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

On March 3rd, 2025, we hosted our Newbie Night—an info session to cover the essentials, from “What is SideBurn?” and “Can I bring my chinchilla?” to practical tips on packing, getting involved, and what to expect at this year’s gathering. Whether you’re a first-timer or a seasoned attendee, there was something for everyone!

If you missed the event or need a refresher on key details, we’ve shared our slide deck below for easy access.

We hope you are as excited as we are for SideBurn! We bet you’re wondering how to get a ticket. There are three ways to get tickets – staff tickets, theme camp/art grant tickets, and general sale. We’ll focus on general sales because most people get tickets that way and because if you’re one of the other two, you’ll be told individually what you have to do to get your ticket.

Important: Our general ticket sale is NOT first-come, first-serve. We do this to make the system a bit more fair and accessible (for example, if you work when the tickets went on sale, you might miss out), and it also reduces strain on our ticketing system by spreading out our busy times.

Let’s get started!

Step 1: Creating a Ticketing Account

To get tickets for our general sale, you need to create an account on our ticketing portal. If you’re new, sign up for an account, but if you bought a ticket last year, your account has already been created, and you should use your previous account.

Please don’t create multiple accounts with different email addresses! If we see multiple accounts with the same legal name, we assume you’re trying to double your chances for a ticket, and we may delete the account.

If you have problems with your account, email ticketing@sideburn.ca, and we’ll help you out right away. Password reset can help if you’re locked out.

Login or Create an Account

Step 2: Register for the General Sale

During our general sale registration period, between March 8-15 inclusive, you can log into the ticketing portal, and you’ll see a button that says “Register here”. Click that button to add yourself to the general sale tickets list.

On March 17th, we’ll shuffle all the names on that list into a random order and send out ticket offers.

Step 3: Buying Your Ticket – Ticket Offers

Each ticket offer will be sent to your email and is only valid for 72 hours, so don’t delay if you get one!

If you miss your offer window, you can add yourself back to the waiting list. Your name will be re-added at the back of the queue if you’re still interested in a ticket.

🏷️ Pricing

This year, tickets are:

• All attendees aged 18 and over: $150 + fees
• Minors aged 13-17: $75 + fees
• Children aged 12 and under: Free (a ticket is still required)

A small fee will be added to ticket costs for payment processing.

Learn More

🤔 What happens if you don’t register by March 15th?

Don’t worry! If you log into the ticketing portal after the registration period, click the “Register Here”, button and add yourself to the list. You’ll be dropped into the queue behind everyone who registered during the registration period. There’s still a very strong chance you’ll get a ticket as people cancel and more tickets are added to the pool. You can join the waiting list until May 7, and we’ll keep sending out offers until that evening.

❌ Cancellations and Refunds

You can cancel your ticket anytime before 6 PM on May 7. This is the last time your cancelled ticket can be offered to another SideBurner. You can cancel your ticket and receive a refund by logging into the portal and pressing “change my order” at the top.

❤️ SideBurn’s Equity Program: Making Participation Accessible for All

Concerned about participation barriers in attending this year’s SideBurn? Our Equity Program offers two streams of support for ticketing and participation, and we’re now accepting applications!

• Reduced-cost: 75% discount for those facing financial hardship
• Equity Assist: Guaranteed second ticket for a caregiver assisting with daily living

Applications close May 6th 2025. For any further information or accessibility requests, email equity@sideburn.ca.

Learn More

🔥 Need more information?

Lots more ticketing info is available on our ticketing website, including anything you need to know about vehicle passes, minor tickets, RV passes and more.

Read all that and still have questions? Email ticketing@sideburn.ca to talk to a member of our team!

Reminder: Theme Camp Registration & Grants Are Still Open

Are you ready to create a Theme Camp that adds creativity, energy, and immersive experiences to Sideburn? Registration is open! While Art Grants have closed, Theme Grants are still available to help support your camp in building out your space and enhancing your contributions to the event.

Registration and grant applications close February 17th 2025.

Apply Now

Important Volunteer Opportunity: Fire Spinner Safety Lead Needed!

