Community FAQ

The potential timeline for the 2026 event:

• Placement arrives: ~June 12, 2026
• Setup period begins: ~June 15, 2026
• Event dates: July 7–12, 2026
• Strike period ends: ~July 22, 2026

1. Where will the event be?

The 2026 event will take place in the Monegros desert in northern Spain, on a site that is well suited to the event. We are also evaluating a potential new site that is larger and could offer significant cost savings, but it would require infrastructure work (lightning rods, land preparation, road access) that may not be feasible in time for this year. A meeting is being organised to evaluate site options for the future.

2. Why does the organisation need a vote to name the event?

The event needs a name, and since we have not yet agreed to licence any existing name, we are running a community vote to choose a name for this year’s event. There are 26 options in the survey and voting is still open. We wanted the community to have a direct say in this decision.

3. Will there be power/electricity on site?

Yes. Power is in good shape. Javi, our power lead, has assembled a new power team of around seven people, several with direct experience working on power infrastructure for outdoor events. They already have generator quotes in hand, a dedicated power thread on Discord under SLI, and are working through detailed role descriptions. Some experienced hands from previous years (including Blondie, Piko, and others) may also be available to support. In Javi’s words: “We are good to go. We already have a team, and we are working on it. From the power side, we are okay — green light.”

4. How is production equipment being secured?

Key production equipment, including containers with infrastructure and supplies, is being secured through commercial rental arrangements. This approach lets us begin production planning now while keeping things straightforward from a legal and logistical standpoint. We hope to have these arrangements finalised shortly.

5. How much will tickets cost, and when will they go on sale?

We are targeting a ticket price of approximately €275, which is broadly in line with comparable community events. We are aiming to have clear timelines for ticket sales — and perhaps even tickets available — by next week. We want to open sales as soon as possible, both because participants need them to plan and because ticket revenue is what funds the event.

6. Will there be low-income tickets or financial assistance?

We value radical inclusion and understand that affordability is a real concern, especially with the uncertainty this year. We intend to offer some form of reduced-price or low-income tickets, consistent with the community's values. The details are still being worked out alongside the broader budget, but this is something we care about and will address.

7. What happens to my ticket money if the event has to be cancelled? Is there a refund plan?

We are actively planning for this. We are negotiating vendor contracts to minimise non-refundable deposits, and working on keeping financial exposure low at every stage, so that if a cancellation happened, the path to refunding tickets is as clear as possible.

8. How can I get involved?

Join our Discord to connect with the community and find out where help is needed. Then sign up on the Humans app to formally register as a collaborator and join a team. Whether you want to help with production, communications, governance, art, or anything else — those are the two places to start. We especially need people for early build work, communications, and organisational design.

9. What is the Humans app and do I need to sign up?

The Humans app is the official platform for the association — where you apply to become a member or collaborator, where teams are listed, and where coordination happens. If you previously signed up via Typeform, you will need to create an account on the Humans app. Going forward, it is the single place for managing involvement.

10. I’m worried about volunteer burnout. What is being done about that?

Burnout is a top concern. We are working to simplify processes, attract new people, decentralise decision-making, and increase autonomy — to reduce the load that traditionally falls on a few overworked long-time burners. If you can contribute even a few hours during early build, it makes a real difference. If you are feeling stretched, please say so — we would rather adjust than burn people out.

11. What is the difference between a member, a collaborator, and a volunteer?

There are three levels of engagement with the organisation:

• Members (asociados) are the democratic backbone of the association. As a member, you have a statutory legal right to vote at the General Assembly, to elect and stand for the board, and to vote on decisions that the board is then legally required to carry out. These rights are enshrined in our statutes and enforced by Spanish law. Members are ultimately who the board represents, so there is an expectation that you care about and participate in the good governance of the association. Membership expires after two years and must be renewed — we want active members, not a passive registry.
• Collaborators are people who do preparatory work for the event outside of the event itself — creating documents, designs, plans, lists, and other assets. Because they handle organisational information and create work product, collaborators sign an agreement that includes a non-exclusive but irrevocable IP assignment (so anything you create still belongs to you, but the association can always use it) and brings them under our GDPR umbrella so they can process personal data on behalf of the organisation. Collaborators do not have a statutory right to vote, but that does not mean they are excluded from decision-making — for example, we invited a much wider group (not just members) to vote on the event name and the go/no-go decision, and we intend to keep doing that wherever possible.
• Volunteers are people who buy a ticket, come to the event, and sign up for shifts. You do not need to sign any additional agreement to volunteer — the participant Code of Conduct and terms and conditions you agree to when buying your ticket are sufficient. We do not typically ask event participants to vote on organisational matters, simply because it is difficult to track who they are outside of the event.

