Event Dates 2027: what the survey says

1. Who answered

Respondents could tick more than one description of themselves. 878 (93%) want to come in 2027; 508 build for their barrio, 146 build for the event (2+ weeks), 208 do strike, and 447 go to other burns. 328 (35%) ticked no build or strike role at all. By interface language: English 578, French 185, Spanish 90, German 56, Catalan 24, Italian 15.

477 responses came through a personal link on Humans (identified), 447 through the public link (anonymous), and 24 were completion-tracked only (counted in totals, in neither dot). The two populations differ in composition: event builders are mostly identified (92 vs 51), while people who go to other burns are more often anonymous (231 vs 205). Responses arrived in two waves: the launch on 23 August, and a second push on 31 August.

2. Who can come, week by week

For each of the 16 candidate weeks, respondents ticked which parts of the event they would come to (the Event, Event Build, Barrio Build, Strike) or Cannot come. The chart shows the share who could come to at least one part, for identified and anonymous respondents separately, with the overall share as the label.

The shape: availability rises through May, is highest in the first two weeks of June, falls through late June and July, rises again into mid-September, and falls through October. Late June and early July are where the most respondents ticked cannot come (547 and 500).

Where identified and anonymous respondents part. Identified respondents are most available in early June (73% for 7–13 June against 61% for 13–19 September). Anonymous respondents are nearly level between the two, with September slightly ahead (63% for 13–19 September against 61% for 7–13 June). The widest gap between the two populations is at the current dates themselves: 58% of identified respondents could come 5–11 July, against 36% of anonymous ones. Whichever population the reader weights more, the shape of the year is the same; the order of the top weeks is not.

3. If the dates moved: who would be lost, who would be gained

Availability totals hide the people inside them. For each alternative week, this chart splits the change against the current slot into the people who would be lost (can make 5–11 July but not that week) and those who would be gained (cannot make 5–11 July but can make that week). The number at the right is the net.

Two readings are available from the same numbers, and the vote is a choice between them. One is the most people: the net column. The other is the least disturbance to people who come now: the lose column, which is smallest for the weeks adjacent to July (21–27 June loses 120, 14–20 June loses 139). Mid-September sits between the two on both counts.

4. By group and by language

Builders, strikers, other-burners

The event depends on a small number of people who come for two weeks or more to build it, and on those who stay to strike it. Their availability matters more than their headcount suggests. Each chart shows the share of that self-described group who could come each week, identified and anonymous separately.

By language

Interface language is a rough proxy for where people live. It is also where the one group-level reversal in the data appears: for French-speaking respondents (n=185) the current July slot is the week most of them can make — 115 could come 5–11 July, 110 7–13 June, 98 13–19 September. Their comments say why: French school holidays begin in early July. English, Spanish and German speakers are most available in June.

5. How flexible people are

72 respondents (8%) said they could come in any of the 16 weeks; 56 could manage two or fewer. The median respondent could make 8 of the 16.

The people with the least room to move are the ones a change affects most. 40 respondents can only come in the late-June-to-July window — 17 of them only in the current week itself. Against that, 12 can only come in September and 8 only in late May–mid June. Looking at the two main alternative windows together: 597 people could make both a June and a September week, 149 June but not September, 136 September but not June, and 66 neither.

6. What people wrote

378 of the 948 respondents (40%) left a comment — 210 identified, 164 anonymous — in six languages. Every comment was read in full and tagged with the themes below; a comment can carry several. The table is the overview; the cards below it carry the voices.

The themes at a glance

Share is of the 378 comments. Move / Stay / Depends: the stance expressed by the comments carrying that theme (the remainder expressed none).

Stance, where one was expressed

Wants the date to move: 142 (38%) Will come whenever: 7 (2%) Depends on the week: 136 (36%) Wants to keep early July: 38 (10%) No stance expressed: 55 (15%)

Most comments argue for a particular constraint rather than for or against moving as such; “depends on the week” is the largest single group after “move”. Of the 378 comments, 38 ask to keep early July.

Other events named as clashes

Crème Brûlée (13), Burning Man (10), Borderland (10), Kiez Burn (5), Nest (5), Where the Sheep Sleep (4), AfrikaBurn (3), Pyraegea (2), Glastonbury (2), Norway Day (2), Château Perché (1), Fiestas del Pilar (1), Pride Madrid (1), Tomorrowland (1).

