ambulances and hospitals here are not free.

Do Thai laws apply inside the Burn?

Completely. A Burn is not a jurisdiction. Thai law applies, the venue’s rules apply, and radical self-expression is not a defence. We are guests on this coast, and how we behave decides whether we are welcome back.

Can I swim in the sea?

Where and when you can get in the water is still being worked out with the venue. Assume there are no lifeguards, because there probably will not be — the sea is not supervised and never will be a managed swimming pool. Tides, currents and boats are all real. Nobody swims alone, and nobody swims drunk.

Is the site accessible?

Honestly: we do not know yet, and we would rather tell you that than promise something the ground cannot deliver. It is a coastal site with uneven terrain and sand. We are working through paths, toilets, camping placement, parking and power for medical devices. Tell us what you need in the registration form or by email and we will give you a straight answer about what is and is not possible in time for you to decide.

Can I drive there?

Yes, and there will be parking. Share a car if you possibly can — Khanom’s roads are not built for 1,000 people arriving separately. Whether parking costs anything, and whether vehicles can move once they are parked, comes with the Survival Guide. Assume your car stays put once it stops.

What is not allowed?

One authoritative list will be published before tickets go on sale. Already certain: no pets, no personal generators, no weapons, no fireworks, no sky lanterns, no glitter or loose feathers, and no drones without approval. The rest depends on the venue.

Where does the final word live?

The Survival Guide. Gate hours, the packing list, site rules, emergency information, what is banned, fire and sound rules, the waste plan and how to leave — all of it, published before the event and updated if things change. Anything important also goes out through the community channels.