SideBurn can be intense—in the best and sometimes most challenging ways. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, need a reset, or just want to scream into the void (literally), here are some ways to take care of yourself and others this year:

Be kind to yourself. Be there for each other. SideBurn isn’t just a party—it’s a community. ❤️‍🔥

This year, we’re making the Effigy and Temple burns even more welcoming with a dedicated accessible seating area along the perimeter. Keep an eye out for the signs to find your spot. Up front, you’ll find a cozy ground-sitting zone. Just behind that, at a safe and comfy distance from the flames, we’ve set up a bring-your-own-chair section. Not sure if you’re far enough back? Just flag down one of our perimeter volunteers, and they’ll help you out.

Survival tips, volunteer opportunities, carpooling info, and more—everything you need to know and do before you arrive!

💪 From Packing Lists to Big Feelings: The Guides Are Live

Whether you’re attending for the first time or are a seasoned burner, these guides are packed with essential information to ensure an unforgettable experience. In our big Survival Guide you’ll find details on the 10 Principles, community rules, safety guidelines, and helpful tips for everything from packing to navigating the event. We’ve also included our Emotional Survival Guide for navigating big feelings, as well as our Family Survival Guide for those attending with kids.

Learn more

🫵 Final Volunteer Shifts—We Need You!

A huge thank you to everyone who’s already signed up to volunteer—you’re the heart of this event! We’re down to the final few shifts, and we need your help to fill them. Roles still open include:

• Effigy Perimeter (most crucial!)
• Parking
• HQ
• Leave No Trace (LNT)

🔥 The Effigy won’t burn without a full perimeter crew—help us make it happen.

Sign up now at volunteer.sideburn.ca. Questions? Email us at volunteer@sideburn.ca

Sign up

📒 Create. Share. Be Found. Submit to the WWW Guide Today

Got something amazing planned for SideBurn? Whether it’s a theme camp, art piece, workshop, food gift, or any wild and wonderful experience—make sure people know about it in the What, Where, When (WWW) Guide by submitting your offerings at the link below!

Submissions close April 30th!

Submit

🐩 Bringing Animals to SideBurn

SideBurn welcomes service and emotional support animals to help make the event accessible for all. If you plan to attend with one, please review our Animal Policy and note that all animals must have a free ticket issued by our ticketing team.

Email equity@sideburn.ca with your animal’s official documentation by May 7. This helps us ensure a safe, respectful, and supportive environment for all.

We can’t wait to see you (and your certified good girls and boys) at SideBurn!

Learn more

💚 Accessibility at SideBurn

Have questions about accessibility at SideBurn? We’re here to help! Check out our Accessibility & Equity page for details or email our Equity team at equity@sideburn.ca. Let’s work together to make SideBurn welcoming and accessible for all. 

Learn more

🚗 Find Your Ride to SideBurn

Looking to share a ride to SideBurn or have extra seats to offer? Our Carpool Spreadsheet is now live! Whether you’re driving or looking for a lift, connect with fellow participants and make your journey more sustainable and social.

Sign up

🥶 Stay Cool: Ice Available at the HIVE!

Need ice during the event? We’ve got you covered! Ice will be sold on-site at the HIVE for $3.00 (cash or e-transfer). Ice will be available Thursday to Sunday starting around 11am. 🚫 No ice on Monday.

Please note: No pre-orders this year—just swing by The HIVE when you need it!

❤️ Help Expand Equity Tickets – Pay It Forward!

We want to provide as many low-cost Equity Tickets as possible, but due to overwhelming demand we’re reaching our limit. As a result, the deadline to apply for Equity Tickets has been moved up to April 1. We’ve allocated 10% of tickets in the SideBurn budget for reduced-cost access, but we can only go beyond that with community support.

When purchasing your ticket, you can add a $25 Pay It Forward contribution (or more!) to help fund additional low-cost tickets. Every contribution goes directly toward making SideBurn more accessible for those who need it. We’d love to give an Equity Ticket to everyone who applies, and with your help, we can get closer to that goal.

If you need a low-cost ticket, apply by April 1. The Equity Assist stream will remain open until May 6. With any questions regarding equity or accessibility, please reach out to equity@sideburn.ca.

🔥 Unveiling SideBurn 2025’s Temple & Effigy!

Sacred Grove: A Temple of Reflection, Renewal, and Connection by Sky Ece Ulusoy

The Sacred Grove is a collection of “trees,” inside of which a temple clearing has been created to host mourning, tribute, and connection. This space draws inspiration from ancient sacred groves, which were once common across cultures as places of healing.

It symbolizes the cyclical nature of life—death, rebirth, and growth. Through natural materials and interactive elements, the temple invites participants to slow down, reflect, and engage in a shared experience of communal reverence. It serves as a metaphor for personal transformation, renewal, and our collective responsibility to protect the Earth.

The above description comes directly from the artist. Learn more.

Big Top: A Towering Effigy of Light, Color, and Celebration by Karl Demel & Rich Martin

Embrace joy and freedom of self-expression through a massive interactive structure. Dare to climb Big Top’s guts and peer above the festival landscape. Wrapped in bans of twisting colour, strings of flags anchoring and bathed big top in shimmering lights. The core is open from the earth to the sky by day, and lit in a rainbow kaleidoscope by night.

The silhouette will be seen from all corners of sideburn and perhaps the whole county when we light it up and burn it down on Saturday night. Big Top may only be in existence for 3 days but he will live on forever in our festival hearts. So, step right up and be amazed.

The above description comes directly from the artist. Learn more.

Want to be part of our Temple or Effigy teams? Join us—volunteers needed!

🎨 Bringing Independent Art to SideBurn? Register by March 31st!

Planning to bring an art project to SideBurn but didn’t receive a grant? We’d still love to feature your work! To ensure your piece is included on the SideBurn 2025 map and placed in the best possible location, make sure to register your art by March 31st 11:59 PM EST.

While registration doesn’t guarantee a ticket, it ensures we can plan for your artwork.

Learn More

👐 Introducing CARE: The Consent, Accountability, Resilience, & Equity Team

We are excited to introduce CARE, a new initiative within SideBurn and the broader Flame Ontario Arts Collective. CARE is dedicated to fostering a culture where consent, equity, and accountability are not just ideals–we make them active, lived principles in everything we do.

CARE’s mission is to provide a meaningful and accessible process for individuals to voice concerns regarding SideBurn events, volunteers, and attendees. Through this, we aim to strengthen the foundation of consent and equity across our community, ensuring that every person feels heard, valued, and respected.

Want to learn more or get involved? Visit our website or reach out to care@sideburn.ca.

✊ Our Commitment to Radical Inclusion

SideBurn thrives on diversity, equity, and inclusion, and we stand firmly behind these values. While we embrace radical inclusion, we do not tolerate consent violations, intolerance, hatred, or harassment. Our newly formed CARE Team is dedicated to ensuring a safe and welcoming space for all.

Read our full Statement on Radical Inclusion here.

📣 Call for Volunteers: HR Co-Lead, Art Truck Coordinator, and Temple/Effigy Crew

SideBurn is looking for passionate, organized, and enthusiastic volunteers to help make this year’s event a success! We currently have various key roles open: HQ Co-Lead, Art Truck Coordinator, and Temple/Effigy Crew. Whether you’re great at keeping things running smoothly on-site or coordinating logistics behind the scenes, we’d love to have you on board.

No prior experience is required—just a willingness to learn and be part of an amazing team. Visit our website for more details, and email us at volunteer@sideburn.ca if you’re interested!

Learn More