Zürich Decompression 2026

Frequently asked questions

This is a burn, and everyone here is a volunteer. The people pouring your water, cooking your dinner, running the gate and building the room you are standing in all bought a ticket too. There are no spectators, only participants. That is the whole reason this event is any good.

Kraftwerk is a gracious host and lets us do a great deal with this venue, because they know that we care for it. Please help us keep that spirit: community, and civic responsibility for the spaces.

I have never been to a burn. What should I know?

Read the ten principles. They are how every Burning Man event tries to run, and we take them seriously: they are how we try to guide this one.

Above all of them, for us: consent, at every level. If somebody does not want to talk to you, the conversation is over. If somebody does not want to be in your photo, there is no photo. Nobody is approached sexually, or touched, without a clear yes. We take this seriously, and so does everyone around you.

Not sure? Ask. Asking is always welcome.

When does it open, and when does it close?

Friday · Build Night

Doors15:00 Last entry22:00 Event ends01:00

The Hotel is still going up, and there is live music while it happens. Be in by 22:00. We stop at 01:00 so everyone can sleep before Saturday.

Saturday · The main day

Doors13:00 Last entry23:30 Event endsRuns all night

After 23:30 nobody new can come in. Not late arrivals, not a friend who was going to join you. If you are already in and wearing your wristband, you can step out and come back.

Sunday · Strike

Breakfast06:00–10:00 Gate opens07:00 StrikeFrom 09:00

We take the Hotel down together and leave the space when it is done. Come well rested, or don't go home at all.

What is each day like, and do I need an outfit?

Friday is about building together. There is a music jam from 18:00, there is dinner, there are things happening, but the real experience is watching the Hotel go up around you and helping it along. It is relaxed, you do not need an outfit, and if you have never been to a burn it is a beautiful way in.

Saturday is the burn. This is the day we built the Hotel for. Workshops from 14:00, dinner from 17:00, the cabaret at 19:00, and then music through the night. Come in your sparkliest and shiniest. It does not have to be a costume, but it should make you feel alive.

Sunday is strike. We take it all down, together, and leave no trace.

Where do I put my coat and my bag?

There is a cloakroom and it is free. Please use it.

Do not leave bags along the walls. If you need something later, walk back and get it.

Are there showers?

No. Plan for it.

Can I bring my own drinks?

Please don't. The bar belongs to the venue, and that is a good part of why we get this building at all.

Water is free, all night. Drink more of it than you think you need.

Is there food, and can I bring my own?

We cook three times: dinner Friday, 18:00–22:00, dinner Saturday, 17:00–21:00, and breakfast Sunday, 06:00–10:00, before strike.

The food is a gift, and we are not a restaurant. At a burn, volunteers do the cooking. This year we are lucky to have professionals in the kitchen, and we have estimated the quantities as carefully as we can, but at some point it will run out. We will feed as many people as we can. Eat when it is served, and do not plan your night around seconds.

Please don't bring your own food to eat inside. There are good restaurants a short walk away, and on Saturday you can go out and come back in with your wristband.

If you have a dietary need, bring what you need.

Can I eat or drink in the containers?

No. The containers are the spaces you reach by going up the stairs.

They have almost no ventilation, and a spill in there costs the whole community. It is the one rule we ask everybody to remember.

I broke something. What do I do?

Come and tell us. Anyone, anything, no drama. You are not in trouble.

It helps us keep the place clean, and it helps us stop somebody getting hurt on it later.

Can I bring my kids?

Yes, in the daytime on Friday and Saturday, and they do not need a ticket.

You supervise them, and you take them home before the cabaret at 19:00.

Bring your own children. Please do not bring a school.

Can I take photos?

Yes. There is no ban. It is a matter of asking.

Gate will explain this on the way in. If someone is clearly the subject of your picture, ask them first. And if somebody photographs you, you can ask them to delete it. They should, without a fuss.

Official photos are taken by one person, and everyone who appears in them is asked for consent. Nothing travels further without it.

What is the Play Space?

A sex-positive space at the back of the Hotel. It has its own crew, its own rules and its own consent guidelines, and it is not open to everyone: before you go in you have to go through the guidelines and meet a few requirements.

We mention it here so you know it is there, whether that interests you or whether it is something you would rather keep well clear of.