RENO, Nev. — Burning Man tickets disappeared Wednesday faster than untethered tents in a dust storm.

Within a half hour of the noon PT opening bell, 26,000 main sale tickets, which cost $425, were snapped up to participate in the temporary arts and music community although the $80 vehicle passes held out for a little longer.

Burning Man, which began on a San Francisco beach for the 1986 summer solstice, moved to Northern Nevada's Black Rock Desert in 1990 and now attracts 68,000 people. It happens Aug. 26 to Sept. 3 this year.

This year's theme: "I, Robot"

Tickets during the main sale, where the list prices do not include taxes and fees, have sold out since 2011, and they have been bought up in less than 30 minutes during recent years. The number of people trying to buy tickets is often twice the number of tickets available, according to Burning Man organizers. 

► March 10: Burning Man art is on its way to the Smithsonian in D.C.

► Dec. 7: Burning Man wants permission to grow to 100,000 people

► Oct. 23: Burning Man camp sends its shelters to wildfire victims

Burning Man again prepared an online waiting room to ensure that the website was not overloaded with simultaneous purchasers. The waiting room gave no preference to those in it and opened just before 11:30 a.m., according to Burning Man spokesman Jim Graham. 

Some complained of being kicked out of the waiting room though most seemed to have been able to return before the sale began. The waiting room has experienced glitches in years past, too. 

Once tickets were purchased, Burning Man added a note about sexual consent: 

As a city built on principles that include Civic Responsibility and Communal Effort, we all have a stake in the safety and security of our fellow Burners. Sexual assault at Burning Man, while uncommon and unconscionable, can happen. Should something happen to you or a fellow Burner, there are resources available before, during, and after the event. We need everyone’s help to foster an educated, empowered, and safe community.

Burning Man, which allows nudity and also is known to have a number of sex- and sexuality-oriented camps, has increased its efforts to educate its community not only about sexual consent but also consent to have photos taken and participate in other activities.

Event organizers do have alternatives to the main sale:

• Low Income Program. Applications are being accepted through April 16 for the $190 tickets, but the application period could end sooner if enough qualified buyers apply.

• Limited Ticket Sale. If you weren't quick enough at the keyboard Wednesday, this April 4 sale offers tickets for a deluxe price, $1,200, but doesn't offer additional perks. Organizers say the higher-priced tickets allow participants to help with Burning Man's expenses if they can afford to.

• Secure Ticket Exchange Program. This April 11-25 program allows wannabe Burners to buy authentic tickets from previous purchasers who have discovered they will be unable to attend.

• OMG Sale. This last-minute sale of about 2,000 $425 tickets and about 1,500 $80 vehicle passes happens Aug. 1. But you have to register for the sale between July 25 and 27 for the opportunity to try to buy them.

People who pursue private sales of tickets are cautioned to watch out for scams on sites such as Craigslist and Ebay. Ticket prices are known to soar on secondary sale sites where scalpers resell tickets for thousands of dollars. 

The Burning Man organization is considering increasing the number of attendees but would require approval from the federal Bureau of Land Management, which manages the desert lakebed where Burning Man participants set up Black Rock City. 

► Oct. 18: Burning Man announces 'I, Robot' theme for 2018

► Sept. 15: Married at Burning Man in a dust storm: See the wild wedding photos

The event, now capped at 68,000 participants, already attracts closer to 80,000 people when counting government officials, service vendors and volunteers. Burning Man organizers are asking the BLM to hike the cap to at least 80,000 — at most 100,000 — though the growth would be long term, not immediate. 

The BLM could approve or reject a proposal as soon as next year. The agency and Burning Man are in the process of a public review.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/nation-now/2018/03/28/burning-man-sold-out/467730002/