Both members and collaborators are managed through the Humans app. If you are doing work for the event in the lead-up, you will want to sign up as a collaborator. If you also care about governance and want a formal voice in how the association is run, consider becoming a member.

12. How will the organisational structure work — how are meta-leads and leads selected?

We have adopted a departmental structure suited to the needs of the event. For this year, we are recruiting experienced volunteers who want to take on roles, while building toward a more democratic selection process. The board has the authority to appoint and approve meta-leads, and we are seeking input from existing leads in each area. We acknowledge the bootstrap challenge: ideally leads would elect meta-leads, but we need leads to be in place first. Different areas may approach this differently depending on their circumstances. The goal is to get the right people in place quickly for this year, then establish proper democratic processes for future years. Anyone interested in a lead or meta-lead role should make themselves known through Discord or the Humans app.

13. How is the association structured? Who makes decisions?

The NCA is a Spanish association (see our Estatutos) with a volunteer board elected by its members. Operationally, the event is run by meta-leads (to be renamed shortly, maybe) and leads in a participatory structure. The board’s long-term intention is to step back from day-to-day operations and only handle legal obligations. We are actively looking for people interested in organisational design to help build better systems for decentralised decision-making — if that is you, join the #governance channel on Discord.

14. When will the board hold a new election to improve diversity and representation?

We are committed to running another board election. During the original election process, we made a commitment to improve diversity and representation on the board, and we intend to follow through. The process requires several steps: first, we need to onboard association members (membership criteria are being finalised now); then, per our statutes, we must observe a 45-day notification period before an election. We are actively working on the membership criteria and hope to begin the onboarding process soon. Critically, we need candidates — if you are interested in serving on the board and bringing diverse perspectives, please let us know. An election without candidates is not possible, so consider this a genuine call to action.

15. Am I personally liable if I volunteer or become a member of the association and something goes wrong financially?

No. Under Spanish association law, your personal liability is limited to your financial contribution — that is, your membership fee. If the association takes on debt, you are not personally on the hook for it. This was confirmed by our legal advisors.

16. Is this event an official Burning Man Regional?

NCA is exploring official Burning Man Regional status. The benefits include being listed on the Burning Man website, invitations to the European Leadership Summit, and access to a broader support network. Some of our members are attending the European Leadership Summit in April, and we hope to have clarity on regional status before July. Regardless of formal status, the event is grounded in the ten Burning Man principles.

17. Will there be a participant Code of Conduct?

Yes. It is being updated and will be something everyone agrees to when buying a ticket. The draft is being shared on the participant wellness Discord channel for community input. We are also expanding participant wellness to offer year-round mediation and support, not just during the burn.

18. What could still cancel the event?

We are committed to proceeding, but we are also realistic. The scenarios that could change the plan include: a major external disruption (pandemic, extreme weather, government restrictions), legal advice that materially changes our assessment, or dramatically low ticket sales that would make the event financially unviable. To manage financial risk, we are using a tiered budgeting approach — scaling our spending based on actual ticket revenue rather than committing to a fixed budget upfront. The board is defining specific milestones and decision points so that we can course-correct responsibly at each stage. We will make our budgeting plans public as soon as possible.

19. Where can I find reliable, up-to-date information about what is happening?

We know that information has been scattered and sometimes hard to find. Here is where to look:

• Discord — This is the primary hub for discussions, updates, and working groups. Join the governance channel for go/no-go updates.
• nobodies.team website — We are publishing sanitised board meeting notes and community meeting notes here regularly.
• Community meetings — We hold regular Thursday community meetings open to everyone.
• This FAQ — We will keep this document updated as the situation evolves.
• Humans app — Sign up here to register as a volunteer, access shared resources, and participate in votes.

Shauna, our Communications lead, is working on improving and consolidating our communication channels. If you feel you are missing information, please reach out — we would rather over-communicate than leave people in the dark.