Burning Man CEO Marian Goodell says the organisation still needs to raise US$14 million to save the festival.

The US countercultural gathering released a lengthy statement last October detailing the festival’s financial woes after Black Rock City 2024 tickets didn’t sell as planned.

“This means that our year-end charitable donation target has essentially doubled to nearly $20m,” she explained. “This needs to happen before 2025 ticket sales and our annual revenue cycle begins in January.

An email sent out to the Burning Man community on Thursday 19 December from Goodell provided an update on the fundraising, revealing that the nonprofit is currently $14 million short of its stated goal.

“Today, with reductions as well as dollars raised from supporters, we’re still about $14 million short of where we ought to be”

“We started 2024 with a commitment to raise $10 million philanthropically,” Goodell’s email states. “This was up 20% from the $8.2 million raised in 2023. Due to the ticket sales shortfall to Black Rock City in 2024, we found ourselves needing to make mission-aligned budget adjustments and raise the remaining deficit to the tune of approximately $10 million—this, in addition to the initial $10 million goal. And today, with reductions as well as dollars raised from supporters, we’re still about $14 million short of where we ought to be.”

Last year, the organisation revealed that it had laid off staff amid “examining and restructuring our operations and reducing our expected 2025 (and beyond) costs by several millions of dollars.”

Organisers also revealed that Burning Man is “well past the point where ticket revenues are able to support our year-round cultural work,” adding that in 2023, the cost to produce the event was an estimated $749 per participant while the main sale ticket price was $575 per ticket.

The US countercultural gathering was founded in 1986 and has grown from a three-day, 80-person ‘zone trip’ to an nine-day event attended by around 80,000 people.

While the non-profit festival has been known to sell out of tickets months in advance – sometimes within 30 minutes of release – last year organisers opened sales for non-registered buyers for the first time after sluggish sales.

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Jay-Z’s Made In America Festival has been cancelled for the second year in a row, organisers have confirmed.

Launched in 2012, the annual two-day event traditionally takes place every Labor Day weekend on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Yesterday (April 3) Made In America posted a statement confirming that the event “will not take place in 2024” as planned. Bosses did not give a specific reason for it being shelved.

“Since its inception, this groundbreaking festival has celebrated music & community – from creating a space for fans to connect, to uplifting local small businesses & shining a light on important causes,” organisers continued.

Made In America that it “promises an exciting return to the festival” in the future

“It has strived for accessibility, eliminating barriers through affordable tickets and location. As purveyors of change, the Made In America executive production team is reimagining a live music experience that affirms our love and dedication to music and the work we do.”

The Roc Nation-produced event signed off by saying that it “promises an exciting return to the festival” in the future. No line-up details had been revealed for this year’s event.

Last year’s event was also axed less than a month out due to what organisers called “circumstances outside of production control”. Lizzo and SZA were set to headline the 2023 fest. In cancelling last year’s festival, organisers said that they would “deliver a top-tier festival experience” in 2024.

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