Themes, with the voices

• Clashes with other burns and events73 comments

  Any proposed slot risks colliding with a named regional burn, mainstream festival, or public/religious holiday, splitting the volunteer pool.

  “June 14 onwards clashes with Kiez Burn Build, Event and Strike next year.”

  “À cause de Nest et Creme Brûlée, je ne pense pas qu'il soit possible de faire le burn en mai ou juin, on vas perdre bien trop de bénévole impliqué dans le build et le strike.”Because of Nest and Crème Brûlée, I don't think it's possible to run the burn in May or June, we'd lose far too many involved volunteers.

  “Rosh Hashanah is going to be from October 1-3 2027 and Yom Kippur will be from October 10 to October 11. Radical Inclusion is one of the 11 Principles - it is not inclusive or culturally sensitive to schedule a Burn Event on the High Holy Days of a major world religion.”

• Heat as a health and safety hazard71 comments

  The current heat is described as physically dangerous, not just uncomfortable: exhaustion, dehydration, heatstroke, and medical incidents.

  “The current dates are way too hot, fire risk is not worth it to be possibly evacuated, everyone is dehydrated and acting like a zombie.”

  “I do physically demanding work at the event, and I feel like it's extremely risky from heat. Stroke perspective to be doing physical work in 40°C, weather”

  “heat is just getting unbearable and makes the event a "desert" during the day where only the goblins go out at night.”

• Wildfire risk and fear of cancellation62 comments

  Concern that the event will be evacuated or cancelled by wildfire alert law, and that this risk is worsening with climate change.

  “The historical fire alert levels clearly shows that the risk is 1) presenting itself earlier every year and 2) getting more extreme.”

  “I think it’s civic responsibility to not go with high fire hazard.”

  “It is not responsible to put pressure on the local emergency services during fire season when fire season will get longer and hotter every year.”

• Preference for September/October60 comments

  Respondents who actively want the event moved later, into early autumn, often citing weather and fewer clashes.

  “Please, please, please let's get Elsewhere moved to September! 🙏”

  “There are no other burns happening in October, and the weather is still nice but not too hot. […] From my point of view October would be perfect! <3”

  “Make Nowhere breathable again! Thanks for the efforts in organising.”

• Work makes summer the only free window (or the busiest one)59 comments

  Non-teaching jobs also constrain dates: some can only take time off in summer, others have summer as their high season and cannot leave.

  “summer is not my holiday time in fact it is my high season regarding work, and taking time off at this time as an entrepreneur requires me losing a lot of money.”

  “I am a freelancer in seasonal work with most of my assignments in May-June, almost nothing during the summer and it slowly picks up again in September. […] I cannot afford to skip peak months like June and May.”

  “I live in New Zealand and come to europe only in summer time, therefore only time I can make it to elsewhere is during the hottest season”

• Preference for May/June55 comments

  Respondents who actively want the event moved earlier, into late spring or early summer.

  “My vote is to move from first week or July to first week of June.”

  “I would personally like to see the date moved to earlier in the year like in May to have a "beginning of the burn season" feel”

  “the sweet spot would be first half of june when it's hot enough for quick dry”

• General support for moving the date43 comments

  Explicit backing for changing the dates, often framed as adapting to climate change or civic responsibility, independent of a specific new date.

  “Climate change is real, and we should adapt to this fact, unfortunately.”

  “I am fully in support of moving the dates to ones with less fire risk”

  “Choosing dates outside the hottest months should be a no-brainer.”

• Bound by the school calendar42 comments

  Teachers, students and parents whose available time is fixed by school terms and holidays, largely tying them to summer.

  “No cambiemos las fechas. Creo que siendo profesor no veo la manera de faltar al trabajo”Don't let's change the dates. As a teacher I don't see how I could miss work.

  “Je suis professeur des écoles en France, je ne choisis pas les vacances. Malheureusement presque aucune des dates proposées ne peut coïncider avec mon agenda.”I'm a schoolteacher in France, I don't choose the holidays. Unfortunately almost none of the proposed dates can match my schedule.

  “I'm a teacher so only available from 1-7 to 31-8”

• The heat is the point37 comments

  For many the extreme dry desert heat is core to the event's identity and appeal; diluting it would change what Nowhere/Elsewhere is.

  “What's a wet desert? No point in having a burn in mild weather. Go to kindergarten if you're so fragile.”