We’re looking for a Fire Spinner Safety Lead to help coordinate and ensure a safe, inclusive and unforgettable experience for our performers and attendees! This is a crucial role, and applications close by February 14th. If you have experience with fire performance and safety, this is your chance to be part of the magic!

Apply Now

Ticketing Update!

Got questions about general sale tickets and timelines? Our upcoming March newsletter will include everything you need to know.

Here’s a quick overview:

• General sale ticket registration: March 8-15 (No action required before then!)
• Theme camp tickets: Going out at the end of February–if you’re eligible, your theme camp leads will keep you informed.

Stay tuned for more details in next month’s update! In the meantime, visit our website for the latest ticketing details.

SideBurn 2025 Equity Program: Making Participation Accessible for All

Concerned about participation barriers in attending this year’s SideBurn? Our Equity Program offers two streams of support for ticketing and participation, and we’re now accepting applications! Applications close May 6th 2025.

Learn More

Join the New SideBurn Discord!

Not as into Facebook these days? No problem! Stay connected with us on the new SideBurn Discord, where you’ll get event updates alongside our existing channels on Facebook, Instagram, our website, and our newsletter.

Join Now

Art Grant Opportunities for Creators are Now Open!

Whether you’re bringing a new idea to life, enhancing an existing project, or exploring something playful and whimsical, there are grants to support your creative vision.

Available Grants:

• Fire Art Creators Grant (New for 2025): Up to $1200 to craft flame-inspired art with support from our Fire Art Safety Team.
• Creators Grant: Up to $1,200 to bring new artwork to life.
• Legacy Grant: Between $500 and $700 for the enhancement and maintenance of existing artwork.
• Micro-grant: Up to $150 for small whimsical, playful creative projects. Perfect for kids’ projects!

Have questions about art grants? For full details, visit our website, or join our virtual Info Session on January 11th at 2 PM EST to get all the information you need to bring your project to life. Join the session here.

Art grant applications close January 31st, 2025.

Apply

Theme Camp Registration & Grants: Apply Now!

Are you ready to create a Theme Camp that adds creativity, energy, and immersive experiences to Sideburn? Registration is now open and Theme Grants are here to help support your camp in building out your space and enhancing your contributions to the event.

Registration and grant applications close February 17th 2025.

Apply Now

SideBurn’s Equity Program: Making Participation Accessible for All

Concerned about participation barriers in attending this year’s SideBurn? Our Equity Program offers two streams of support for ticketing and participation, and we’re now accepting applications!

• Reduced-cost: 75% discount for those facing financial hardship
• Equity Assist: Guaranteed second ticket for a caregiver assisting with daily living

For more information on equity ticketing and accessibility at SideBurn visit our website. Applications close May 6th 2025.

Apply Now

Call for Volunteers for SideBurn 2025

Be a maker of magic. These volunteer roles offer you the chance to contribute to SideBurn 2025, and as a token of appreciation, you’ll have the opportunity to purchase a directed ticket. We’re currently looking to fill the following volunteer positions:

Art Grant Review Committee Members
We’re looking for volunteers to join the 2025 Art Grant Review Committee! Responsibilities include a virtual meeting in late January to review the grant process, followed by independent blind reviews of applications. Committee members will then participate in virtual meetings in February to determine the grant awards. If interested, email art@sideburn.ca by January 12th with a brief statement on why you’d like to join the committee.

Engagement Lead
Love meeting new people and sharing the magic of Burning Man’s 10 Principles? We want you as our Engagement Lead! Introduce our ethos to participants, lead a small group of volunteers, spark conversations, and help others discover SideBurn’s unique culture. If interested, email rebecca@sideburn.ca and let’s spark some community magic together!

Sanctuary Leads
We’re looking for Leads to join the Sanctuary team for SideBurn 2025. Sanctuary offers a safe space for those feeling overwhelmed, and Leads will take a 12-hour on-call shift to support the team and assist with participant needs that exceed the capacity of Sanctuary listeners. Experience in mental health services, Sanctuary operations, or similar roles is welcome. If interested, email alex@sideburn.ca with your background and why you’d like to join the team.

Want to get involved in other roles at SideBurn 2025? Visit our website to explore more volunteer opportunities and find the perfect fit for you!