  “The heat is a big part of Nowhere and I love the sexy vibes it creates. Temperatures below 15 degrees are an absolute no-go for me.”

  “I love dry heat. This is the reason why I love Elsewhere. I love to not have to wear clothes during the day, and I love to not have to bring / wear something warm at night.”

• Gratitude and trust in the organisers32 comments

  Thanks for doing the survey, for transparency, and general trust in the organising team's process and judgment, sometimes with no other content.

  “Vraiment merci de reconsidérer les dates du Elsewhere, ça fait 2 ans que je ne viens plus à l'event spécifiquement pour ces raisons de chaleur et de risques incendie (et puis bon pour le prix en partie aussi ^^).”Really thank you for reconsidering Elsewhere's dates, I haven't come to the event for 2 years specifically because of the heat and wildfire risk.

  “Given the data and info you provided (many thanks for that, and for your transparency in communicating it!)”

  “THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU THINK AND EVERYTHING YOU DO <3<3<3<3<3<3”

• Fear of cold nights in shoulder season24 comments

  Worry that May, September or October bring uncomfortably cold nights, undermining the desert-camping experience.

  “the Monegros can get really, really cold in both May and October — especially at night.”

  “En septiembre y mayo las noches son frías”In September and May the nights are cold

  “Late Sep - October is already "too cold" to keep the playful hot desert vibe”

• Rain, mud and build/strike practicalities23 comments

  Shoulder-season dates raise the odds of rain, mud, storms and shorter daylight, which make building, driving and striking harder.

  “We should make sur wet road are still drivable unlike 2022 when watertruck could not deliver for a few days. Also striking and packing in the mud is a nightmare. For me the sweet spot would be first half of june when it's hot enough for quick dry.”

  “The ground is very muddy and slippery from the rain, and we've had accidents in the past. That’s why I didn’t vote for October”

  “October - it gets dark quite early, build and strike will be harder”

• I'll come whenever20 comments

  Attendance is not really date-conditional for these respondents; the event itself is the priority regardless of when it happens.

  “I will come whenever the event happens, it's the most important event in my year, but I have a strong preference for it to be on a date when it won't be cancelled for wildfire risks!”

  “Elsewhere 2027 is my priority and I can move things around.”

  “If it was any other year, I wouldn't mind: any date would do.”

• Critique of the survey itself19 comments

  Complaints that the survey's design, wording or 'cannot come' framing doesn't capture nuance like 'won't come' vs 'can't come', or is too complex.

  “This survey doesn't allow for 'that seems like a bad date but I would maybe still come' all my cannot comes are unwilling.”

  “Dommage que dans les propositions des dates il n'y ai pas la colonne "je ne veux pas" car toute les dates de mi juin à mi septembre, c'est pas que "je ne peux pas" venir à Elsewhere, mais surtout que "je ne veux plus" venir sur ces périodes là! :) Thank you so much to consider changing the dates, I know many people who…”Shame there's no 'I don't want to' column, because for mid-June to mid-September it's not that I 'can't' come, it's that I no longer 'want to'.

  “Such a complex survey may lead to unexpected and unintended results altogether... Should have been made much simpler IMHO”

• Burning Man as the parent event11 comments

  Burning Man is treated as a special case, not just another clash: people want its dates listed and want travel/recovery buffer around it.

  “Please, it would be great to clear the Burning Man dates, the preparation time, and the strike, the LNT . BM is a parent to Nowhere/ Elsewhere. Both events are nurishing from each other and it would be very hard for the burner community to have to chose in between both.”

  “Also, don´t forget about the Burning Man week. People need time to recover and / or still traveling after the journey.”

  “If early Sept, which I like personally, we lose the committed burners going to BM.”

• Change the site, not just the date11 comments

  A recurring suggestion that the real fix is a different, less arid or less fire-prone venue, not shuffling weeks within the same desert.

  “I know the desert thing is almost a sexual fetish for some but forests and lakes would be awesome too, and Spain has a shit ton of bestiful places to not feel miserable all day long.”

  “Honestly I don't think the dates are the problem but the location, if we had a lake or a river the heat could be easier to handle.”

  “Pour ne pas rentrer en conflits avec les autres burn, je pense que la seule solution et d'avoir un site dans une région moins chaude avec moins de risque d'incendie.”To avoid conflicts with the other burns, I think the only solution is a site in a less hot region with less wildfire risk.

• Keep the current July dates10 comments

  A minority who want to keep the event where it is, seeing the heat/desert intensity as intrinsic and worth defending.

  “We survived July once we can do it again”

  “It’s better to stick to same week every year for people to plan, I feel first week of July works perfectly”

  “Penso che siamo tutti abituati alle date, come le abbiamo sempre fatte”I think we're all used to the dates, as we've always done them

• Bird nesting and environmental considerations7 comments

  A smaller but pointed thread noting bird breeding season and other ecological factors as a reason to avoid spring dates.

  “September being most suitable because of lack of breeding season.”

  “Technically if you take in account the time when it birds might interfere for the event on the new site, then it might be better to leave May and June out, so it seems.”

  “Parece que las aves y el Súper El Niño son verdaderas bombas de tiempo en la primavera”It seems the birds and the Super El Niño are real time bombs in spring

• Adapt the site instead of (or alongside) moving dates3 comments

  A few respondents propose building infrastructure to cope with heat — shade, trees, cold storage — or a differently-shaped event, rather than just picking a cooler week.

  “I'm ready to commit everything it needs for it to exist in harder future times: solar ovens, digging into the ground for earth fridges and cold water storage, fire prevention mecanisms...”

  “Si on est sur un terrain acheté, pourquoi pas organiser pendant toute l'année des constructions/aménagements qui pourraient nous aider à vivre avec cette chaleur? Je pense à planter des arbres ou creuser pour y mettre les zones à risque.”If we're on land we own, why not organise year-round building/works that could help us live with the heat? I'm thinking of planting trees or digging.

  “I'd like us to do a different kind of Burn in October - more art and live performance focused and with fire - when it's cooler but I like the hot desert nature of our current Burn and want to keep that feel.”

Reading the comments as a whole

The sharpest disagreement is not about moving; it is about what the heat is. For one group it is the point of the event — the reason you can live in the desert without clothes, the filter that keeps the place for people who really want it. For another it has become a safety problem — heatstroke, medical evacuations, physical build work at 40 °C. Both groups cite the same 2026 event as their evidence.

The second real tension is structural and nobody in it is being unreasonable: teachers, students and academics are locked to the summer break and say so plainly (a cluster of French teachers wrote near-identical short comments to that effect), while freelancers and people in tourism, events and hospitality say summer is their income season and they need the event out of it. Those two groups cannot both be given what they ask for by choosing a week.

Several long comments argue that the survey asks the wrong question. One lays out the Aragon regulation in detail — that an evacuation is triggered by an alert level declared by the regional authority, with no local discretion, and that it has already fired once — reframing “we might be evacuated” from a mood into a mechanism. A smaller group argue that the fix is a different site, not a different week. And one point of critique bears directly on the availability numbers: cannot come was the only way to say will not come. Some respondents who could attend in July but no longer want to will have ticked July as available, so the grid probably understates reluctance about the current dates rather than overstating it.

7. Method and caveats

• Self-selected sample. The survey went out through the newsletter, Discord, barrio channels and social media. People who feel strongly about dates were more likely to answer. Treat the shares as the views of 948 engaged people, not of the whole community.
• Identified vs anonymous. Identified responses came through a personal Humans link, one per account. Anonymous responses came through the public link and cannot be de-duplicated; at least one respondent wrote that they had answered twice. Neither population is “the real one”; the page shows both.
• “Could come” means at least one part ticked. 78 grid cells (out of 15,168) had both Cannot come and a part ticked; those are counted as could come. No respondent left the grid blank.
• Language is interface language, not nationality or residence.
• Comments were tagged by a language model reading every comment in full; the theme counts are indicative, and every quote was checked against the source text and is verbatim (elisions marked with […]).
• Anonymisation. Account IDs and usernames were removed from every response. In the comments, names, an email address, barrio and crew names attached to a role, employer names and other details that could point to one person were replaced with generic wording (16 of 378 comments). Nothing else was edited.
• Earlier analysis. A preliminary analysis of the 31 August snapshot (771 responses) was circulated before the survey closed; this page supersedes it and uses the complete set.

8. The data

The complete anonymised responses, so anyone can check this page or run their own analysis. The JSON is the survey export with identifiers removed; the CSV is the same data flattened to one row per response.

Columns in the CSV: response id, submitted at (UTC), interface language, anonymity type, respondent types (pipe-separated), one column per week listing the parts ticked (event, build-event, build-barrio, org-strike, cannot), and the comment.